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Thomas LaCorte
Posts: 62
Joined: 10/17/2008
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GPS Machine Control |
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| Has anybody switched from boundary and topo work as being a main staple for gross income to say perhaps machine control. I passed a construction site everyday for about 2 months. All of the machines had GPS control. They transformed the landscape from an orange grove to finished dirt grade of a subdivision including ponds and I never saw one surveyor or one grade stake! In today's economy I sure would like to hear from someone who has made the switch or has at least gotten their feet wet. Throw me a bone over here! please! I'm sure someone received a nice fee for keeping everything on line and running smoothly.
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 6:59:00 PM |
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Tom
Posts: 5
Joined: 11/17/2008
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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| At conferences we attend, people indicate that machine control work being done by contractors is indeed cutting into surveyors' work. But they also say we still need surveyors to establish and maintain control, and some states require that they be involved in the process. I see it as another scenario where technology has drastically changed the landscape for surveyors, and now they should seize it as an opportunity to reconfigure and expand their services, in effect creating new niches. |
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Monday, November 17, 2008 at 11:36:56 AM |
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Thomas LaCorte
Posts: 62
Joined: 10/17/2008
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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Good point! and I agree! In Florida a Land Surveyor must set the control and I believe this could lead to further work with the contractor. But how do we profit from machine control? Well perhaps if we owned it or leased it, we could install it and maintain it and keep a knowledgeable person or small crew on the job at all times. I realize that this is a drop in the bucket compared to having multiple crews all over the job setting stakes but it sure beats not having any part of the work at all. I mean lets face it this is not the 80's anymore.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 7:09:38 PM |
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CW
Posts: 4
Joined: 11/17/2008
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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I don't know if it's good or not.
I've been grappling with it and haven't sold myself on it. It seems to me that not having trained crews staking and catching potential errors before massive quantities of dirt are moved or conrete erroneously poured; we are increasing our potential liability. Folks who are doing this are doing it for far less than conventional staking. So we enable others to accrue greater profits at our expense, and take away our last check on the ground increasing our liability?
It just doesn't sound like a path I want to go down.
Sell me on the idea with something other than it's better to have some of the work rather than none of it. I'm not convinced that's true.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 8:03:40 PM |
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Thomas LaCorte
Posts: 62
Joined: 10/17/2008
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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Good point! I'm not convinced yet either. But! the way things are going as with all technology
we may not have a choice. After all Chicago steel tape doesn't sell very many "chains" anymore. We have all moved up to the total stations and GPS RTK ect.!! Right! It also maybe more profitable and with Less! liability to follow behind one or two machine's doing checks than to count on 1500 crows feet on stakes being left "undisturbed and being correct." Just a thought. Trying to keep an open mind on all avenues of work. Thanks to the slow economy.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 8:36:37 PM |
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MCG
Posts: 1
Joined: 12/27/2008
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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Well perhaps if we owned it or leased it, we could install it and
maintain it and keep a knowledgeable person or small crew on the job at
all times. Also maintain 3d model and bridge the gap between engineer and grader with the owner being very happy that he has daily asblts and volumes to keep the fox out of the hen house? We have the best skill set for this job and the owners know it. I have done this and it works. Keep in touch.
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Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 4:23:46 AM |
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PLS8395
Posts: 4
Joined: 1/6/2009
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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| Like GIS, if we don't take control, someone else will.
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Tuesday, January 06, 2009 at 5:00:00 PM |
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Ashley
Posts: 14
Location: TN USA
Joined: 10/10/2008
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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| I have heard that N.C. has just enacted or is working on enacting legislation regarding machine control. Have any other states begun addressing this new technology? Last night I attended a TAPS (TN Association of Professional Surveyors) meeting and a big topic of conversation was coming up with some kind of legislation regarding machine control. The TAPS chapters are also looking at redefining the definition of land surveying in our state as well. Any questions/comments regarding how we are able to take "control" or regulate this new technology in some way?
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Friday, January 09, 2009 at 7:37:24 AM |
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PLS8395
Posts: 4
Joined: 1/6/2009
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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In April 2006, the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors addressed the matter in the form of a letter. I have a PDF of it and would be happy to email it to anyone interested.
Many professional surveyors in my area feel that the letter is not enough (since the letter was not sent to the grading industry) and that a more proactive approach is needed.
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Friday, January 09, 2009 at 1:44:13 PM |
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Ashley
Posts: 14
Location: TN USA
Joined: 10/10/2008
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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| I would be interested in seeing the letter and passing it on to my local TAPS chapter if that is okay. My email is arosenalin@yahoo.com.
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Friday, January 09, 2009 at 3:02:12 PM |
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PLS8395
Posts: 4
Joined: 1/6/2009
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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| I just hit send on the email.
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Friday, January 09, 2009 at 3:09:43 PM |
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jerickson
Posts: 2
Joined: 1/14/2009
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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| The construction companies that use machine control employ surveyors and can't find enough of them. I am one of them and anyone who knows how to build models and is willing to construction stake also, can easily get a job.
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 1:57:34 PM |
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k-bob
Posts: 15
Location: MI USA
Joined: 2/6/2009
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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My 2 cents - GPS machine control is a good thing. It allows earthwork on projects to be completed much more efficiently & inexpensively, while keeping survey crews out of harms way when pans & graders are breathing down their necks. As long as checks are in place that crews would spot-check random areas, and initiate / setup the grading activities, i think it is definitely a greater good for construction industry as a whole.
Additionally, gps machine grading WILL not stake structure locs, laterals, curb locations, radii pts, etc. It cannot nor will not ever completely replace surveyor's being onsite. It may cut into some of the revenue staking brings a firm, but there is certainly plenty more needs out there. Surveyors will always be in charge of the horizontal & vertical datums crews utilize on these sites, so our roles may evolve, but will not disappear.
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Friday, February 06, 2009 at 11:31:15 AM |
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Ken.Wilson
Posts: 2
Joined: 1/4/2010
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Re: GPS Machine Control |
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| Since construction has ground to a vicious halt here in California, it would seem all those large companies who purchased Machine Control Systems are making the payments right now but not making any money off of them. So the technology got ahead of the market. A few grading contractors we work with have GPS systems just like we do and they have "grade checkers" who shoot every hub we set and then use them for control later. They have rough grade figured out as well as we do. But we still need to come in to set hubs for concrete, utilities and drainage.
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Monday, January 04, 2010 at 7:39:57 PM |
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