Category: SRCMI

The Importance Of Surveying In Land Ownership

There are many questions surrounding land surveying and its importance in the field of engineering.  Civil engineers are in need of the professional work of land surveyors on a regular basis.  When lines need to be drawn and precise access to be determined land surveyors are the professionals who are called upon.  The job that land surveyors do is one of the most historically important positions to hold.  Land lines and property boundaries are so important to our society, one based upon personal space and ownership.

What different types of land surveys are there?

This question is extremely important to when buying or selling a piece of property or home.  Land boundaries are important to potential buyers.  A survey of residential boundary will outline exactly where the property lines are from one corner of the property to another.  This will give a general border outline for the buyer to follow.  A survey of mortgage is used by lenders and professionals associated in the transaction end of a sale.  This is important to determine if any improvement such as landscaping, swimming areas, driveways or such have actually encroached upon a neighbor’s yard.   If this has happened it will delay the closing until rightful ownership can be determined and settled upon.  A land survey is important if looking at property along a cliff or major hillside.  A geological survey will help to determine the hazards associated with building in that area.

What does a land surveyor do?

It is important to note that land surveyors are professionals who need advanced education and experience to become licensed in state land surveying.  A land survey engineer is the individual who actually stakes out the boundaries of property and addresses concerns within residential boundaries such as encroachment.  Using historical property information and deeds, land surveyors, will map out the boundaries legally recording them for the future.

Land surveyors are extremely important when it comes to new construction, residential, commercial and industrial.  Without them there would never be a clear definition of ownership which would lead to unnecessary issues between the owners of the land.

When is a land survey necessary?

In the sale of land it is recommended to always have a land survey done.  This way the purchaser can know the exact amount of land being purchased and where the land is exactly.  Imagine purchasing a piece of property to build a home upon and realizing once the sale is finished that the access way to your property was actually owned by another individual.  Believe it or not this has happened.  Never guess or assume when it comes to a purchase of this magnitude.

Another reason to do a land survey is during home improvements.  It is important that homeowners respect the neighbor’s boundary lines.  When it comes to adding a pool, a fire pit, deck or any improvement that moves close to another’s property have a land surveyor out to measure and ensure the improvement is not on their property.  You don’t want to end up in Hatfield verse McCoy feud over a home improvement.

It is easy to see the value of land survey engineers.  Simply stated they are the individuals that give legal rights to land ownership making sure what I claim to be mine is and what is your is yours saving years of feuding.  Believe it or not this happened when we purchased our home.  Many people had used the adjacent property as a park and entrance to the river our home sat on.  After reviewing the historical records it was found that in fact the property went with the home and the owner let the community use it.  With two small children that was not happening anymore and legally, thanks to our land surveyor, we could put an end to the trespassing.  This actually made our neighbors love us that much more.

The Importance Of Engineering Services and Disiplines

Our complex world continues to prosper.  It continues to grow and change.  The world as we know it and enjoy it is the way it is in part from engineers and the services they provide for us to enjoy.  When we cross bridges, flush a toilet, run a lawn mower or enjoy the convenience of driving our car thank an engineer.  The branches of engineering run far and wide.  The many concentrations and extensions of engineering services allow us to enjoy the benefits we do in society.

Civil engineering is of utmost importance to allow for society to blend growth, functionality and natural environments.  The designs, construction and maintenance civil engineers provide allow us to use the land without exploiting it.   Within civil engineering there are several sub-disciplines.   Each brings a unique twist to the discipline and helps transform the environment.

Geotechnical engineering explores the use of raw materials coming from the Earth and how using the resources will affect the environment as well as the project on a whole.  As the name implies they are mainly concerned with the geological resources within a civil engineering project site.  They explore, extract and process the raw substances and give analysis and recommendations based on the information collected.  For instance when doing land surveys they often perform a soil analysis.  If the soil analysis were to find substances within the soil that could be hazardous if leaked into a water supply a project may be moved to another plot of land.

Structural engineering is a division of civil engineering that handles issues that arise with the structures support.  They ensure that a structure is stable for the environment that is built.  In California buildings are built structurally sound to prevent major disasters during earthquakes.   Structural engineering services also provide for buildings to support incredible winds, weather related events and different architectural engineering.

Transportation engineering ensures the safety of people and goods as they are transported via roadways, waterways, rail systems and through the air too.  This includes things we take for granted such as stop lights and the way they are timed out.  Engineering services provide for us to enjoy traveling safely without too much congestion and without running into one another. They also provide railway safety and air safety to allow for safe travel and design programs to allow for tracking.

