Point of Beginning articles from August 2008

Point of Beginning archives from August 2008

By definition: at the time of this writing, I have attained nine years' tenure with POB magazine. Amazing.(editor'spoints)
August 1, 2008... In that time, I have learned much about a profession I knew nearly nothing about and ascertained (by fire) the difference between an industry and a profession. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most writers and editors yearn to discover new areas...

Editor's points and newsline.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... April 2008 I am the person that wrote the [Alabama] legislation [to create rural surveyors] and had it introduced. Unfortunately, the bill die be died as time ran out but will be introduced again in 2009. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I...

Traversing the law.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... June 2008 Your statement in the June issue, "Believe it or not, boundaries have been created and re-established for centuries without any math at all and, yes, even without RTK GPS" says so much with so [few] words. All surveyors doing...

Surveyors needed post-disaster.(newsline)
August 1, 2008... The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) announced in May the formation of BuildAction (www.buildaction.org), a disaster-management initiative to bridge the gap between immediate short-term humanitarian relief and long-term...

First disaster-reconstruction trade show to launch next summer.(newsline)
August 1, 2008... BNP Media, the parent company of POB magazine, and Imago Trade Shows joined forces to launch the National Disaster Reconstruction Expo (NDRExpo), the first trade show dedicated to the disaster-reconstruction industry. NDRExpo will take place...

Calendar of events.(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... AUGUST 2-5 2008 ESRI Survey & Engineering GIS Summit Held concurrently with 2008 ESRI International User Conference San Diego 909/793-2853 x 4347 ...

Sustaining Infrastructure: annual Bentley BE Conference aims to support and advance organizations that respond to our world's structural foundation.(conferenceRECAP)
August 1, 2008... This year's theme for Bentley's annual conference matches the company's new thrust: BEst Practices for Sustaining Infrastructure. Bentley's motivation is to respond to the sustainability imperatives of the world's infrastructure, the...

Rebuild and recover: surveying the fast-track reconstruction of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis.
August 1, 2008... During peak rush hour on Aug. 1, 2007, Minneapolis' Interstate 35W bridge--Minnesota's fifth--busiest overpass carrying 140,000 vehicles daily--collapsed into the Mississippi River. Surveillance video showed the eight-lane steel truss-arch...

A Grand adventure: a three-man expedition maps the Grand Canyon's modern-day water assets.
August 1, 2008... Wildly diverse, impressive and dangerous, Grand Canyon National Park is an incredible place, which naturally makes the opportunity to work there an equally incredible adventure. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Within the park boundaries of this...

Spatial integrity: utility improves cadastral data management and accuracy with GIS.(technologyPROFILE)
August 1, 2008... The focus for Colorado Springs Utilities (SU) is its attention to the basics--the four core services of electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater services to customers in the Pikes Peak region of central Colorado. The result is a more...

Linking surveyors with CPC providers.(onlicensure)(National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying )
August 1, 2008... Professional surveyors across America know the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) as the organization that develops, administers and scores the two exams every licensee must pass: Fundamentals of Surveying (FS)...

Going mobile: RTK GNSS system helps a junior company get established in the Canadian Arctic.(Column)
August 1, 2008... The polar-bear-shaped license plate read "Explore Canada's Arctic." So I did. In 2000, after graduating as a geomatics technologist from the College of the North Atlantic in St. John's, Newfoundland, I made my way to Yellowknife, the capital of...

The next BLM manual edition and your state laws.(progressonthemanual)(Bureau of Land Management)
August 1, 2008... You've heard it was coming for years. But after a couple of false starts, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to have the next edition of the Manual of Surveying Instructions published in 2009. The...

Glonass joins the 21st century.(thegpsobserver)
August 1, 2008... It's been nearly 26 years since the former Soviet Union launched the first Glonass spacecraft on Oct. 2, 1982. Since that time, there have been regular launches with as many as three satellites put into orbit simultaneously. The constellation...

Developing a new GIS, part 5.(surveyinggis)
August 1, 2008... This is the fifth and final installment of the series I began a year ago on how to develop a new GIS. In the preceding parts of the saga, we covered the importance of the data, staffing and equipment. We are now just about ready to put it...

Why can't I get paid?(thebusinessside)(Column)
August 1, 2008... I recently received an e-mail from a young surveyor who wanted to know if most surveying companies had a problem collecting money for work performed. He specifically asked if it was a common problem for companies to keep accounts...

Florida court tells surveyors how to survey.(traversingthelaw)(Column)
August 1, 2008... For the past several months, we've been focusing on the surveyor's misunderstanding of property law and the consequences of this. In this column, I am going to place one more example on the table. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This month's...

Elevation for the nation, part 2.(fromthegroundup)
August 1, 2008... In my April column, I reported on the push for a new nationwide high-accuracy, high-resolution elevation data set known as "Elevation for the Nation." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I gave a brief review of the results from the first meeting...

Post Buckley Schuh & Jernigan.(turningpoints)(Obituary)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Howard M. "Budd" Post, of Tampa, Fla., a founder of POST BUCKLEY SCHUH & JERNIGAN (PBS&J), died June 10, 2008, at the age of 83. Post, a registered professional engineer and land surveyor, was PBS&J's principal in charge of signature projects....

