history and surveying

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History and Surveying

History has placed an importance on boundaries, hence theinvolvement of the Surveyor. Whether it be Biblical, Egyptianrope-stretchers, early colonial (U.S.) parcels of land or the

marvel of the foresight of the Public Land Survey System.

On our site, we offer you some details of Ancient LandSurveying, Biblical Quotes about Land and Boundaries,some short examples of Land Surveying in the U.S.(highlighting the Public Land Survey), and assorted links tohelp you on your way of appreciating the rich History of LandSurveying.

Land Surveyors will commonly admit to being History "buffs",due to the nature of their work, which often is termed:

"following in the steps of the original Surveyor". The words"retracement", re-survey and restoration of corners all pointto the nature of the "detective work" of the Land Surveyor,which is always an important factor of the investigation ofboundary issues

History of

Land

Surveying

Ever since ancient man decided that one piece of land would belong to one tribe and another piece of land to

another, theres been a need for land surveys. While the technology and means of mediation have definitely become

more sophisticated over the years, the basic need to define our boundaries remains. Every major civilization in the

history of the world utilized land surveying, some with more sophisticated and accurate results than others.

One of the first examples of surveying by mathematical means was by the Egyptians. The Great Pyramid at Giza,

build around 2700 BC, demonstrates their prowess and knowledge of surveying techniques. When the Nile

overflowed its banks and flooded the plains, the ancient Egyptians redrew boundary lines by using basic geometry.

Also, an Egyptian Land register existed as early as 3000 BC. Though miles ahead of other civilizations of their time in

regards to their surveying and irrigation techniques, nowadays we prefer a much more scientific method of marking

boundaries rather than declaring I swear by the great god that is in heaven that the right boundary stone has been

set up, when the boundary stones were replaced after the flooding waters of the Nile had receded.


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Building upon the example of the Egyptians, the Romans went one step further and established Land Surveyor as an

official position within the Roman Empire. They were called agrimensores, collectively known as Corpus

Agrimensorum Romanorum and they performed various tasks throughout the Empire. They were remarkably

thorough and precise in their methodology; they would create straight lines and right angles using simple tools. Once

the lines were measured, they would create a furrow or a shallow ditch to represent the lines. Texts have been found

which date as far back as the first century AD, and some furrows created by them still exist today.

In England in 1086, William the Conqueror wrote the Domesday Book, which covered all of England and contained

the names of the land owners, the amount of land they owned, the quality of said land, and specific information about

each areas resources and peoples. While the breadth of information was impressive for the time, the technical

surveying skills were lacking. The maps were not made to scale and did not accurately show locations.

It should not surprise anyone to learn that Napoleon Bonaparte was enthusiastic about proper surveying. When

youre trying to conquer the known world, it helps to have accurate maps. In 1808 he founded the cadastre, a

comprehensive register of the property of a county, which included ownership details, location as precisely as

possible, and as much information about the value and usage of the land. It also included maps drawn to scale both

at 1:2500 and 1:1250. The usage of the cadastre spread quickly, but ran into problems in the more sparsely

populated and disputed areas, as it needed to be updated every time anything changed. Napoleon felt that the

establishment of the cadastre would be his greatest accomplishment in civil law.

Land surveying has even more applications today than in those of our predecessors. As our means of recording and

preserving our history becomes more sophisticated, so do the means by which we measure and record our

boundaries and land.

Charles Lee Iner, RLS

January 14, 2009

Surveying or land surveying is the technique and science of accurately determining theterrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them.

These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish land

maps and boundaries forownership or governmental purposes.

To accomplish their objective, surveyors use elements ofgeometry, engineering, trigonometry,mathematics,physics, and law.

An alternative definition, per the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), is the

science and art of making all essential measurements to determine the relative position of pointsand/or physical and cultural details above, on, or beneath the surface of the Earth, and to depict

them in a usable form, or to establish the position of points and/or details.

Furthermore, as alluded to above, a particular type of surveying known as "land surveying" (also

per ACSM) is the detailed study or inspection, as by gathering information through observations,measurements in the field, questionnaires, or research of legal instruments, and data analysis inthe support of planning, designing, and establishing of property boundaries. It involves the re-

establishment ofcadastral surveys and land boundaries based on documents of record andhistorical evidence, as well as certifying surveys (as required by statute or local ordinance) of

subdivision plats/maps, registered land surveys, judicial surveys, and space delineation. Landsurveying can include associated services such as mapping and related data accumulation,

construction layout surveys, precision measurements of length, angle, elevation, area, and


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volume, as well as horizontal and vertical control surveys, and the analysis and utilization of landsurvey data.

