Difference Between NGVD 29 and NAVD 88

Understand the critical elevation shifts taking place when moving from the obsolete NGVD 29 vertical datum to NAVD 88. VERTCON 3.0 transformation insights.

Construction Elevation Critical Risk

FEMA flood certificates demand strict adherence to NAVD88. Failing to use VERTCON 3.0 to adjust old NGVD29 plans routinely results in catastrophic base flood elevation (BFE) design failures.

Calculate Vertical Elevation Error Risk
NAVD 88 (EPSG:5703)
Magnitude: -0.5 to +1.5 meters
NGVD 29 (EPSG:5702)

1. The Vertical Elevation Shift

The National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) was historically used for elevation logic across the US. However, due to severe continental crustal movements, subsidence, and gravity mapping discrepancies, it was officially retired and superseded by the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88).

Depending on geographic location within the US, the elevation shift between these two datums typically ranges from -0.5 meters to +1.5 meters.

2. FEMA Flood Maps & Engineering Catastrophes

FEMA explicitly mandates all modern flood elevation certificates utilize NAVD 88. Mixing these two datums in civil design often yields catastrophic results.

Case Liability: If a civil engineer references an old NGVD 29 site plan indicating an elevation of 10.0 ft, but the required NAVD 88 Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is 11.5 ft, the building could be designed too low. Ignoring proper vertical transformation shifts (often causing foot-level discrepancies) leads directly to flooded basements, denied flood insurance policies, and professional gross negligence claims.

3. Transformation: VERTCON 3.0

To safely bridge the gap between historical plans and modern construction, the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) provides VERTCON. Technical Report NOS NGS 68 establishes VERTCON 3.0 as the only official NSRS orthometric-height transformation grid.

Professional Risk Notice

Using the wrong datum or applying coordinates without grid-to-ground correction can cause 1-400 metre positional errors —a leading cause of surveying negligence claims and contract disputes.

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重要:計算結果の正確性を確認してください

座標精度はデバイスや測地系によって異なります。以下の確認を行わずに実務で使用しないでください:

GPS精度の警告

スマホのGPSは最大30メートルずれることがあります。これが原因でデータに重大なエラーが発生します。

精度を今すぐチェック →

測地系のリスク

誤った測地系(例:WGS84と日本測地系)を使用すると、常に数百メートルのズレが生じます。

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