May 2013 Archives
Discussion of Senate Bill 804, SB 804
Editor’s Desk: Silent Sea Changes Two events in the past month are possibly among the most important things to happen to this community in a long time. Both have come almost unnoticed. On Friday, March 22, I learned that the governor of Virginia was on the verge of signing Senate Bill 804, SB 804 […]
The Politcal Surveyor: Managing Federal Land Data
Since the 113th Congress convened in January, data management has been the topic of congressional hearings and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The data in question is on real property the federal government owns as well as current, accurate, and accessible data necessary for responsible management of both land and buildings.Information on what the […]
Business Leader: The Marksman: Diversification through Product Innovation
Diversification is an ongoing theme at this magazine; we think it’s the best survival mechanism for a profession undergoing rapid change in a recovering economy. Gerry Clarke, owner and president of Coordinate Control, Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, saw the need for a better tool to use in precision surveying applications. The result became The Marksman, […]
Motor Sports: High Speed from High Precision
From the Gasoline Alley of Alberta, Canada to the famous Gasoline Alley of the Indianapolis 500, an ambitious surveyor has brought pioneering solutions in trackside scanning and metrology to the world of international motor sports. “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds” —Sir Francis Bacon These 1,600-pound cars reach speeds upwards of 220 […]
Gravity’s Increasing Gravitas: Gravity Measurements!
Hey! You out there—heads up! NAVD88 will be DOA22… before you know it! Refinements in the ability to measure gravity and, with those refinements, the subsequent gravity surveys across much of the United States over the past 120 years have allowed scientists to continually improve the resolution of the geoid and surveyors’ ability to measure […]
Surveying Creation: A New Port for London
Construction on England’s new seaport requires rapid response to a multitude of surveying needs. Here’s how one surveyor is able to handle the load. England just grew a bit. Thanks to a massive offshore operation that includes a dredger sucking up sand and silt from the Thames riverbed, a parcel of new land has been created […]