The Role of Survey Engineering - Essay Example

Introduction Surveying is the technique and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional space position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually, but not exclusively, associated with positions on the surface of the Earth, and are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes. In order to accomplish their objective, surveyors use elements of geometry (Greek: measuring the Earth), engineering, trigonometry, mathematics, physics, and law. Surveying has been an essential element in the development of the human environment since the beginning of recorded history (ca. 5000 years ago) and it is a requirement in the planning and execution of nearly every form of construction. Its most familiar modern uses are in the fields of transport, building and construction, communications, mapping, and the definition of legal boundaries for land ownership. Surveying as a career The basic principles of surveying have changed little over the ages, but the tools used by surveyors have evolved tremendously. Engineering, especially civil engineering, depends heavily on surveyors. Whenever there are roads, dams, retaining walls, bridges or residential areas to be built, surveyors are involved. They determine the boundaries of private property and the boundaries of various lines of political divisions. They also provide advice and data for geographical information systems (GIS), computer databases that contain data on land features and boundaries. Surveyors must have a thorough knowledge of algebra, basic calculus, geometry, and trigonometry. They must also know the laws that deal with surveys, property, and contracts. In addition, they must be able to use delicate instruments with accuracy and precision. On the subject of accuracy, a surveyor is typically held to an accuracy standard of twelve-one thousandths (.012) (12/1000) of an inch over a length of one hundred (100) feet. This means, for perspective purposes, that a professional land surveyor can be expected to complete a survey of a one hundered (100) foot circle and upon returning to the point of beginning not deviate from his or her course no more than the width of a human finger-nail. In most states of the U.S., surveying is recognized as a distinct profession apart from engineering. Licensing requirements vary by state, however these requirements generally all have a component of education, experience and examinations. In the past, experience gained through an apprenticeship, together with passing a series of state-administered examinations, was required to attain licensure. Nowadays, many states require a Bachelor of Science in Surveying, or a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with additional coursework in surveying, in addition to experience and examination requirements. Typically the process for registration follows two phases. First, upon graduation, the candidate may be eligible to sit for the Fundamentals of Land Surveying exam, to be certified upon passing and meeting all other requirements as a Surveyor In Training (SIT).. The Role of Survey Engineering in the Future Since the nation's well being in coming years will be more tied to global markets and developments than in the past, it is appropriate for the survey engineers to become more active at international and global levels as well. By playing a strong role in promoting, facilitating, and conducting international and global studies to develop critical science information, survey engineers lends support to national security as well as foreign policy and private sector interests as the following examples illustrate: The larger world population of the future will be concentrated in developing countries. Many of these people will be living in low-latitude coastal regions where urban and economic growth is most intense and where the incidence of severe natural disasters- earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and hurricanes-is more common. Moreover, the interconnectedness that is implicit in globalization means that natural hazards in almost any part of the world will increasingly have profound effects on the well being of the human race. Through precise observations and good understanding of the phenomena involved, Economic Prowess Expertise or advice to assist developing countries with environmental restoration efforts and waste disposal issues. The global transport network has diminished the friction of distance, but has not eliminated access issues. Globalization of the marketplace does mitigate access problems in times of geopolitical stability. A major national security issue in most countries is access to essential minerals and commercial energy that sustain the national economy. The United States Depends for example relies heavily on imported oil and minerals. In addition, more favorable mineral exploration and mining statutes, as well as better mineral prospects and lower operating and labor costs in foreign countries, have encouraged many mineral companies to increase operations abroad. In upcoming years, the geomatic engineers would serve the global interest as well as the aspirations of US companies in the global economy by releasing maps and information from foreign projects and encouraging foreign governments to release information on energy and mineral deposits. Better understanding of the environment It is probable that most countries will require more information in the future than Consumers seem compelled to access, visualize, and apply new products that are thought to improve the quality of life. Scientists are driven by intellectual curiosity and societal pressures to develop understandings of problems for the benefit of humanity. These needs, plus such technological miracles as microelectronics, computer software, and technical advances in satellites, sensors, and fiber-optic and wireless telecommunications, promoted the rapid evolution of new tools for human progress- information technologies. The new information technologies represent the merger of computer technology and communications technology in the 1960s. A major technologic innovation has been global positioning systems such as GPS, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), etc. The evolution of these new information technologies can be only dimly discerned, but the effect of technologies on human society has already been profound. These remarkable technologies have changed the way knowledge diffuses, making it easier for organizations to coordinate among widely separate units and enterprises. They have also fundamentally changed the way in which individuals live, work, and think about the world. A computer linked to networks of information is the key to the information technology revolution. Communication networks, such as the Internet, allow people to communicate almost instantaneously with others on the network. Communications linkages can include vicarious living through petabyte storage systems and highly sophisticated sensor and image presentation systems, to enable scientists to create and simulate models of earth physics, land cover dynamics, and habitation analysis systems to support environmental, demographic and socioeconomic decisions, as well as to provide spectacular public entertainment modes. Twenty years ago, mapping applications of GISs were simply digitized versions of traditional maps. The present phase of GIS development involves the use of aerial and terrestrial data to create real-time three-dimensional virtual models. The new three-dimensional information not only helps scientists to better understand environmental, physical, and social processes, but also helps professionals to solve practical problems quickly. Information Management Advances in spatial data technologies are also influencing how scientists communicate with students and the public; for example, geologists are using animation and simulation to illustrate the evolution of landscapes through geologic time. These new technologies provide new ways for the geomatic engineers to conduct research and reach its