Sustainable Land Development Today - October 2007 - (Page 26)

LAND SURVEYING Added Benefits Ironically, a good part of the reason for JAM’s extended use of the 3DXi was the result of its success. According to Maloney, the ease with which they were able to make accurate cuts kept things moving along so well that additional onsite work — add-ons, he calls them — presented themselves. “There’s no doubt that the accuracy of the GPS shaved time off this project — in our case, I’d say we saved weeks. In this business, both time and money can be lost through over-excavating and on a site comparable to what we were doing at Shadow Lake, just over digging by one inch can result in unnecessarily moving 5,000 yards of material. Given that our expenses out there were about $12,500 a day, it’s easy to see how that can all add up. Using conventional methods, it is possible to waste $50,000 to $60,000 in a hole that size. Because excavation is no longer guess work, that risk has been eliminated with the GPS system.” Jon Maloney (left), Project Superintendent for JAM Grading, Trucking & Demolition, and John Bunger of DK&B Construction Specialties, utilized GPS technology on the Omaha, Nebraska development project. The add-ons JAM “earned” included a number of onsite projects such as digging of new retention ponds and stripping of ditches that had silted over. The work didn’t stop there says Maloney. “Toward the latter part of the lake excavation, while it was being evaluated by engineers, we did an emergency dig to help out a utility crew on a nearby street. Time was of the essence and, again, we really benefited from having the GPS system in place. It told us precisely when we were at the required depth to allow the utility crew to get in and do their work. Any time you can pick up an additional project or two and keep people and equipment working, it’s a plus for everyone.” Making the Cut PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT IN TREES & SCHRUBS! The ingenious ROOTWELL system was designed to direct air water and nutrients directly to the root system to propagate healthier, stronger root growth. BEFORE AFTER Low Cost Permanent Solution • Effective in All Soils – All Regions • Contractor Pricing AvailableScientifically Proven Effective • Architect Specifications on Website PATENTED PRODUCTS INDUSTRY AWARD WINNING “Most Innovative Product” Check out our website or call us for complete details! Maloney says they had initially planned on wrapping up their portion of the development in the spring but, because of the pace they kept, the majority of the work has now been completed. “While we are very pleased with the time savings alone, I feel it’s important to note that the use of GPS not only speeds up the process, it improves the quality and efficiency of the work we do. It gives the engineers exactly what they want every time. We had an area on site leading from the lakebed up to the home sites that was extremely challenging. It was a step-like feature that went from the lake, up to a flat safety berm, up to a trail, then to another flat spot, then up to the back of the lots, then up to another flat spot, and finally up to the top of the walkout where the houses actually sit.” Despite it being a very complex situation, he says the 3DXi allowed the operator to make the cuts needed for each level without setting any stakes at all. With those cuts in place, JAM’s dozers and scrapers followed with all the flatwork. “There were so many times throughout the course of the job that the GPS helped us out, but this was a facet of the project which really proved that our decision to add the Topcon system was the right one,” he concluded. “It’s been a nice addition to our business.” SLDT About the author: Larry Trojak is a freelance writer with Trojak Communications. Photos on pages 23 and 24 courtesy of Topcon. Website: www.rootwell.com Toll-Free: 888.766.8935 Circle 196 • or www.SLDTonline.com/adinfo 26 October 2007 Sustainable Land Development Today http://www.rootwell.com http://www.rootwell.com http://www.SLDTonline.com/adinfo

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - October 2007

Sustainable Land Development Today - October 2007 Contents Our Voice Your Voice Editorial Board Mapping the Development Process Looking at a New Dimension The Environmental Liability Continuum GPS System Makes the Grade Regulations: Reactions Mixed Trends: Communications Easements Business Management: Recycling Sustainable Practices: LEED-ND Energy: Community Propane Systems Transportation: Mountain Solutions Recommended Reading Calendar Products/Services Showcase Classifieds Advertiser Index The Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - October 2007

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