Point of Beginning articles from March 2007

Point of Beginning archives from March 2007

Professional adventures.(editor'spoints)(Editorial)
March 1, 2007... My job occasionally takes me to manufacturers facilities, conferences and trade shows, and jobsites Each trip gives me insight into the various challenges you are faced with and the opportunities you are offered. Most times, I return home...

Letters (regarding "An end to the Pin Farm," September 2006).(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... December 2006 Where [Tim Barnes] boils the problem down to money and infers that the federal government (the BLM) picks up most [of] the tab... this is not correct. The program is funded by the surveyor (client) paying a filing fee for...

The business side.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... December 2006 Our current equipment measures faster and more accurately that anything previous. But is that reason to ignore a found monument? What is wrong with filing a Record of Survey showing a record (either from a deed or previously...

From the ground up.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... January 2007 Excellent article by Mark E. Meade on the National Readjustment of NAD83. The article brings the reader from the beginning of NAD83 to present in a clear, concise manner and what to expect in the way of shifts, as well as...

Traversing the law.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... January 2007 The article "Adjudication of Boundaries" by Jeffery N. Lucas was excellent! What he has to say about surveyors making a decision about boundary lines and determining who owns what is the same thing I have been preaching for...

Galileo's fate remains uncertain.(newsline)
March 1, 2007... According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Union's Galileo satellite system project has been stalled due to disagreement among project participants, particularly Britain's Inmarsat, France's Thales Group and the European...

Calendarofevents.(events)(Chart)(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2007... MARCH 9-12 ACSM-IPLSA-MSPS 2007 St. Louis www.acsm.net/conference.html 26-27 SPAR 2007: Capturing and Documenting Existing-Conditions Data for Design, Construction and Operations Sugar Land ...

Windy city renewal: busy Chicago expressway serves as site for massive reconstruction and state-of-the-art surveying solutions.(Dan Ryan Expressway)
March 1, 2007... As one of the nation's busiest and most dangerous roadways, Chicago's Dan Ryan Expressway is in need of a safer, less congested transportation artery. Today, the nine-mile thoroughfare is on the fast track to being completely reconstructed....

Assimilating the assets.
March 1, 2007... When the third largest independent producer of natural gas in the United States acquires the assets of a century-old oil and gas exploration and production company, the development of an integrated GIS becomes both a priority and a challenge....

High-precision deformation monitoring plays a critical role in New York subway construction project.(technologyprofile)
March 1, 2007... Transporting six million passengers each year through the South Ferry subway station in New York City could be a lot easier. The station, situated at the tip of Manhattan, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry terminal and Battery Park, was...

Jungle journeys.(newsline)(School of Engineering)(Organization overview)
March 1, 2007... When our student group was sent to rural Panama to survey, we did not expect to come back with more than just a "point and shoot" experience. We're with the Northwestern University chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW), a worldwide...

Odd jobs: laser scanning technology is a catalyst for a broad array of projects that extend beyond the traditional realm of surveying.
March 1, 2007... It has been well recognized that 3D laser scanners are a useful tool for a wide variety of surveying and engineering projects where existing conditions need to be documented. Many organizations are incorporating 3D laser scanning into their...

Surveying as a sport.
March 1, 2007... What activity combines the use of coordinates, the thrill of a scavenger hunt and the search for a good bench mark? Geocaching, of course! The unique sport of geocaching, a hide-and-seek game using GPS receivers, began at the beginning of the...

Tool tips.(giaamailbag)
March 1, 2007... This month we are highlighting a technique that a reader has been using for quite a while. Arthur J. Saarloos of Delta Junction, Alaska, sent it in hoping we would share it with the readership. Questions or comments regarding Saarloos'...

Why should I record my survey?(surveyinggis)
March 1, 2007... How many times have you heard the question "If not the surveyor, then who?" It's certainly a fair question. Unfortunately, it goes unanswered all too often, even by the surveying community. Though many jurisdictions have laws and...

Price fixing vs. cost fixing.(thetechnologybenchmark)(management of surveying firms)
March 1, 2007... I travel heavily in my duties as a consultant and trainer and have discovered a theme that runs through almost every surveying firm I visit. For the knowledge, experience, liability, physical nature and sometimes even personal danger of...

Testifying in court.(traversingthelaw)
March 1, 2007... If you are in court as a land surveyor, you are there either as a plaintiff, as a defendant or as a non-party expert. If you are in court as a plaintiff, more than likely you are suing some individual or entity for a breach of contract or...

GLONASS and GPS updates.(thegpsobserver)
March 1, 2007... An update on GLONASS: Those of us who use satellite receivers for surveying can purchase a pair of receivers that process signals from GPS satellites only or from both GPS and GLONASS constellations. Galileo satellite receivers are at least...

