Show us why the public should always call a land surveyor

Where are you surveying?

Land Surveyor Tools

Surveyors tools are basically any device that doesn't necessarily require a specialized skill set to use. A total station is a very sophisticated device that takes extensive training and knowledge to operate with the degree of precision required to meet the standards expected by either legal restrictions and regulations, the client, or both.

Given the distinction, there is a difference between the strict definition of a tool and an instrument; both will be examined. One of the reasons is the blurring of the line between the tool and the instrument with the advance of technology. Stadia rods ā€“ also called boards ā€“ are now very sophisticated prism reflectors or direct-reading laser boards and no longer simple calibrated measuring sticks.

Land Survey Tools

All 50 states in the USA require surveyors to be tested and licensed. The actual license is not achieved until the apprenticeship program ā€“ usually four years ā€“ and at least a bachelor's degree in surveying or closely-related academic degree, are completed and a second test administered to determine if the licensee is qualified. The licensed surveyor is the one who uses the instrument. The apprentice ā€“ also called the ā€œchainmanā€ as a vestige of the old profession ā€“ is the one who uses the tools.

Ā 

There are a number of traditional tools that are needed by the surveyor, and will continued to be needed in the foreseeable future. They include stakes, sledge hammers, drills, and the usual familiar hand tools required to keep things in operable and serviceable condition. Basically, any tool used by a forester will also be part of the chainman's tool kit. This includes a number of brush cutting and clearing tools to ensure a clean line-of-sight to the surveying instruments.

Land Survey Tools Construction Stakes

Surveyor-specific tools include: levels of several types, including mechanical and optical; transits ā€“ including pocket transits as well as optical and laser styles; the plane or map table with several different alidade types; theodolites ā€“ both optical and laser; electronic distance measuring equipment, Global Positioning System, electronic data collectors, hand-held calculators ā€“ including computerized data collectors; computer and satellite radio and GPS interfaces; prism and mirror reflectors; rods and stadia boards; surveyor's measuring tapes; plumb bobs ā€“ including low-light or miner's plumb bobs as well as laser plumb devices, and a variety of recording equipment from the simplest chalks and keels, to pencils and notebooks. Not to be overlooked are trig tables, slide rules, mapping tools, and other text or paper-based media when the machines fail for one reason or another.

Ā 

Computer hardware and software is becoming more and more prevalent in the surveying business. It is not uncommon to see instruments with Bluetooth wireless enabled interfaces. Older RS-232 ā€“ otherwise known as the serial or parallel ports on legacy computers ā€“ technology for data download and transfer are available, however, there may be specialized software required. Some of the more expensive total stations have special cables, however, they are supported by a number of MS Windows operating systems. Before considering the significant capital investment in a total station solution, ensure there is a modern and user-friendly interface for your preferred or specified laptop computer. If the application is going to entail rugged conditions and marginal terrain, a wireless solution is highly desirable.

Ā 

Expense is always a consideration. Many long-time licensed professionals prefer to use their own equipment, however, the chainman or journeyman will usually use what is provided by the employer. In the case of the Geodetic Survey Service, for example, instruments will be provided by the government that simply are not available to the average land surveyor. Some third-party government contractors will have the instruments and tools specified in the contract which must be used in order to stay in compliance with the terms of the contract.

ā˜…
ā˜…
ā˜…
ā˜…
ā˜…
Votes: 1
E-mail me when people leave their comments –
Land Surveyor

Charlotte NC Land Surveyor

You need to be a member of Land Surveyors United - Global Surveying Community to add thoughts!

Join Land Surveyors United - Global Surveying Community

Thoughts

This reply was deleted.

Share your Surveyor Articles

Surveying Articles is a place for members to Share Land Surveying related articles, presentations and knowledge with the Land Surveyors United Community. Post or embed articles for future generations of land surveyors.

Surveying Articles and Presentations

Do you have an article about Land Surveying that you would like to share?

Land Surveying is a timeless art and science and it is therefore, evergreen! You may also know that a lot of older publications have gone away, unfortunately.   If you have written or published land surveying articles in the past, we would be honored for you to share them here with us.  If it is an older article, you can even republish it here with updates and reflections.  

class="block"Tip:   If you published an article in the past on one of the older sites which no longer exist, you can use the Wayback Machine to find it.  Then just copy/paste the old article inside a new post here.  Just be sure to tell us where it was previously posted.

Want to embed a PDF Document?

 If you have a PDF document or article related to land surveying that you would like to embed inside an article post, simply copy/paste the following code block into the HTML view of the post editor and replace the BOLD part of the code with the URL of the PDF you'd like to embed.   

Code to use:

<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https://landsurveyorsunited.github.io/cssfiles/manuals/Surveying-Photos-Submitted-Land-Surveyors-United.pdf&embedded=true" frameborder="0" height="500px" width="100%"></iframe>

TIP:  You can also upload your PDF using the file upload button and then copy/paste the URL of the document you uploaded with the BOLD part of the code above to get a flippable PDF like so:

Uploading PDF land surveying documents to Surveying Articles

Differences between Forums, Blogs and Article posts

Forum Posts are great for asking questions which have a definate answer.  Forum posts are best for a quick exchange of information between Land Surveyors United members.   Please note that All Community Hubs have their own dedicated Forums so if your post is related to a specific hub, it is best to ask your question or share your tip inside the hub in which it belongs for targeted answers.  For example, if your question relates to Leica equipment, ask your question inside the Leica Hub forum for best results as all members inside that hub uses the equipment in question.  Likewise if your question pertains to a Location, you should consider making your post inside the appropriate hub.

Add Discussion

Blog Postsdiffer from Forum posts because you can embed and upload different kinds of information.  Blog posts are best for presenting information and updates for feedback and sharing.  When posting a Blog Post, you can also publish a short excerpt at the bottom which is what most members will see before reading the blog post.  Blog posts are also great for posting new surveying projects and digests of links to multiple surveying topics or your own website.   Things that can be embedded into Blog Posts are videos, images, slideshows, powerpoints, spreadsheets, PDFs, documents and more.

Add Blog Post

 

Articles are similar to Blog Posts in all ways except one.  Articles allow for you to post an Author Block at the bottom with links to your contact info, website information, credentials, etc. Similar to Blog Posts, things that can be embedded into Blog Posts are videos, images, slideshows, powerpoints, spreadsheets, PDFs, documents and more.  Similar to both types above, Hub Owners can add article sections and features to any hub they control on the community.

Add Article

Land Survey Guides