Gridniveau

Gridniveau is a term used in geospatial and design software to denote the elevation reference for a regular grid. It identifies the vertical position of the grid plane relative to a chosen datum and governs how Z-values of grid nodes are assigned and interpreted. The word combines the English grid with the French niveau, meaning level. In practice, gridniveau defines the base elevation from which grid-based measurements, such as contour intervals and cross-sections, are computed.

A typical grid has a fixed spacing between lines, and the gridniveau sets the height of the grid plane. It can be anchored to sea level, a project-specific reference plane, or another custom datum. When the gridniveau is changed, all corresponding elevations in the grid are offset accordingly, which can impact visualizations and derived data if not accounted for in downstream calculations.

Applications of gridniveau occur in GIS, civil engineering, and BIM workflows, where aligning multiple layers to a common grid improves consistency across plans and analyses. The concept supports coordination between spatial data sets, design models, and construction documentation by providing a shared vertical reference.

Limitations include the assumption of a flat, planar grid. In contexts with significant terrain variability or curved surfaces, additional methods are required to ensure accurate interpretation of elevations across the grid.

See also: vertical datum, elevation, coordinate system, grid reference, digital elevation model, BIM.