Will the real company please stand up?; In this column, I will address two issues faced by mid-to large-sized companies that contract surveying and engineering services.(thebusinessside)(Column)
March 1, 2007... The first issue is one of perception--in reality, are there two companies operating under a single company name? One as perceived by the owner(s), and the "real" company as perceived by the employees? The second issue is something I call the...

Magellan.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2007... MAGELLAN, San Dimas, Calif., named Nelson Chan as chief executive officer. Chan has more than 20 years of high-tech management experience, including several senior management positions in engineering, sales and marketing. [ILLUSTRATION...

Digitalglobe.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2007... DIGITALGLOBE, Longmont, Colo., acquired GLOBEXPLORER, Walnut Creek, Calif. Together, DigitalGlobe and GlobeXplorer provide high-resolution digital Earth imagery and products. DigitalGlobe's high-resolution, high-capacity satellite and...

RBF Consulting.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2007... RBF CONSULTING (RBF), Phoenix, appointed Bruce P. Larson, PE, as senior vice president and regional manager of the firm's Arizona offices in Phoenix and Tucson. Larson has more than 20 years of experience and is responsible for supervising and...

Hancock Associates.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2007... HANCOCK ASSOCIATES, Danvers, Mass., added Jamie Gayton and Matthew Wolford to its surveying team. Gayton has more than 10 years of surveying experience and works out of the Danvers office. Wolford has 16 years of surveying experience and works...

Keith & Associates Inc.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2007... KEITH & ASSOCIATES INC., Pompano Beach, Fla., announced A. "Dodie" Keith-Lazowick, PLS, as president and managing principal of the firm. She succeeds her father, William V. Keith, PLS. Keith & Associates was also certified as a Small/Woman...

Bowman Consulting.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2007... BOWMAN CONSULTING, Chantilly, Va., promoted Wayne Aubertin, LS, to director of surveys of its Rockville office. Aubertin is responsible for various operational aspects, including client satisfaction, project delivery, quality control and...

Aerial Data Service.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2007... AERIAL DATA SERVICE (ADS), Tulsa, Okla., appointed Eric J. Andelin, GISP, as vice president of operations and project manager. Andelin has been in the aerial photography and mapping industry for more than 20 years. He is responsible for leading...

Coleman Engineering Company.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2007... COLEMAN ENGINEERING COMPANY, Iron Mountain, Mich., announced Kevin Trevillian, PE, as a project engineer for the firm's civil engineering department. Trevillian is responsible for coordinating the design of highway improvement and site...

Spalding Dedecker Associates.(turningpoints)(appointment of Dana Suggitt)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... SPALDING DEDECKER ASSOCIATES, Detroit, named Dana Suggitt as member of the year by the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS) Michigan Chapter. Suggitt, an engineer specializing in transportation and land development, serves as hospitality...

3D Laser Scanner Hardware and Software Surveys.(2007 Web-Exclusive)
March 1, 2007... Many land surveyors know how to choose the right tool for the right job, often dictated by accuracy and efficiency needs. These days, there are a variety of measuring instrument options available, including levels, fully robotic total stations...

Trimble VX Spatial Station.(new&notable)
March 1, 2007... TRIMBLE introduced the Trimble VX Spatial Station, an advanced positioning system that combines optical, 3D scanning, and video capabilities and Trimble VISION technology to measure objects in 3D to produce data sets for spatial imaging...

Spectra Precision.(new&notable)
March 1, 2007... Also, TRIMBLE announced the new Spectra Precision GL412 and GL422 grade lasers. The GL412 single-grade laser and GL422 dual-grade laser offer fast, easy horizontal level, grade and vertical plumb setup with no manual leveling. The GL412 and...

Layout Manager and Trimble.(new&notable)
March 1, 2007... Additionally, TRIMBLE announced enhancements to its LM80 Layout Manager and Trimble LM80 Desktop office software. The LM80 Layout Manager is a pocket-sized, personal layout tool that lets contractors enter their blueprint and create a digital...

Multivision USA.(new&notable)
March 1, 2007... MULTIVISION USA unveiled its new MultiVision 3D Plus oblique imagery solution. MultiVision 3D Plus is the first integrated oblique aerial imagery and 3D-viewing solution designed for multiple diverse applications within federal, state and local...

Rust-Oleum.(new&notable)
March 1, 2007... RUST-OLEUM introduced Industrial Choice High Output Inverted marking paint to produce bold, easy-to-see markings on a variety of surfaces. The High Output marking paint creates lines 2 to 3 inches wide and offers the best resistance against...

Surveying Solutions.(funandgames)(Reprint)
March 1, 2007... Each month we present a surveying problem from the second edition of 1001 Solved Surveying Fundamentals Problems by Jan Van Sickle, PLS. As in the following example, the answer will appear below the problem, in a shaded box. We hope you enjoy...