Category Archives: Surveying
A Surveyor Looks at 40
Ask questions, seek advice, be a mentor, and set a great example as a leader in our profession. After 20 or so years in the land surveying industry, I find myself smack dab in the middle of my lifelong career as a surveyor. I’m no longer floundering at the beginning, searching for my way, and...
TheGeoDude on The UESI Conference
I’ve attended a lot of conferences over the years. They’ve primarily been either surveying-focused or technology- (GPS, laser scanning, reality capture, CAD) focused. The recent Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI) conference, held April 22 to 24 in Pomona, California, was my first conference with a strong mix of civil engineers and surveyors; a show...
It’s an Inverse, Jim
When I first started working in the survey profession, many new activities I quickly learned and others took years to perfect. The two pieces of advice I heard most often in the beginning of my training were: dig the hole a little wider and deeper, and hold the dumb end of the chain. The L.S....
Surveying Beyond the Water’s Edge
A remotely controlled unmanned survey vessel gives a land survey crew full hydrographic abilities for two busy marinas in Oregon. Founded in 2005, Statewide Land Surveying (SWLS) is a small business located in Gresham, Oregon, well acquainted with taking on challenging projects. While mostly engaged in land surveying, SWLS crew members have been involved for over...
Precisely Shot
Aerial imaging, GIS, and GNSS play a crucial role in the success of golf’s 2018 U.S. Open Championship. “Basically, we need to construct a small city—every year and in a different location,” said Timothy Lloyd, senior manager of U.S. Open operations at the United States Golf Association (USGA). Lloyd’s team is charged with planning and...
Slam an Entire Building
A Danish surveyor measured the floor area of 13-story building in 1.5 hours with a mobile 3D scanner. Accurately calculating the floor space area in a new building (either residential or office) has serious legal implications in Denmark, and this service has become important business for surveying companies there. One of these firms, LIFA Surveyors,...