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS).(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS (TPS), Livermore, Calif., named Ivan Di Federico as senior vice president of global engineering. Di Federico has been general manager of TSD Integrated Controls for the past three years, a joint venture between Topcon...

Allen Precision Equipment Inc.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... ALLEN PRECISION EQUIPMENT INC., Duluth, Ga., added Kent Hutson to its Outside Sales Team. Hutson covers central and western Tennessee and northern Mississippi in the sales of surveying and construction products and supplies and is the...

Mckim & Creed.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... MCKIM & CREED, Raleigh, N.C., acquired BROCK DESIGN GROUP (BDG), Suwanee, Ga., a consulting firm specializing in civil engineering, surveying, land planning and landscape architecture.

Terradon Corporation.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... TERRADON CORPORATION, Charleston, W.Va., expanded its operations to Richmond, Va. Certified by the National Women Business Owners Corporation as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), Terradon was further certified as a SWaM (Small, Women- or...

Fugro-Earthdata Inc.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... FUGRO-EARTHDATA INC., Frederick, Md., appointed Edward Saade as president and managing director. Taking over for Anne Hale Miglarese, Saade assumes responsibility for Fugro-EarthData's traditional mapping, GeoSAR radar mapping and GIS business...

Polaris Engineering Corporation.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... POLARIS ENGINEERING CORPORATION, Chelmsford, Mass., merged with Hancock Associates, Danvers, Mass.

Psomas.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... PSOMAS, Sacramento, Calif., announced the promotions of Scott Bryant to senior project manager and Adam Foster to project manager for land surveying operations in Psomas' Northern California region. Bryant's 17-year career has covered all...

Engenuity Group Inc.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... ENGENUITY GROUP INC., West Palm Beach, Fla., announced that Gary Rager joined the firm as director of the Survey Department. Rager is a Florida registered surveyor and mapper and has more than 28 years of experience. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Engenuity Group.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... Also, ENGENUITY GROUP promoted Allen T. Green III, PE, to project manager after passing the professional PE exam. Green has more than a decade of experience in commercial and residential construction, drainage and engineering projects and has...

Halff Associates Inc.(turningpoints)(Gary C. Bowes, Diane M. Popken and Robert L. Saenz appointed)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The board of directors of HALFF ASSOCIATES INC., Richardson, Texas, named five new vice presidents: Gary C. Bowes, RPLS, LSLS; H. Wayne Cooper Jr., ASLA, AICP; Diane M. Popken, PE; James D. Pruitt, PE; and Robert L. Saenz, PE, CFM. Bowes, of...

Halff.(turningpoints)(appointment of Matthew W. Gould)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Also, HALFF announced that Matthew W. Gould, RPLS, joined the firm as a survey project manager. Gould primarily works in the Halff Energy Services sector in the Richardson office. He brings more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of...

Halff.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... Additionally, HALFF appointed Vice President Bobby Adams, PE, as Houston office manager. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc.(turningpoints)(appointment of Eric M. Orndorff)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... HERBERT, ROWLAND & GRUBIC INC. (HRG), Harrisburg, Pa., promoted Eric M. Orndorff, PLS, to service group manager for its entire survey division. He manages all land surveying activities and services, oversees project planning and scheduling and...

Blue Marble Geographics.(turningpoints)(Kris Berglund, Victor Minor and Sam Knight promoted)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... BLUE MARBLE GEOGRAPHICS, Gardiner, Maine, promoted Kris Berglund, Victor Minor and Sam Knight. Berglund is promoted from director of sales and marketing to vice president of sales. Minor is promoted from director of development to chief...

Donaldson, Garrett & Associates Inc. (DGA).(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... DONALDSON, GARRETT & ASSOCIATES INC. (DGA), Macon, Ga., announced that David Bennett and Brandon Register have obtained professional designation as registered land surveyors in Georgia. Bennett has been with DGA since 1993 and manages large...

Donaldson, Garrett & Associates.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... Also, DONALDSON, GARRETT & ASSOCIATES announced that Vice President James Newberry added professional surveyor registration in Alabama to his Georgia and Florida designations.

SJB Group LLC.(turningpoints)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... SJB GROUP LLC, Baton Rouge, La., received seven awards from the LOUISIANA SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS during its 2008 Annual Meeting and Convention in Natchitoches, La. SJB Group received first-place honors in five categories:...

The Schneider Corporation.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... THE SCHNEIDER CORPORATION, Ames, Iowa, announced the election of Jeff Corns, vice president of GIS, to the Iowa Geographic Information Council's board of directors. Corns was elected by popular vote to represent the private sector for a...

Montgomery & Associates Inc.(turningpoints)(appointment of Ryan Eastridge)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... MONTGOMERY & ASSOCIATES INC., Houston, Texas, promoted Ryan Eastridge to CAD manager. Eastridge is responsible for troubleshooting problems, quality control and supervising team members. He also trains new operators, updates training of...