Environmental engineering applies to improving, maintaining and protection of the environment we are building in and around.  The services they provide are designed around the ecosystem.  They apply sanitary engineering, hydraulic engineering and municipal engineering.  Working together these engineering services help protect our surroundings and allow the environment and society to design a co-habitat for all the living and non living resources in it.

Civil engineering services are just one of the many that allow our society to function as it does.  Engineers design, implement, maintain and provide the analysis to keep us safe and moving forward.   Engineering services allow for the function of everyday life and provides solutions for the hiccups that arise.

Careers In Land Surveying

Why does a war usually begin? Wars begin often because land boundaries have been crossed.  Many neighbors have minor issue because of land boundaries.  It is important to establish ownership when contemplating swing sets, fences and permanent structures.  Who establishes these boundaries?  That is the professional duties of a land surveyor.  Surveyors document land boundaries on maps which legally proclaim the division of ownership.

A land surveyor measures and draws out the Earth’s surface.  They use measurements as well as defining characteristics of the land to map out boundaries.  Surveyors are also used to measure airspace, water areas as well as land.  They help to explain what the land looks like and the amount of land within each the space. Then the information is used to make land space legal in the form of deeds and other types of legal land documentation.

Land surveyors are also used for exploration below the Earth’s surface.  Geodetic surveyors are used to measure the areas below the Earth.  Many minerals and elements are offered to us by the land below us.  Geophysical explorations are used to find petroleum, one of our most valuable resources.

A mapping technician is another type of land surveyor.  They go on site and use advanced technology and tools to collect facts about the land. They often hold chains and measuring tools and then translate that information into written notes which are then translated into sketches and entered into a computer.

It is important to remember that surveyors study current legal records and previous boundary markers to ensure the records are current.  When newly surveying the land it is important to seek out information from the past to maintain correct legal boundaries.  Maps and written reports are used in legal cases to determine ownership of land.  Surveyors are licensed in the state in which they do work.

The work conditions of surveyors are pretty regular.  Most work eight hours a day, five days a week.  Much of their time is spent outside.  Many surveyors work longer hours in the summer when days are longer and the weather is warm.  They are required to stand for long periods of time. They walk great distances and must often climb over obstacles facing weather that is less than desirable.

Land surveyors often spend time within an office making plans, reading and examining facts and designing maps.  Computers are used in a large part of the work that is done by surveyors.  Many survey tools are unique to the trade.  Surveyors study the tools and technologies used in surveying and are then required to obtain certifications for the states in which they work.

Surveying is an important career.  The information obtained by them is useful for so many applications in our everyday lives.  When buying a home, creating roads, building bridges land surveyors play an integral role in ensuring that they land is ours to use.  This avoids legal issues later on down the road when others try to stake claim to the established land.

Engineering Services and Fields Of Study

Not everyone can be an engineer.  Some people use words better than others, some can speak well and others are meant to be listeners.  Then there are other people that have an amazing way to look at science, math and design and interpret it into something useful.  It is amazing how different the brain processes information. Because of the different ways our brains handle information we all have certain jobs that we are better at than others.

Engineering is a career that not everyone has the knack for.  In the field of engineering professionals apply science and mathematical theory to design, create and examine different technological solutions.  The field of engineering is very broad.  Engineering services can be broken down into several major branches.  From these several sub-disciplines exist.  Depending on the area that excites the senses within you will depend on what field and sub-discipline that is studied and turned into a career.

Exploration into engineering services is easier than ever with different intern options that allow students to search within the field before committing themselves to one in particular.  It also helps to research the internet for firms located in your area.  Most engineers would be more than happy to have someone in to shadow them that were interested in exactly what it is they do every day.

Chemical engineering is the application of physical and biological sciences that development of converting materials that are raw or chemicals into a more usable form.  This includes material engineering, process engineering and molecular engineering.  Material engineering deals with the changes in matter to make it useful within engineering applications.  Process engineering is the entire process of chemical optimization.  This includes things such as the creation of the production process of both plastic and paper products.

Civil engineering has been referred to as the most society useful type of engineering.  Professionals within civil engineering are concerned with the design, development and care of environments created by nature or by engineers.   If you have ever wondered who created the Mackinaw Bridge or the tunnels from Detroit to Windsor rest assured that the design, creation and upkeep of projects such as these is being done with the help of professional civil engineers.   Engineering services that fall within civil engineering include; geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering and environmental engineering.

Electrical engineering studies the uses of electricity, electromagnetism and electronics.  Professionals in this line of study look into and analyze different types of circuitry and how the properties that it consists of and then transfer the knowledge to other electrical components.   You see this work in computers, cars and hospitals.  A computer engineer will specialize in the way the computer processes the software.  All types of engineering eventually depend and rely on one another to fully function.  Not any one piece of engineering can function without assistance from another engineering service.

