Monday 7 October 2013

Surveying: A Job That Ensures Our Safety

By Carey Bourdier


Surveying is a task that is crucial to many industries, and while you might not have ever given the subject much thought, your safety each and every day depends upon the skills of trained surveyors. Here are some reasons why surveying is an extremely important job.

Certainly, it is a common enough site to see someone standing with a construction vest and hard hat in the middle of the road looking through a telescope-like device set up on a tripod. This is a surveyor, the device is called a theodolite, and it's much more than a simple telescope. It actually measures angles in horizontal plane as well as the vertical plane. Theodolites are used for many different types of surveying, and these professionals also learn how to use inclinometers, GPS receivers, digital levels and devices called total stations.

Each tool helps a surveyor take highly accurate measurements, which are needed for many projects, not the least of which is road construction. Not only does a surveyor monitor the creation of roads, they also help build railways and even bridges. In addition, they are called in after construction to keep an eye on the complete project as it ages over time. Failure to make note of structural problems can result in huge catastrophes, such as when a bridge collapses. During initial construction, roads are graded and sloped according to safety standards, and surveyors are the ones who ensure that these roads can accommodate different levels of traffic and different types of vehicles.

The establishment of boundaries and properties lines has always been a big task for surveyors, and while it might not necessarily improve our level of safety and security, it is a highly important job. When you purchase your house, you need to know where your boundary lines exist in case you wish to build fencing or plant trees or shrubbery. When new communities are created, surveyors lay out boundary lines for each plot of land. Whenever two parties are in dispute over boundaries, a surveyor is called in to determine the correct property lines.

While boundaries are important, surveyors also are needed on all construction sites to make sure that buildings and homes are built safely. This is known as construction surveying, and the people who complete these tasks are quite important. They inspect foundations to make sure they are level and are on hand throughout the entire production process.

Of course, surveyors also still help to create maps for use on land or on rivers and the ocean and other waterways. Accurate maps are essential for industries that ship and transport goods, whether it is by sea or by land. Surveyors also work beneath the surface, mapping the floor of the ocean and helping to create or expand mining operations.




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