Montgomery & Associates.(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... Also, MONTGOMERY & ASSOCIATES promoted Martin C. Murdock, PE, to executive vice president. Murdock is responsible for directing a team of engineers, designers and technicians in the planning, design and construction of major land developments...

South Carolina Society of Professional Land Surveyors (SCSPLS).(turningpoints)
August 1, 2008... SOUTH CAROLINA SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYORS (SCSPLS), Columbia, announced the election of R. Lee Frank II, PLS, as president serving to June 30, 2009. Frank has been employed by Robert Frank Land Surveying, Charleston, S.C., since...

SCSPLS.(turningpoints)(South Carolina Society of Professional Land Surveyors)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Also, SCSPLS honored Larry T. Beasley, RPLS, Myrtle Beach, S.C., as South Carolina "Surveyor of the Year" for 2008. Beasley is owner and president of Beasley Land Surveying. He is a long-standing member of SCSPLS and served as president in...

Topcon Positioning Systems.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS (TPS) introduced SurveyMaster. Designed by surveyors, the survey software provides users with legal, annotation, adjustment and CAD drafting tools in one program contained on a single USB key for easy transport...

Leica Geosystems Inc.(new&notable)
August 1, 2008... LEICA GEOSYSTEMS INC. announced Leica SpiderWeb version 2.2 GNSS Internet reference station data distribution software. SpiderWeb 2.2 delivers significant improvements in data usability and efficiency for both service users and service...

LEICA.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Also, LEICA announced that Leica GeoMoS Version 4.0 automatic deformation monitoring software now features the ability to gather, store and analyze geotechnical data recorded through a Campbell Scientific datalogger. Geotechnical data is now...

SECO Manufacturing.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... SECO MANUFACTURING introduced a pole bracket kit that attaches the Trimble GPS Pathfinder ProXRT to a standard rover rod. The kit (#5198-100) comes with two pole clamps, one clip and two screws. The clamps are machined, anodized aluminum with...

SECO.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Also, SECO reintroduced the Incite 2050 Universal Tilting Prism Assembly. The 2050 has a full-size 58 mm prism with a silver coating, which provides protection against moisture, fogging and severe climatic conditions. The prism cube features a...

SECO.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Additionally, SECO reintroduced the Geodimeter Style Telescoping Prism Pole. Small in diameter (20 mm), this light-weight pole works with a Geodimeter or similar-style sliding prism, which can be mounted on the site rod or the graduated outer...

Diamondback truck covers.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... DIAMONDBACK TRUCK COVERS introduced the DiamondBack-X cover with the patented LINE-X XTRA coating from LINE-X Protective Coatings. Unlike paint or powder-coated finishes, LINE-X XTRA is the only spray-on color composite urethane coating...

ESRI.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... ESRI released ArcPad 7.1.1 and ArcPad Application Builder 7.1.1 mobile GIS software for field mapping and data collection. ArcPad provides mapping, GIS and GPS integration to users via hand-held mobile devices and can be customized for specific...

Carlson Software.(new&notable)
August 1, 2008... CARLSON SOFTWARE released Carlson Survey 2009 Embedded AutoCAD with a built-in AutoCAD OEM engine. This is in addition to Carlson Survey 2009 for AutoCAD and Carlson Survey 2009 for IntelliCAD. All versions of Carlson Survey 2009 feature more...

Navcom Technology Inc.(new&notable)
August 1, 2008... NAVCOM TECHNOLOGY INC. released new software providing access to an expanded StarFire Network of six satellites and new Ultra RTK feature. Users are now provided with fully redundant global coverage as well as increased performance assurance as...

Lamp, Rynearson & Associates Inc.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... LAMP, RYNEARSON & ASSOCIATES INC. announced the availability of the Metro Area Reference Network (MARN). MARN is the first GPS network in eastern Nebraska with realtime kinematic (RTK) satellite navigation. GPS base stations located throughout...

Autodesk Inc.(new&notable)
August 1, 2008... AUTODESK INC. launched AutoCAD Civil. AutoCAD Civil streamlines the capabilities found in the more comprehensive AutoCAD Civil 3D and provides civil engineering technicians, drafters and surveyors with the tools they need to create coordinated,...

Autodesk.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Also, AUTODESK announced that AutoCAD Land Desktop 2009 will be the last release of Land Desktop. Autodesk will continue to invest in resources that make migration from Land Desktop to AutoCAD Civil and Civil 3D as smooth as possible for...

Autodesk.(new&notable)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Additionally, AUTODESK released three AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 Industry Toolkits to help Map 3D 2009 users working within the electric, water or wastewater utility industries improve adherence to data standards and enable utilities to quickly create...

Surveying Solutions.(funandgames)
August 1, 2008... Each month, we present a surveying problem from the second edition of 1001 Solved Surveying Fundamentals Problems by Jan Van Sickle, PLS. The answer appears below the problem in a shaded box. We hope you enjoy this exercise for the mind. A new...

The art of surveying.(funandgames)
August 1, 2008... To celebrate Father's Day land-surveyor style, Laura, 10-year-old daughter of George Dale, of Gillette, Wyo., created this drawing of herself helping her dad survey. "Notice the detail on the survey equipment," father George points out....