Mechanical engineering studies different types of mechanical power and how it is used within operation of machines and other mechanical systems.  This includes vehicle engineering and thermal engineering.  Vehicle engineering is used mostly within the mechanical fields of transportation such as vehicles, airplanes and boats.  Thermal engineering works mainly with the heating and cooling system, the equipment and how it is processed.

The field of engineering is vast and wide.  There are still a ton of specialty divisions of engineering which fall into the interdisciplinary and specialty fields.  If design, construction, testing and the function of all aspects of projects you are involved in interest you then engineering is a field to look into.  The outlook for engineers is not slowing anytime soon as our country keeps developing.

Following a Budget For Engineering Services

The internet is all a buzz with different engineering firms. There is definitely not a shortage of firms to hire.  The hard part with this in mind for someone in need of engineering services is that they have to narrow the field down to one.  On top of the options the work load increases for the person hiring the firm too.  It is important to make sure that the right firm is hired on for the project so that disappointment in the end is avoided.

The first factor in determining if an engineering firm is right for your project revolves around the budget.  This factor determines a lot of business choices and in this case is true also.  The belief that a more expensive firm offers better or premium services is not true.  The only thing the price tells us is that they are a more expensive firm.  When looking into the quote that has been given it is important to look at everything that is covered under it.

Engineering services are not cheap.  Don’t expect a fifteen thousand job to be low balled down to ten thousand anytime soon.  The ideal firm for you will be willing to work what you need done into an appropriate budget.  A reasonable figure can be found and there are plenty of companies available to provide the services needed.  When comparing costs it is best to determine what the cost of each individual piece of work is and compare that instead of the overall job.  This way the cost comparison is based more honestly on exactly what services will be provided.

What happens in engineering services is that a firm will have a lower offer to get the job and will then throw in the extras that were not considered to be a part of the original proposal.   That is why it is of the utmost importance to read every document thoroughly before deciding on a company.  This will also help you see exactly what you are getting for your money.  The fine print needs to be examined and anything that is unclear needs to be reviewed with the firm.

A good engineering firm will be able to stick by their estimate.  This is a key element in hiring a firm.  Look into references and ask them about sticking to the original estimate.  If the original estimate was way below the actual costs that firm might not be a proven winner.  It is important that take into consideration the cost of raw materials, transportation, costs with operating and other details that could cause the price of the project to increase before the bid has been established and agreed upon.

The internet is a great source to find information relevant to hiring any type of firm. Use it to your advantage when looking into an engineering firm.  It will lead you to places that will help in finding the right people to work with you.  References are wonderful and will lead you deeper into the quality of the firm you are hiring for.

Hiring An Engineering Firm For Any Project

Hiring the right person or company to assist with any project no matter how big or small is always tough.  Companies spend thousands of dollars marketing themselves to individuals.  Flashy advertising and quirky websites are nice but how do you get to the heart of the firm or individual to make sure you are hiring the right individual for your needs.  This is true in every profession whether you are looking for a financial representative, a plumber, an accountant, builder and even an engineering firm.

For a project to reach its max success level the team implementing the plan must be skilled.  This is why you will want to take time in hiring any and all consultants and contractors to be working on the job.  Just because the head chef has a wonderful plan doesn’t mean dinner will be a success.  You need people in place that are qualifies to implement the plan.  The same is true for all projects and engineers are the ones we turn to when planning and implementing various projects from building bridges to distributing hot and cold water.  Finding a firm that will meet projects needs is where most business projects begin.

The first step in finding the right engineering firm for your company is finding a firm that specializes in the engineering discipline that your project requires.  It won’t take you long to realize that when building a tunnel an electrical engineer is not what you need.  Figuring out the type of engineers you need assisting with your project will be the first task in narrowing down the search for an engineering firm to work with.

The next goal is to look at the firms you have narrowed down and locate options that have previously established the proficiencies you are looking for in previous projects they have completed.  You should look into the experience of the firm, their certifications and qualifications.  It is also important that you thoroughly examine projects that have been completed by the firm that resembles your needs.

It is also important to speak with previous clients that the engineering firms have worked with.  Ask about issues, pleasant and unpleasant and how they were resolved.  This step should be done when you are fairly sure you have narrowed your choices down to three or fewer firms.

It is important to know exactly what you are getting and paying for when you hire an engineering firm. Not all engineering services are included in proposals so be sure to really examine that you are getting exactly what you need and are only paying for what you need also.  Different firms charge differently.  Some are based strictly on a project fee basis.  This means you pay a straight fee and that is it no matter what time frame the project takes while others wish for a retainer to be paid up front followed by an hourly fee.  If you are working on an hourly basis it is important to determine a fixed budget for the firm to stay within.