Surveying has been an essential element in the development of the human environment since the

beginning of recorded history (about 5,000 years ago). It is required in the planning and

execution of nearly every form ofconstruction. Its most familiar modern uses are in the fields oftransport,building and construction, communications, mapping, and the definition of legalboundaries for land ownership.

Contents

[hide]

y 1History of surveying

y 2Surveying techniques

y 3Surveying equipment

y 4Types of surveys and applicabilityy 5Surveying as a career

o 5.1Building surveying

y 6Land surveyor

o 6.1The art of surveying

y 7References

y 8External links

[edit] History of surveying

Surveying students with professor at the Helsinki University of Technology in the early 20th century.

Surveying techniques have existed throughout much of recorded history. In ancient Egypt, whentheNile Riveroverflowed its banks and washed out farm boundaries, boundaries were re-

established by a rope stretcher, or surveyor, through the application of simple geometry. The


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nearly perfect squareness and north-south orientation of the Great Pyramid of Giza, built c. 2700BC, affirm the Egyptians' command of surveying.

y The Egyptian land register (3000 BC).

y A recent reassessment ofStonehenge (c.2500 BC) suggests that the monument was set out by

prehistoric surveyors using peg and rope geometry.[1]

y The Groma surveying instrument originated in Mesopotamia (early 1st millennium BC).[2]

y Under the Romans, land surveyors were established as a profession, and they established the

basic measurements under which the Roman Empire was divided, such as a tax register of

conquered lands (300AD).

y The rise of the Caliphate led to extensive surveying throughout theArab Empire.Arabic

surveyors invented a variety of specialized instruments for surveying, including:[3]

o Instruments for accurate leveling: A wooden board with a plumb line and two hooks, an

equilateral triangle with a plumb line and two hooks, and a reed level.

o A rotating alhidade, used for accurate alignment.

o A surveying astrolabe, used for alignment, measuring angles, triangulation, finding the

width of a river, and the distance between two points separated by an impassable

obstruction.y In England, The Domesday Book by William the Conqueror (1086)

o covered all England

o contained names of the land owners, area, land quality, and specific information of the

area's content and inhabitants.

o did not include maps showing exact locations

In the 18th century in Europe triangulation was used to build a hierarchy of networks to allowpoint positioning within a country. Highest in the hierarchy were triangulation networks. These

were densified into networks oftraverses (polygons), into which local mapping surveyingmeasurements, usually with measuring tape, corner prism and the familiar red and white poles,

are tied. For example, in the late 1780s, a team from the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain,originally under General William Roy began the Principal Triangulation of Britain using the

specially built Ramsden theodolite. Large scale surveys are known as geodetic surveys.

y Continental Europe's Cadastre was created in 1808

o founded by Napoleon I (Bonaparte)

o contained numbers of the parcels of land (or just land), land usage, names etc., and

value of the land

o 100 million parcels of land, triangle survey, measurable survey, map scale: 1:2500 and

1:1250

o spread fast around Europe, but faced problems especially in Mediterranean countries,

Balkan, and Eastern Europe due to cadastre upkeep costs and troubles.

A cadastre loses its value if register and maps are not constantly updated. Because of the

fundamental value of land and real estate to the local and global economy, land surveying wasone of the first professions to require Professional Licensure. In many jurisdictions, the land

surveyors license was the first Professional Licensure issued by the state, province, or federalgovernment.


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[edit] Surveying techniques

A standard Brunton Geo compass, still used commonly today by geologists and surveyors for field-based

measurements.

Example of modern hardware for surveying (Field-Map technology): GPS, laser rangefinder and field

computer allows surveying as well as cartography (creation of map in real-time) and field data

collection.

Historically, distances were measured using a variety of means, such as with chains having linksof a known length, for instance a Gunter's chain, or measuring tapes made ofsteel orinvar. To

measure horizontal distances, these chains or tapes were pulled taut according to temperature, to

reduce sagging and slack. Additionally, attempts to hold the measuring instrument level wouldbe made. In instances of measuring up a slope, the surveyor might have to "break" (break chain)the measurement- use an increment less than the total length of the chain.

