Sustainable Land Development Today - May 2008 - (Page 42)

SURVEYING The standards of precision imposed upon the land surveyor are another source for conflict. These generally held standards are really not that rigorous. The courts have generally held that the land surveyor in surveying a rural acreage tract must “close” by one part in five thousand. (Expressed as 1:5000) This means that for every 5,000 feet of surveying, one foot of error is allowed. This is really rather a relaxed standard. It is however, the standard prescribed by law in some states for residential plats! By way of example, let’s say that two surveyors survey a 40-acre parcel. That should be about a mile around the perimeter. The surveyor staking that parcel is only required to be within one foot of the starting point after surveying around the entire parcel. That one foot may be a series of small incremental errors or it may be in one spot, or it may even be a series of compensating errors, but as long as the standard is met, the prescribed standard of care has been satisfied. This means that at any one corner of the property, the two surveyors’ stakes could be as much as two feet apart, and each would have met the standard. (One foot of error for each surveyor totals two feet of difference.) This standard, although it is generally observed as being adequate, is in practice usually exceeded by competent and responsible surveyors. Most land surveyors would expect a closing error of less than 1/2 foot in a 40acre tract. Even so, this could lead to a one-foot difference in positioning of each corner, even though both surveyors have performed their work responsibly and professionally. Generally, higher standards of accuracy are required for surveying in high density urban areas than in rural areas. This is as it should be, because the parcels are normally smaller, and of higher unit value, and should be located with more precision. There are a number of reasons why measurements can’t be made with absolute certainty. Measuring equipment can be developed that measure with high precision, but even the best measurements will not be perfectly accurate. Up until recent years, the surveyor used the standard transit and steel chain. This equipment has largely been replaced by electronic measuring equipment. Whatever the equipment, the surveyor is at the mercy of the manufacturer with regard to the quality of the gear he is using. One of the most frustrating aspects of the land surveying business is the frequent lack of research data available. The land surveyor must often trace the history of a particular parcel of property back to when it was patented. (Passed into private ownership from the government.) In doing so, many of the old records are unavailable or nonexistent. This is particularly true of surveying data. Old surveys often disclose some methodology or intent on the part of the conveying parties, and if this information is incomplete or lacking, the surveyor is working with a handicap from the outset. Only in recent years have states begun to require that property surveys be recorded with a public agency so that there is a continuum of information. Field conditions are another reason why surveying is not totally exact. Land surveyors are generally regarded as a hardy breed, and rightfully so, for they must try to accomplish very precise work under some very unfavorable conditions. Those very conditions alter the calibration of the gear as well. Surveying a flat open field on a pleasant day with no wind or rain is certainly more likely to produce an accurate representation of the property than surveying an alligator infested swamp in a hurricane. The results are rather predictable. To produce the same accuracy under poor conditions requires more time and expense. Surveying the Alaskan pipeline at 60 degrees below zero was a tedious task at best. Not only does the weather affect the surveyor, but the terrain and ground cover come into play. It is much easier to make a precise survey on even ground than on broken ground. The more rugged the terrain, the more difficult it is to perform a survey with suitable precision. Likewise, it is a much more palatable task to survey a field of daisies than it is to brush through a snake infested grove of devil’s club, each plant concealing a bee’s nest. Once again the precision of the results is directly proportional to the challenge of the conditions. One other factor is important to recognize. There are people involved in land surveying, as there are in many other businesses, and they are all subject to normal human failings. No matter how competent the surveyor, hired personnel have to provide certain information, and that information must be accurate for the survey to be correct. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to manage quality control in the surveying business, particularly with a large staff. The competent land surveyor usually sets up a system of random redundant checks, but even so, the idiosyncrasies of human nature can thwart the best intentions of the best surveyor. SLDT About the author: Dan Beardslee, P.L.S. is a practicing land surveyor in Washington State, licensed as a professional since 1975. He has been surveying for 35 years. He is the President of Beardslee Land Surveying Services. Dan has authored many articles and has authored books about land surveying, including “A Business Management Handbook for Land Surveyors” and “Land Surveying for the Landowner and Real Estate Professional.” 42 May 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - May 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - May 2008 Contents Our Voice Editorial Board SLDT Resources Addressing a Crisis with Wastewater Recycling Visionary Award Finalists The Jonquil City - How a City Revitalized its Downtown Industry Spotlight: Enviroquip Solar Power System Design and Installation Stormwater: The Return of the Cistern Site Amenity: Fiber Optics Surveying and Mapping Wastewater: Low-Pressure System Special Feature: The Urban Canopy as Infrastructure Industry News Advertiser Index Products/Services Showcase Classifieds The Last Word: Nature Bats Last…

Sustainable Land Development Today - May 2008

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