Point of Beginning articles from October 2006

Point of Beginning archives from October 2006

International trends in land administration.(guesteditor)
October 1, 2006... Land administration methods, polices and procedures are the means for effective management of land and the information about land Moreover, they are of fundamental importance to sustainable economic growth, good governance, social security...

Point of view: May 2006.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... The article addressing "uniform survey fees" is one I found particularly interesting, as I myself have been bidding on projects for the last 10 years. I started as a rodman 25 years ago at minimum wage and worked my way through the ranks...

Traversing the law: August 2006.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Please extend my appreciation to Mr. Lucas for his monthly insights in "Traversing the Law." I found his two latest installments [in July and August] very informative. He seems to be writing about topics that our [profession] needs to be...

Erratum.(Correction notice)
October 1, 2006... On page 10 of the September issue of POB, Shah Capital Partners (SCP) was incorrectly identified as being headquartered in Paris, France. SCP is an American company with headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., which recently acquired Thales...

APLS welcomes geospatial professionals as members.(newsline)(Arizona Professional Land Surveyors Association)
October 1, 2006... In July 2004, the Arizona Professional Land Surveyors Association (APLS) modified its bylaws to allow geospatial professionals to become members of its organization. In order to make certain that the new bylaws were effective, APLS implemented...

Pennsylvania imposes penalties for destruction of survey monuments.(newsline)
October 1, 2006... On July 13, 2006, Pennsylvania's House of Representatives passed a bill imposing penalties for the destruction of a survey monument and any other harmful actions relating to land surveying. The Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors (PSLS)...

Alaska modifies surveyor licensing regulations.(newsline)
October 1, 2006... The Alaska state legislature adopted new surveyor licensing regulations on July 20,2006, which were proposed by the Alaska Society of Professional Land Surveyors (ASPLS). To draft new regulations for professional surveyors in Alaska, the ASPLS...

USGS opens competition for National center's location.(newsline)(U.S. Geological Survey)(National Geospatial Technical Operations Center)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) opened a competition between its mapping centers located in Denver, Colo., and Rolla, Mo., allowing them to compete to become the future consolidated site of the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center...

BNP Media launches Site Prep magazine.(newsline)
October 1, 2006... Following three years of successfully offering Site Prep as a supplemental publication to POB, BNP Media is pleased to announce the title's launch as an independent publication effective January 2007. Site Prep will be published six times...

2007 bicentennials commemorate Canadian surveyor.(newsline)
October 1, 2006... The year 2007 will mark the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the legendary surveyor and mapmaker, David Thompson, to western North America. In 1807, David Thompson crossed the Continental Divide at Howe Pass in the Canadian Rockies and...

Bridging the gap IV: a recap of the 2006 ESRI Survey Summit and User Conference.
October 1, 2006... This summer, ESRI hosted its fourth annual "Bridging the Gap" Survey Summit on August 5 and 6, the weekend leading up to the ESRI User Conference. Approximately 400 people registered to attend the Survey Summit, which was titled "Business...

Crossing the Colorado.
October 1, 2006... At the time of its construction, the Hoover Dam was the world's tallest dam and the largest hydroelectric producer of its kind. It is considered an engineering marvel, most notably for its ingenious concrete column construction, sheer size and...

Robotic systems guide the final phase of the Hoover Dam Bypass project.
October 1, 2006... As the columns are built, geometry control crews constantly monitor and project the alignment of the 280-foot-plus tall columns. Carter adds, "The most challenging task so far has been fine-tuning the geometry control system at the precast yard...

Descending into the depths: surveyors measure caves in Tennessee to prepare for highway construction.
October 1, 2006... When the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) began surveying in 2002 for a proposed highway in eastern Tennessee, it stumbled onto a deep problem. The proposed highway, Interstate 475, is set to connect Interstate 75 in Loudon and...

Aiding the Katrina recovery: lousiana firm uses underwater acoustic imaging to ensure safety in New Orleans recovery efforts.
October 1, 2006... Along with the rest of the nation, we at C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates watched in shock as Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed devastated New Orleans and the surrounding area in August 2005. The event hit especially hard for us...

From the field: surveying in Central America for a health clinic.
October 1, 2006... In January 2006, I was presented with a great opportunity to use my surveying skills for a medical aid mission in Central America. Rescue Task Force (RTF), a non-denominational international relief organization that provides disaster relief and...

In favor of multiple stamps: modern collaboration calls for laws to be updated.
October 1, 2006... For the past five years or so, I have been thinking about the organizational nature of the way we approach projects and how this has changed over time. While there are still many small- and medium-sized surveying firms that employ one or two...

Surveying 3,000 metric tons of steel: surveyors in Germany aid the construction of a new center for BMW.
October 1, 2006... Munich-based BMW is a world-renowned manufacturer of dynamic, high-performance and aesthetically irresistible cars. But the respected automobile company has also become known for its architecturally exciting buildings. Thirty years ago, the BMW...

Regulation as opportunity for surveyors and engineers.(onthelevel)
October 1, 2006... I remember attending a membership meeting of my state surveying association twenty-five years ago at which a legislative aide described proposed legislation to control land development. The legislation was intended to give local planning...

The surveyor as an expert evaluator of evidence, Part 1.(traversingthelaw)
October 1, 2006... "The surveyor, having made an evaluation of the evidence, forms an opinion as to where he believes the lines would be located if fully adjudicated in a court of law. The typical modern day surveyor sees himself as an expert evaluator of...