Historically, horizontal angles were measured using a compass, which would provide a magnetic

bearing, from which deflections could be measured. This type of instrument was later improved,with more carefully scribed discs providing better angular resolution, as well as through

mounting telescopes with reticles for more-precise sighting atop the disc (see theodolite).


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Additionally, levels and calibrated circles allowing measurement of vertical angles were added,along with verniers for measurement to a fraction of a degreesuch as with a turn-of-the-

century transit.

The simplest method for measuring height is with an altimeter basically abarometer using

air pressure as an indication of height. But surveying requires greater precision. A variety ofmeans, such as precise levels (also known as differential leveling), have been developed to dothis. With precise leveling, a series of measurements between two points are taken using an

instrument and a measuring rod. Differentials in height between the measurements are added andsubtracted in a series to derive the net difference in elevation between the two endpoints of the

series. With the advent of the Global Positioning System (GPS), elevation can also be derivedwith sophisticated satellite receivers, but usually with somewhat less accuracy than with

traditional precise leveling. However, the accuracies may be similar if the traditional levelingwould have to be run over a long distance.

Triangulation is another method of horizontal location made almost obsolete by GPS. With the

triangulation method, distances, elevations and directions between objects at great distance fromone another can be determined. Since the early days of surveying, this was the primary method

of determining accurate positions of objects fortopographic maps of large areas. A surveyor firstneeds to know the horizontal distance between two of the objects. Then the height, distances and

angular position of other objects can be derived, as long as they are visible from one of theoriginal objects. High-accuracy transits or theodolites were used for this work, and angles

between objects were measured repeatedly for increased accuracy.

[edit] Surveying equipment

A German engineer surveying during the First World War, 1918

As late as the 1990s, the basic tools used in planar surveying were a tape measure fordetermining shorter distances, a level to determine height or elevation differences, and atheodolite, set on a tripod, to measure angles (horizontal and vertical), combined with the process

oftriangulation. Starting from a position with known location and elevation, the distance andangles to the unknown point are measured.

A more modern instrument is a total station, which is a theodolite with an electronic distancemeasurement device (EDM). A total station can also be used for leveling when set to the


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horizontal plane. Since their introduction, total stations have made the technological shift frombeing optical-mechanical devices to being fully electronic with an onship computer and software

as well as humans.

Modern top-of-the-line total stations no longer require a reflector or prism (used to return the

light pulses used for distancing) to return distance measurements, are fully robotic, and can evene-mail point data to the office computer and connect to satellite positioning systems, such as aGlobal Positioning System (GPS). Though real-time kinematic GPS systems have increased the

speed of surveying, they are still horizontally accurate to only about 20 mm and verticallyaccurate to about 3040 mm.[4]

Total stations are still used widely, along with other types of surveying instruments. However,

GPS systems do not work well in areas with dense tree cover or constructions. One-personrobotic-guided total stations allow surveyors to gather precise measurements without extra

workers to look through and turn the telescope or record data. A faster but expensive way tomeasure large areas (not details, and no obstacles) is with a helicopter, equipped with a laser

scanner, combined with a GPS to determine the position and elevation of the helicopter. Toincrease precision,beacons are placed on the ground (about 20 km (12 mi) apart). This method

reaches precisions between 540 cm (depending on flight height).[5]

[edit] Types of surveys and applicability

y ALTA/ACSM Survey: a surveying standard jointly proposed by the American Land Title

Association and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping that incorporates elements

of the boundary survey, mortgage survey, and topographic survey.

y Archaeological survey: used to accurately assess the relationship of archaeological sites in a

landscape or to accurately record finds on an archaeological site.

y

As-built survey: a survey carried out during or immediately after a construction project forrecord, completion evaluation and payment purposes.An as-built survey also known as a 'works

as executed survey' documents the location of the recently constructed elements that are

subject to completion evaluation.As built surveys are typically presented in red or redline and

overlayed over existing design plans for direct comparison with design information.

y Bathymetric survey: a survey carried out to map the topography and features of the bed of an

ocean, lake, river or other body of water.

y Boundary survey: a survey that establishes boundaries of a parcel using its legal description,

which typically involves the setting or restoration of monuments or markers at the corners or

along the lines of the parcel, often in the form ofironrods, pipes, or concrete monuments in the

ground, or nails set in concrete or asphalt.

y Deformation survey: a survey to determine if a structure or object is changing shape or moving.

