Category Archives: Professional Surveyor Archives
Where Theory Meets Practice: Geodetic Observations: Part 1
Since the inception of GPS in the 1980s, surveyors have been presented with GPS baseline reduction results that list both geodetic azimuths and distances for the baseline vectors. In Part I of this article, I present the difference between the normal to the geoid and ellipsoid, which is known as deflection of the vertical, and...
Best Practices in Land Surveying: Creating Superior Land Description Plats
In this new column, Landon describes best practices for land surveyors that were passed to him by his mentors and that he developed as part of his own land surveying work over the past decade. Topics include boundary surveying, GIS, data management, and business development. Land surveyors are taught the requirements of an effective land...
Hardware Review: X90-OPUS GPS Receiver
I’ll make it short and sweet: we tried it, we like it, and we ended up buying it. I recently had the chance to test out the X90-OPUS GPS receiver. Essentially, the X90 receiver is designed for collecting static GPS occupations (when operating in real time is not available or needed) and easily submitting observations to...
Deep Thinking: Upgrades to a Chicago Water Treatment Plant
Upgrades to a Chicago water treatment plant pose technical and logistical challenges; an innovative surveyor is helping deliver the solution. Editor’s Note: The lifespans of valuable infrastructure in both the public and private sectors can be extended far beyond the original design expectations. Upgrades can serve not only to maintain structural integrity and functionality,...
Feature: Mapping the Centerline
The North Carolina Railroad Company uses mobile lidar and historic research to monument the corridor and map the centerline of a busy rail line dating back to 1851. Several years ago, the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) began using geospatial technology to augment its rail corridor management program. An article in this magazine (July 2010,...
History Corner: John Wasson: Surveyor General in Apache Land, Part 1
Arizona was made a separate surveying district on July 11, 1870. It was a momentous occasion for the young territory. Governor Anson P. K. Safford, newly appointed after his stint as surveyor general of Nevada, recommended his Nevada friend, newspaperman John Wasson, for the new position. At his side in the recommendation of Wasson...