After you have taken these steps it is time to request a bid from the firms you have established fit your needs.  In the proposal you should provide an explanation if exactly what you are trying to achieve.  You must outline what your timeline is, the amount you are willing to spend, and requirements that get into your technical needs.  When an outsider reads your proposal should leave know rock unturned.  This will help you stay on budget and ensure that your project runs smooth from the start.

Are You An Engineer?

The rate of employment for engineers is gaining speed rapidly as growth continues throughout our society.  How do you know that engineering services is the field for you?  Obviously growth is an important factor.  You want to ensure the numbers are in your favor when looking for a position but also that the career is compatible to your wants and desires.  Are you technical?  Are math and science the two areas of greatest interest to you and do you like solving problems?  If so then you are most likely looking into the right field of study.

Engineers are found throughout many different fields.  The highest growth is found within civil engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer engineering.  It is important that you look into the different fields there are to choose from and wrap your studies around the engineering field that most interests you.

As an engineer you are in charge of one of two areas; either planning and developing or testing, constructing and preserving.  You might look at the influence of a product has on the environment in which it is being used. It could be that a new material will improve the process and your job is to find the product and implement it into a new design.  It may be that you are developing a way in which to use or gain access to raw materials.  Many people in supervisory roles within factories have engineering degrees.  Their jobs are to determine why things happen, maintain standards and give a time frame time and budget estimates.  Engineers are in charge of many different areas within a project.

What does it take from your education to land a job in engineering?  First you should know that even to land an entry level position you will need to obtain a bachelor’s degree from a university.  In choosing a major make sure that is a field of engineering that interests you.  It might not be the one you end up with your dream job in but having the right qualifications can help in a similar area of engineering.

Most often engineers will hold a great deal of certifications and licenses.  It is important in engineering services to have the certification PE which stands for professional engineer.  In order to be an accredited engineer you must have graduated from a university program that has accreditation from the ABET, experience in the engineering field for four or more years, and have taken and completed with success an exam offered through your state.  Each state will have slightly different requirements so it is important to research before you attempt to apply for any license or certification.

In an entry level position you will be gaining hands on experience and familiarity of the position.  As you gain knowledge and trust you will be working alone more often designing, developing and solving issues.  As you move further up the ladder with an engineering firm you may become a specialist that offers technical advice or a supervisor that leads a team of engineers or technical advisors.  Engineers are in demand and with the right skill set, college education and entry level position you will be on top of your career ambitions in no time at all.

Engineering Services: Creating A Viable Society

Civil engineering services make the world perform as we know it to. Without their engineering services we would be a civilization without organized transportation; can you imagine a world without roads, bridges and train tracks? Not only do they lay out the routes we need to follow but they develop the systems that bring us water and take away the sewage.  Civil engineers are essentially the magnets that pull our society together in the convenient and organized fashion we know it as.

How do you know if this is a field of study that interests you?  When you are interested in math, science and technology then I would suggest you further look into the field of engineering.  Civil engineering is not for everyone.  You must not only handle the aspect of engineering, the design and the appearance of projects but also have the ability to work with people to share their vision.  That is really something that takes talent.  Mixing personality with your career as an engineer will for sure help you grow within the engineering services field.

Advances in our society are due to the work of civil engineers.  The house we live in had an engineer’s hands involved.  Civil engineers help with the plan and sketches of the initial phases of most homes and buildings.  They also map, design, assemble and preserve the roads, bridges, airports and all the conveniences society enjoys in the way of transportation of our vehicle, waterways and skies.

When you are in school looking for a field of study and a career that will hold your interest look into engineering services.  It is not like a career in accounting where every day you know you are going to work to crunch numbers.  Engineering offers several different career options civil engineering is just one choice.

Civil engineers have the type of job that keeps them constantly switching activities.  You must have a very flexible attitude and role with the punches to be involved in civil engineering.  You will learn about all the phases of involved in civil engineering. Unlike most careers in the engineering services industry civil engineers work on all stages of their projects such as the planning, designing, creating, operating and maintaining the structures and building involved.

Civil engineering will always be a career in demand.  You can ensure a career if you pick a focus within the engineering field.  Unlike many fields civil engineering jobs stay in demand due to ever changing technologies and societies need to keep up.  We are always looking for better and faster ways to fill our needs.  Can you imagine as a society growing in population if our modes of transporting ourselves, our waterways and all other modern conveniences stopped growing to match? What a mess we would be in.