The three-dimensional positions of specific points on an object are determined, a period of time

is allowed to pass, these positions are then re-measured and calculated, and a comparison

between the two sets of positions is made.

y Engineering surveys: those surveys associated with the engineering design (topographic, layout

and as-built) often requiring geodetic computations beyond normal civil engineering practise.

y Foundation survey: a survey done to collect the positional data on a foundation that has been

poured and is cured. This is done to ensure that the foundation was constructed in the location,

and at the elevation, authorized in theplot plan, site plan, or subdivision plan.


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y Geological survey: generic term for a survey conducted for the purpose of recording the

geologically significant features of the area under investigation..

y Hydrographic survey: a survey conducted with the purpose of mapping the coastline and seabed

for navigation, engineering, or resource management purposes.

y Measured survey: a building survey to produce plans of the building. such a survey may be

conducted before renovation works, for commercial purpose, or at end of the construction

process "as built survey"

y Mortgage survey or physical survey: a simple survey that delineates land boundaries and

building locations.In many places a mortgage survey is required by lending institutions as a

precondition for a mortgage loan.

y Soil survey, or soil mapping, is the process of determining the soil types or other properties of

the soil cover over a landscape, and mapping them for others to understand and use.

y Structural survey: a detailed inspection to report upon the physical condition and structural

stability of a building or other structure and to highlight any work needed to maintain it in good

repair.

y Tape survey: this type of survey is the most basic and inexpensive type of land survey. Popular in

the middle part of the 20th century, tape surveys while being accurate for distance lack

substantially in their accuracy of measuring angle and bearing. Standards that are practiced byprofessional land surveyors.

y Topographic survey: a survey that measures the elevation of points on a particular piece of land,

and presents them as contour lines on a plot.

[edit] Surveying as a career

The pundit (explorer) cartographer Nain Singh Rawat (19th century) received a Royal Geographical

Society gold medal in 1876.


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The basic principles of surveying have changed little over the ages, but the tools used bysurveyors have evolved tremendously. Engineering, especially civil engineering, depends heavily

on surveyors.

Whenever there are roads, railways, reservoir, dams, retaining walls,bridges or residential areas

to be built, surveyors are involved. They establish the boundaries of legal descriptions and theboundaries of various lines of political divisions. They also provide advice and data forgeographical information systems (GIS), computer databases that contain data on land features

and boundaries.

Surveyors must have a thorough knowledge ofalgebra, basic calculus, geometry, andtrigonometry. They must also know the laws that deal with surveys,property, and contracts.

In addition, they must be able to use delicate instruments with accuracy and precision. In theUnited States, surveyors and civil engineers use units of feet wherein a survey foot is broken

down into 10ths and 100ths. Many deed descriptions requiring distance calls are often expressed

using these units (125.25 ft). On the subject of accuracy, surveyors are often held to a standard ofone one-hundredth of a foot; about 1/8 inch. Calculation and mapping tolerances are muchsmaller wherein achieving near-perfect closures are desired. Though tolerances such as this will

vary from project to project, in the field and day to day usage beyond a 100th of a foot is oftenimpractical.

In most of the United States, surveying is recognized as a distinct profession apart from

engineering. Licensing requirements vary by state, but they generally have components ofeducation, experience and examinations. In the past, experience gained through an

apprenticeship, together with passing a series of state-administered examinations, was requiredto attain licensure. Now, most states insist upon basic qualification of a degree in surveying, plus

experience and examination requirements.

The licensing process typically follows two phases. First, upon graduation, the candidate may beeligible to take the Fundamentals of Land Surveying exam, to be certified upon passing and

meeting all other requirements as a surveyor in training (SIT). Upon being certified as an SIT,the candidate then needs to gain additional experience to become eligible for the second phase.

That typically consists of the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying exam along with a state-specific examination.


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An all-female surveying crew in Idaho, 1918

Licensed surveyors usually denote themselves with the letters P.S. (professional surveyor), L.S.(land surveyor), P.L.S. (professional land surveyor), R.L.S. (registered land surveyor), R.P.L.S.

(Registered Professional Land Surveyor), or P.S.M. (professional surveyor and mapper)

following their names, depending upon the dictates of their particular state of registration.