2006 web-exclusive Miscellaneous Software Survey: POB rolls out its Miscellaneous Software Survey in a searchable, user-friendly online format.
October 1, 2006... This month POB introduces the 2006 Miscellaneous Software Survey at www.POBonline.com in our new searchable, comparable format. This exclusive, user-friendly online format is designed to provide you with the information you are seeking on...

Charles E. Raines Company.(turningpoints)
October 1, 2006... CHARLES E. RAINES COMPANY, Riverview, Mich., appointed Jason Verran, PS, as survey department manager. Verran has more than 10 years of experience in the surveying field. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Clary & Associates Professional Surveyors and Mappers.(turningpoints)
October 1, 2006... CLARY & ASSOCIATES PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS AND MAPPERS, Jacksonville, Fla., announced Andreas Gedenk, a surveying engineering student at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, Germany, as the recipient of its survey technician internship....

V3 Companies of Colorado Ltd.(turningpoints)(appointment of Patrick Chelin as commercial services leader)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... V3 COMPANIES OF COLORADO LTD., Denver, Colo., announced Patrick Chelin, PE, as commercial services leader in the land development service area. Chelin has more than nine years of experience in land development and specializes in managing...

Bowman Consulting.(turningpoints)
October 1, 2006... BOWMAN CONSULTING, Chantilly, Va., promoted Martin Crahan, AICP, and Justin Mahlmann, PE, to firm principals. Crahan has been with the firm since 2004 and brings more than 30 years of extensive knowledge in land development, design and planning...

B.P. Barber and Associates Inc.(turningpoints)
October 1, 2006... B. P. BARBER AND ASSOCIATES INC. (BPB), Columbia, S.C., is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its founding in 1916. From a small firm specializing in public works projects and surveying, BPB has grown to be among the nation's top engineering...

DigitalGlobe.(turningpoints)(DigitalGlobe Inc. appointed Marc Tremblay and Steve Larned)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... DIGITALGLOBE, Longmont, Colo., added two members to its senior management team. Marc Tremblay was appointed as general manager of DigitalGlobe's Commercial Business Unit and is responsible for the management of global commercial sales via...

CompassTools Inc.(turningpoints)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... COMPASSTOOLS INC., Centennial, Colo., announced that Trimble has doubled the size of the U.S. sales territory where CompassTools is certified to sell Trimble Mapping and GIS products. Del Stewart, a longtime GIS industry sales professional,...

RapidEye AG.(turningpoints)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... RAPIDEYE AG, Brandenburg, Germany, opened its new corporate headquarters and ground operations facility in Brandenburg an der Havel, just outside of Berlin. The new office houses an international team of 40 professionals in the fields of space...

Consulting Engineers.(turningpoints)
October 1, 2006... CONSULTING ENGINEERS, Tampa, Fla., announced its merger with IBI GROUP INC. Paul Tomasino, PE, serves as senior managing principal at IBI's Tampa office. IBI will continue offering services in urban land, facilities, transportation and systems....

Topcon Positioning Systems.(new & notable)
October 1, 2006... TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS (TPS) announced a new RTK GPS spread spectrum radio board with an extended range of up to 2.5 miles. The board is integrated into the Topcon HiPer Lite+ receiver and provides extended range for improved job site...

Leica Geosystems.(new & notable)
October 1, 2006... LEICA GEOSYSTEMS added optional PIN codes to its TPS400 and TPS800 total stations to counter the growing rate of equipment theft from jobsites. All new TPS400 and TPS800 instruments ship with a PIN Unlocking Key (PUK), which can then be changed...

Extract Systems.(new & notable)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... EXTRACT SYSTEMS released IcoMap 4.0. The IcoMap upgrade includes many user-requested features, including: dynamic Input Grid to edit bearing or distance calls prior to completing a feature; displayed monitor of the current closing distance...

Autodesk Inc.(new & notable)
October 1, 2006... AUTODESK INC. announced the Autodesk Government Geospatial Solution with Google Earth Pro. The new bundle combines Autodesk's GIS products with Google Earth Pro, empowering business users to leverage highly technical spatial data via an...

SECO Manufacturing Company Inc.(new & notable)
October 1, 2006... SECO MANUFACTURING COMPANY INC. introduced four new accessory products, including two new adapters for CORS- or VRS-type GPS antenna mounts. One fits a standard two-inch threaded pipe (used as a mast), and the other (used for masonry), drills...

Maptech.(new & notable)
October 1, 2006... MAPTECH announced that Pocket Navigator software displays Maptech Terrain Navigator Pro topographic maps and aerial land photos on Pocket PC handhelds. USGS topographic maps and aerial photos can be transferred from Terrain Navigator Pro to a...

Red Hen Systems.(new & notable)(Red Hen Media Server)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... RED HEN SYSTEMS released its Red Hen Media Server (RHMS). The enterprise access model of the RHMS enables users of spatial multimedia to collaborate using a standard web browser anywhere in the world. The Red Hen Media Server RHMS also provides...

Optech Inc.(new & notable)
October 1, 2006... OPTECH INC. announced ZinView, version 3.2. ZinView enables users to process data quickly and check for gaps and other errors without having to take the data into REALM for full processing. It features easy setup, simple point and click...

Golden Software Inc.(new & notable)
October 1, 2006... GOLDEN SOFTWARE INC. upgraded its Map Viewer thematic mapping package with more than 100 new features. Among the new features is the ability to create customizable contour and vector maps. Users can specify the fill and line styles, and the...

Surveying solutions.(funandgames)
October 1, 2006... 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...

Vintage ads.(funandgames)
October 1, 2006... Courtesy of The Museum of Surveying. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]