Land Surveyors: What Is In A Career?

How does the land around us become developed?  Who are the people that help plan how the land is shifted to create subdivisions, roads and business complexes?  Those people are land surveyors.  They are responsible for working with engineers, architects and builders to map out in detail the land surfaces.  Maps and surveys come from land surveyor’s detailed work in defining boundaries based on the Earths physical features and as they change it is up to the land surveyor to adjust their work.

The history of a profession is always something of great interest to me.  Did you know that three of the Mount Rushmore presidents started their careers in the field as surveyors?  That must say something about what the field of surveying teaches a person.  You must be detailed, math and technologically orientated and enjoy the outside.

The westward settlement of our great nation was due to the surveying and exploration that was documented and given to President Jefferson by Lewis and Clark.  The Louisiana Purchase came about because of the detailed documentation through reports, maps and data collection, otherwise land surveying that early explorers completed.  This is also how the creation of our first railway system came about.  Can you imagine building a railway through undefined territory?  It would be like a blind poker match where you are just hoping the land features play in to your design.  With land surveyors you don’t have to worry about luck.

Not only do land surveyors work in the field to take measurements of the land they also can work in offices drawing up maps, interpreting data and offering professional unbiased opinions about land boundaries. When in the field surveyors surround themselves with technology such as GPS systems, three d scanners and digital media to help define the land in terms that can then be put in to document form for real estate, builders and all types of clients who will use their expertise. Gauging and plotting the Earth and its surface through current technology and software is the main objective for land surveyors.

What are the benefits of a career within this field?  First in an economy that people are scavenging for reliable jobs careers in land surveying are thriving.    Not only are they needed in the public and private sectors of life but our government also hold these positions in top regards.  The advantages for individuals working as a professional land surveyor range from the credit that you receive to the fact you are working with updated technology, in a career that pays well and is never the same.  You also get the advantages of working in environments that are every changing.  It is an exciting career that has multiple benefits for those who pursue it.

Engineering Services: Plotting a Career Path

In determining a career often young people think very general.  My daughter often says she wants to be a teacher but never thinks into what field she would further her education in.  The same goes with doctors, lawyers, engineers and technology.  When thinking about careers we need to encourage our teenagers to start thinking about exactly what areas of life interest them.  If they think engineering is where there interests lay then they should dig deeper to decide the field of engineering that interests them before starting their college programs.  If they really love being outdoors a career as an environmental engineer would play better into their interests then biomedical engineering.

We will take a look into some of the engineering services field below.  Generalizing the field of engineering into subcategories will often help to spark interest in on field over another for teens preparing to further their education.

  • Telecommunications Engineering:  This type of engineering specializes in systems such as; phones, computers, fiber optics and automatic tellers.  They are specialist in the field of communication whether it is between a car and a bank teller or businesses working with each other from opposite sides of the world.
  • Electronic Engineering: This type of engineering services offers a chance to work with systems that are designed for the capture, storage, analysis and transmission of information. They do this by designing a mechanism that makes use of electrical energy that is able to operate and control portions of everyday life.
  • Aerospace Engineering: This type of engineering would be perfect for someone who is interested in the space and technology field.  They design, create and control aircraft, space transportation and momentum systems.  These engineering services are used by airlines, civil aviation and governments.
  • Environmental Engineering: This type of engineering is perfect for a person interested in working with issues that affect the world we live in environmentally.  They study, asses and correct issues impacting the environment.  This includes air, water and soil and the conservation and use of natural resources.
  • Material Engineering: This type of engineering services involves the manufacturing, structuring and handling of different substances be it metal or not.  This field is very diverse in terms of working conditions.  You could find yourself in a foundry, steel/aluminum, plant or even research companies that use different alloys.
  • Biomedical Engineering: This type of engineering is for all those who want to work within the hospital industry but are not interested in the patient care side of the field.  These people have a diverse job.  They can be fixing machinery such as CAT scanners, pacemakers to assisting surgery teams with artificial limbs.  They help to improve the quality of life of individuals.
  • Civil Engineering: This type of engineering services is dealing with the everyday structures we use in the convenience of our everyday lives.  Bridges, overpasses, roads, railways and water systems are all possibly areas that civil engineers will work in.

Engineering is just one field where the breakdowns in study are vast and varied.  Each time my daughter discusses her plans for college and pursuing a degree in the field of education we discuss the many aspects of this field of study.  She needs to think about what age group she would be interested in and what subjects she would want to specialize in.  Choosing a career is a difficult think to think about when you are just finding yourself out of high school.  It is important that we guide our children as much as possible in making choices that will help their better good in the long term.