In Canada, land Surveyors are registered to work in their respective province. The designationfor a land surveyor breaks down by province, but follows the rule whereby the first letter

indicates the province, followed by L.S. There is also a designation as a C.L.S. or Canada landssurveyor, who has the authority to work on Canada Lands, which include Indian Reserves,

National Parks, the three territories and offshore lands.

In many Commonwealth countries, the term Chartered Land Surveyor is used for someoneholding a professional license to conduct surveys.

A licensed land surveyor is typically required to sign and seal all plans, the format of which isdictated by their state jurisdiction, which shows their name and registration number. In manystates, when setting boundary corners land surveyors are also required to place survey

monuments bearing their registration numbers, typically in the form of capped iron rods,concrete monuments, or nails with washers.

[edit] Building surveying

Building surveying emerged in the 1970s as a profession in the United Kingdom by a group of

technically minded General Practice Surveyors.[6]

Building surveying is a recognised profession

in Britain, Ireland, Australia and Hong Kong. In Australia in particular, due to risk mitigation

and limitation factors, the employment of surveyors at all levels of the construction industry iswidespread. There are still many countries where it is not widely recognized as a profession.

Building Surveyors are trained to some extent in all aspects of property but with specific training

in Building Pathology, as such they have a wide understanding of the end implications ofdecisions taken by more specific professions and trades during the realisation process, thus

making them ideal Project and Property Managers on the client side.

Services that building surveyors undertake are broad but can include:

y Construction design and building works

y

Project management and monitoringy Property Legislation advice

y Insurance assessment and claims assistance

y Defect investigation and maintenance advice

y Building surveys and measured surveys

y Handling planning applications

y Building inspection to ensure compliance with building regulations

y Pre-acquisition surveys


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y Negotiating dilapidations claims[7]

Building surveyors also advise on many aspects of construction including:

y design

y

costy maintenance

y sustainability

y repair

y refurbishment

y restoration and preservation of buildings and monuments[8]

Clients of a building surveyor can be the government agencies, businesses and individuals.

Surveyors work closely with architects, planners, quantity surveyors, engineers, homeowners andtenants groups. Building surveyors may also be called to act as an expert witnesses. It is usual for

building surveyors to earn a college degree before undertaking structured training to become amember of a professional organisation.

With the enlargement of the European community, the profession of the building surveyor isbecoming more widely known in other European states, particularly France,

[9]where many

English-speaking people buy second homes.

Lidar Surveying - Three-dimensional laser scanning provides high definition surveying forarchitectural, as-built, and engineering surveys. Recent technological advances make it the most

cost-effective and time-sensitive solution for providing the highest level of detail available forinterior and exterior building work.

[edit] Land surveyor

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this

section if you can. The talk page may contain suggestions.(March 2007)

The job of the land surveyor is to retrace legal description(s) from the deed belonging to the

subject property by locating actual reference monumentation and verifying its correct position.Over time, development, vandalism and acts of nature often wreak havoc on monuments, so the

land surveyor is often forced to consider other evidence such as fence locations, woodlines,monuments on neighboring property, parole evidence and other evidence.

Reference monumentation refers to actual physical points on the ground that define location ofboundary lines that divide neighboring parcels as well as their respective corners. Also calledsurvey control, they are most often 1/2" or 5/8" iron rebar rods or pipes placed at 18" minimum

depth. These rods and/or pipes usually have an affixed plastic cap over the top bearing theresponsible surveyors' name and license number In addition to rods/pipes, 4x4" concrete posts

are often used at corners of large parcels or anywhere that would require more stability ( ex.beach sand). They are placed at a depth of 3 feet. In places where there is asphalt or concrete, it

is common to place nails or aluminum alloy caps to re-establish boundary corners. Marks should


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be durable, stable, and as "permanent" as possible. The aim is to provide sufficient marks sosome marks will remain for future re-establishment of boundaries. The material and marking

used on monuments placed to mark boundary corners are often subject to state laws.

F.V. Hayden's map ofYellowstone National Park, 1871. His surveys were a significant factor toward

establishing the park in 1872.

Cadastral land surveyors are licensed by state governments. In the United States, cadastral

surveys are typically conducted by the federal government, specifically through the CadastralSurveys branch of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), formerly the General Land Office

(GLO).[10]

This includes consultation and boundary determination expertise for USFS, ParkService, Corps of Engineers, BIA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, etc. In

states that have been subdivided as per the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), the BLMCadastral Surveys are carried out in accordance with that system. This information is required todefine ownership and rights in real property (such as land, water, mineral, easements, rights-of-

way), to resolve boundary disputes between neighbours, and for any subdivision of land,building development, road boundary realignment, etc.

