How Surveyors Keep Us Safe

By Carey Bourdier


You might not realize just how important the profession of surveying is in our daily lives. You also might think it has more to do with making maps than anything else, but actually surveying is a crucial task that is needed to make sure that we have built roads and building and bridges properly.

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.

These tools help surveyors accomplish many tasks that are essential in many industries. For instance, surveyors are needed for every type of construction. Surveyors ensure that roads are constructed safely by making sure that slope and grade of the road is safe and easy for many types of vehicles to navigate. In addition, surveyors are used to help build bridges that are level and will support large amounts of traffic and they also inspect our current bridges to check for damage and movement.

Throughout history, it has been the task of surveyors to set up boundary lines and they still do this today. Obviously, when a parcel of land is transformed into a new housing tract or business center, it is important to note where property lines begin and end. However, surveyors also are called in when there is a dispute as to where boundary lines exist. This can happen in real estate lawsuits, and surveyors sometimes are the deciding factor in these cases.

Setting up and identifying property lines and boundaries of cities and countries is certainly important, but when it comes to the creation of buildings and homes, a construction surveyors job is a crucial for everyone's safety. Imagine what would happen if a foundation was not level and the skyscraper was built on top of it. Even a house can settle badly if the ground is not level and foundation is not level. Surveyors make measurements before buildings are started, they return to measure and survey after a foundation has been, set and then they inspect the project throughout the rest of the construction 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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