The aim ofcadastral surveys is normally to re-establish and mark the corners of original land

boundaries. The first stage is to research relevant records such as land titles (deeds), easements,survey monumentation (marks on the ground) and any public or private records that provide

relevant data.

In order to properly establish accurate position of survey markers, it is then necessary formeasurements to be taken. This is achieved by placing a [total station] over the points and

recording distances taken with the [EDM].

The data is analysed and comparisons made with existing records to determine evidence that can

be used to establish boundary positions. The bearing and distance of lines between the boundary


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corners and total station positions are calculated and used to set out and mark the corners in thefield. Checks are made by measuring directly between pegs places using a flexible tape.

Subdivision of land generally requires that the external boundary is re-established and markedusing pegs, and the new internal boundaries are then marked.

[edit] The art of surveying

Many properties have considerable problems with regards to improper bounding, miscalculationsin past surveys, titles, easements, and wildlife crossings. Also many properties are created from

multiple divisions of a larger piece over the course of years, and with every additional divisionthe risk of miscalculation increases. The result can be abutting properties not coinciding with

adjacent parcels, resulting in hiatuses (gaps) and overlaps. The art plays a role when a surveyormust solve a puzzle using pieces that do not exactly fit together. In these cases, the solution is

based upon the surveyor's research and interpretation, along with established procedures forresolving discrepancies.

[edit] References

1. ^ Johnson,Anthony, Solving Stonehenge: The New Key to an AncientEnigma. (Thames &Hudson, 2008) ISBN 978-0-500-05155-9

2. ^ Hong-Sen Yan & Marco Ceccarelli (2009), International Symposium on History of Machines andMechanisms: Proceedings ofHMM 2008, Springer, p.107, ISBN1402094841

3. ^Donald Routledge Hill (1996), "Engineering", pp.766-9, in Rashed, Roshdi; Morelon, Rgis(1996), Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic Science, Routledge, pp.751795, ISBN0415124107

4. ^National Cooperative Highway Research Program: Collecting, Processing andIntegrating GPSdata into GIS, p.40. Published by Transportation Research Board, 2002ISBN 0309069165,

9780309069168

5.^

Toni Schenk1, Suyoung Seo, Beata Csatho:Accuracy Study of Airborne Laser Scanning Datawith Photogrammetry, p.118

6. ^http://www.fig.net/pub/athens/papers/ts12/TS12_4_Kibblewhite_Wilkinson.pdf7. ^

http://hp1.gcal.ac.uk/pls/portal30/my_gcal.Progcat_Pkg.ProgPage?gtype=UG&p_Course=BSBS

8. ^http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_types_of_jobs/Types_of_Job

/p!eipaL?idno=121&state=showocc

9. ^http://www.surveyorsinfrance.com10.^A History of the Rectangular Survey System by C.Albert White, 1983, Pub: Washington, D.C. :

U.S.Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management : For sale by Supt. ofDocs., U.S. G.P.O.,

Notes

y Keay J (2000), The Great Arc: The Dramatic Tale ofHowIndia was Mapped andEverestwas

Named, Harper Collins, 182pp, ISBN 0-00-653123-7.

y Pugh J C (1975), Surveying forField Scientists, Methuen, 230pp, ISBN 0-416-07530-4

y Genovese I (2005), Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms, ACSM, 314pp, ISBN 0-

9765991-0-4.


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(9566729801)


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The Purpose of Land Surveyors in Quantity

Surveys

Quantity surveys determine the volume of soil to be moved.

Quantity surveys are performed most frequently with regard to grading projects. Whether the projectis a new roadway, business development or neighborhood, calculation of the volume of earth to bemoved is instrumental in determining the cost and schedule of a project.

1. Gathering Data

o Quantity surveys begin with a land surveyor gathering topographical data on the tract of landto be developed. The surveyor then plots the gathered data, typically with the use of CADsoftware.

Design Phase

o Once the topographical map is produced, or topo for short, surveyors use this information tocreate a grading plan for the land. Efforts are made during this process to balance the soil asmuch as possible so developers need not bring in extra earth or remove excess from thesite.

Earthwork Quantities

o In the final phase of a quantity survey, the surveyor calculates the final volume of earthexcess or shortage. Even though developers will not need to purchase extra fill soil if anexcess is present, costs are still associated with removal and must be planned foraccordingly


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What Is the Pay Scale for Land Surveyors?

Hayley Harrison has written professionally since 1996 and is a prolific contributor to various

websites. Harrison holds an LAH insurance license in the state of Pennsylvania and has

experience as a bank branch manager and lending officer. She graduated cum laude from the

University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in art history. By Hayley Harrison, eHow Contributor

Land surveyors are professionals who take measurements of pieces of land and establish thelocations of borders. The pay scale for surveyors varies, based on a variety of factors such as their

work experience and geographic location.

1. Overall Pay Scale

o As of May 2008, the lowest-paid 10 percent of land surveyors earned $29,600 or less, whilethe highest-paid 10 percent averaged $85,620 or more, according to the U.S. Bureau ofLabor Statistics (BLS).

Work Experience

o Average salaries of land surveyors with one to four years of experience ranged from $28,486to $49,352, according to January 2010 reporting by PayScale. Surveyors with 10 to 19 yearsof experience or more averaged $51,275 to $73,462.

Employer Type

o Self-employed land surveyors earned average salaries from $40,000 to $73,585, accordingto January 2010 reporting on PayScale. Those who worked for public companies earned anaverage of $41,286 to $69,604, while those employed by private firms earned $41,362 to$67,040.

Industry

o The highest-paying industries for land surveyors as of May 2008 were the federalgovernment, foundation and exterior contractors and scientific consulting services, whereaverage salaries ranged from $66,840 to $78,710, according to the BLS.

Geography

o The highest-paying states for land surveyors to work in as of May 2008 were Oregon, NewJersey, Washington, California and Alaska, with average salaries of $65,980 to $78,370,reports the BLS.


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Land Surveyors Act

Max Power started writing in 1996. Power was responsible for providing coverage of local and

state governmental affairs for a web-boom-era news and civic-affairs news website. This

experience provided him with a range of in-depth knowledge about legal, civic, political and

governmental affairs. Power holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in history. ByMax Power, eHow Contributor

Due to the complex nature of land survey regulations, the California legislature adopted TheCalifornia Professional Land Surveyors Act in order to govern the land surveyor industry. It isimportant for Californians working in the land survey industry to understand this act and know how itaffects their work.

1.

o Land Survey Laws are Important for Surveyors to Study and Understand

DefiningWho the Act Regulates

o According to the land surveyor act, a land surveyor is a person "who practices or offers topractice land surveying." The law defines an individual to be participating in the practice ofland surveying when he "professes to be a land surveyor or is in charge of land surveyingwork." Those whose activities fit this description must abide by the regulations in the act orrisk being penalized.

Governing Board

o The California Professional Land Surveyors Act established the California Board forProfessional Engineers and Land Surveyors as the governing board for the purposes of theact. The law authorizes the board to develop and enforce the rules that are required to carryout the provisions of the act.

How to Receive a License

o The act defines the procedures by which those who engage in the practice of land surveyingare to be licensed. A perspective surveyor may apply for a license by making application tothe California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. The board canprescribe a series of criteria that the applicant must meet in order to receive a license. Thisincludes an examination of the applicant's basic knowledge of surveying, mathematics and


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science. The applicant must also provide the names and addresses of at least four otherland surveyors or civil engineers who will serve as references for the applicant.

Mandate ofWritten Contract

o The California Professional Land Surveyors Act requires that land surveyors have a written

contract with their clients. The contract must be executed prior to the commencement ofwork unless the client signs a waiver asserting that even though work will commence prior tothe execution of the contract, that a contract will in fact be signed.

Finding the Professional Land Surveyor Act

o The Professional Land Surveyor Act could be found online at the website of the CaliforniaBoard for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors whose address ishttp://www.pels.ca.gov/.

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What Are the Duties of a Land Surveyor?

Land surveyors determine and verify boundaries of property, create maps and plan the developmentof land. They work for government agencies, construction companies, architectural and engineeringfirms and utility services. There also are many surveying companies which provide contract servicesto these organizations.

1. Documentation Research

o Duties of land surveyors include researching legal boundaries of property in public recordsand other documents, such as deeds, legal records and maps.

Land Measuremento Surveyors travel to work sites and then, using specialized equipment, they measure and

record any land features such as contour, location and elevation.

Boundary Disputes

o Land surveyors investigate any easements or encroachments on property boundaries andreport these to the parties involved.

Determining Boundaries

o Another duty of land surveyors is determining property boundaries when definitive legaldocumentation is not available. They use precise mapping tools, knowledge of laws, rules ofevidence and local standards of practice.

Legal Documentation

o Land surveyors must prepare data and reports to be submitted in court, in cases of legaldisputes regarding boundary locations.


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Land Surveyor Vs. Construction Surveyor

Now living in Arizona, Les Moore has written reports of motorcycle races for "Cycle News" and

"Midwest Motorcycling" since 1969. He has provided technical and procedural data for the Intra

and Internet. Moore received a Certificate of Drafting from San Jose Community College in

1982. By Les Moore, eHow Contributor

updated October 23, 2010

Land and construction surveyors use information differently.

A land surveyor determines distances and angles between points. Construction surveyors setstaking points for the construction of roads and buildings. Land surveying and construction surveyingare two of several surveyor professions.

1. Land Survey

o Land survey is map preparation by working from known points to establish new points. Thistype of survey determines property boundaries to establish ownership. It also definesboundaries and points on public areas. Land surveyors also locate features such as hills,mountains and rivers and use them in their work.

Construction Survey

o

Construction surveyors do a preliminary topographic survey to lay out the general location ofhighway and building construction. After the general positioning, surveyors establish exactlocation points for the construction. They use wooden stakes to guide the construction crews.

General Survey

o Land and construction surveyors use the same instruments and procedures to make theirmaps. The functions of both are to use existing points to establish new points. Each hassimilar goals to establish points, but the final use of this information is different.


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Read more: Land Surveyor Vs. Construction Surveyor | eHow.com

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Land Surveyor Classes

Dr. Skylar Stark has been writing professionally since 2007. Her articles appear on eHow and in

other publications, where she writes about business, research and education. She holds a Ph.D.

in communication science from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in library

science from Southern Connecticut State University. By Dr. Skylar Stark , eHow Contributor

updated July 12, 2010

1.

o Land surveyors must have specialized training.

Land surveying is the analysis and measurement of points and distances on or under the

Earth. Land surveyors aid in building and road development, mapping and other geo-spatial

functions. Land surveyors must have specialized training in topics such as mathematics,

global positioning systems and photogrammetry. Courses in land surveying are available on-

campus and online.

2.Land Surveyors Workshopso Land Surveyors Workshops (LSW) is an organization that has been providing surveyor

training for more than 20 years. LSW offers seminars in the southeastern U.S., on topicssuch as surveyor ethics and technical writing. The organization also offers correspondencecourses, where students receive instruction via DVD and take a written exam through mail.Courses are aimed at providing continuing education.

Land Surveyor's Workshops

314 South Street

P.O. Box 180

Jefferson, NC 28640

800-533-4387

landsurveys.com

3.University ofMassachusettso The University of Massachusetts offers a certificate in land surveying, training students in the

fundamentals of the profession. The certificate requires six courses, and can prepare


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students for the state licensure exam. Courses are offered on-campus and online, and mostcourses can be applied to an associate or baccalaureate degree in civil engineering.

Application to the program is required.

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Continuing Studies, Corporate & Distance Education

800-480-3190

continuinged.uml.edu

4.Missouri Southern State Universityo The Missouri Southern State University offers five courses in land surveyor training through

the engineering technology department. Students take courses in the fundamental areas ofthe profession, including surveying computations. A trigonometry course is a prerequisite.The course curriculum prepares students to take the state licensure exam.

Missouri Southern State University

3950 East Newman Road

Joplin, MO 64801

mssu.edu

5.Renton Technical Collegeo Renton Technical College, in the state of Washington, offers certification in both land and field

surveying. The field program can be taken separately, but the land surveying program mustbe taken after field certification. Both programs emphasize the fundamentals of field work

and land surveying, and prepare students to assist senior surveyors. Coursework can beapplied to an associate degree in applied science. Program length is typically three to fourquarters for each certification program.

Renton Technical College

3000 NE 4th Street

Renton, WA 98056

425-235-2352

rtc.edu

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classes.html#ixzz1Oy8OIo7n


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history and surveying

Documents