customers. The future holds exciting opportunities to use information machines to develop process models, build scenarios, and make projections about resources and complex earth and life systems. The widespread diffusion of the Internet and World Wide Web provides opportunities for geomatic engineers to reach a broader and more diverse customer base with information about earth system processes and resources in the future. However, new technologies and commercial capabilities present challenges to the survey engineers in terms of the scope of what the agency is able to do and what is appropriate for it to do. For example, the agency's topographic mapping role is being supplanted by private enterprise. Advances already under way in information technology, communications infrastructure, microelectronics, and related technologies will provide unprecedented opportunities for information discovery and management and new ways to conduct research. Following are two examples of how spatial information might be used by professionals in the early decades of the twenty-first century. Recent rains have caused a small landslide on a new earth fill. Embrace Efficiency. The rapidly advancing state of technology may result in substantial changes in the way the geomatic engineers will conduct its business in the future. The geomatics world should confront equity issues in providing information and services to the underserved population as well as in hiring its work backgrounds. Based on data provided to the committee by the survey engineers, as of September 2000, the geomatic world would have had to hire more professionals from Future Applications of Spatial Data Technologies. A geotechnical engineer working for the New Mexico Department of Transportation dons a headset as she leaves the site office. The headset provides an enhanced-reality system that combines glasses, earphones, and a tiny microphone, yet weighs little more than a pair of sunglasses. When the engineer reaches the site, she issues a simple voice command, and the microtopography of the earth fill slope is superimposed as a red wire-frame display on the landscape before her. Where there has been significant erosion, the designed surface appears like a net stretched above the ground. In areas where deposition has occurred, the original surface lies below the current one, so the planned surface is obscured. The engineer takes out a hand-held device and begins to point at the current surface in various places while clicking the pointing device. A green mesh appears as she quickly collects sufficient points to make the digitized data fit the current micro topography. Her new slope data appear simultaneously in the division office, allowing a colleague to undertake slope stability calculations. Using these results, the engineer is able to discuss with the earth fill contractor the steps necessary to repair the slope erosion damage and prevent a recurrence. Current world population is more than 6 billion and growing at a rate of 1.3 percent a year. This rate of growth is slower than the peak global growth rate from 1965 to 1970 of about 2.1 percent per year. However, the declining growth rate involves a larger population base, and according to one scenario, the world population is expected to increase and is to reach 8.9 billion in 2050 United Nations, (1999). Most of the additional people will reside in the developing world. Currently, urban populations are growing faster than the world population. Between 1970 and 1994, the level of world urbanization increased from 37 to 45 percent, and it is projected to reach 60 percent by 2025. Along with the transformation from a rural to predominantly urban world has come a swift increase in the number of large cities (United Nations, 1995). The rise in the number of megacities-that is, cities with a population of 8 million inhabitants or more-also is a striking feature of the last half-century. Develop Tools to support for information and services Many of the large cities of the world are near or along coastlines. In the United States, 8 of the 10 largest metropolitan areas are situated along the oceans or the Great Lakes. The development of coastal zones, which puts more people and property at risk from natural hazards, produces extensive land-cover changes and disturbs fragile marine environments. These and other human-induced environmental changes contribute to climate change, loss of biotic diversity, and the reduced functioning of ecosystems. The geomatic engineers have the capability and range of expertise to view much of the biosphere and to appreciate the extent of human alteration of the planet. "An informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the oceans, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions" It is the responsibility of the surveyor's work to realize its Vision, it must confront a set of growing challenges in an ever-changing world. As science and technology progress, so too will the effects of globalization and a growing world population on local economies, human welfare, and the environment. Geomatic engineers must be able to adapt its posture and develop the necessary tools to support society's changing needs for information and services over the coming decades The location information that will allow vessel arrival time including an increased demand for real-time informative, weather, and ocean mapping. The economic significance of longer-term climate predagriculture, manufacturing plant site location, and recurred substantially. e increased risks will require There will be better framodeling systems, as well as better data manage mallow geomatics engineers to advance model-based an assimilation) that will exploit the data acquired fro high resolution, holistic models that include information on land-based activities, estuaries, coasts, oceans, living.marine resources and the atmosphere. These holistic models will enable geomatics engineers to describe, understand, and predict the interactions of all part in conjunction with the sensors. Telecommunications will continue to improve in resolution, bandwidth content and availability. GPS, a critical telecommunications technology for support of sensor deployment, will achworks will have the capacity to link modeling and ecological information centers seamlessly and effortlessly with service providers and users. Pioneering Research. The natural systems governing our planet are more complex and interconnected than we can presently describe, and shifting political, economic, and social factors limit our ability to pinpoint the state of the planet 20 years hence. In this challenging context, geomatic engineers must maintain a commitment to pioneering research that will satisfy the evolving needs of resource managers, decision makers, and the American public in the years to come. On an international level, imagine that in 2025 the United States and Canada sign a landmark treaty covering use of fresh water stored in the Great Lakes. The focus of the treaty is to maintain ecosystem and environmental balance while tapping into the largest source of fresh water on the planet decrease in precipitation over the middle of North America, making the treaty all the more timely. By the end of the first quarter of the 21stcentury, the world will depend on geomatics detailed and reliable environmental information and predictions to make the best social and economic decisions. The fundamental, overarching reality of growth in worldwide population will create many of these new demands as economies, human welfare, and the environment are affected. Impacts from globalization and associated trends will likewise result in increasing demands on society. Population growth globally will increase the threat of severe weather impacts on human health, water rights, safety, and economic investments. The U.S. population for example will increase its expectations and reliance on weather forecasts, and more sophisticated land planning will create a greater need for geomatic engineer's data and analyses. Increasing international commerce will create a demand for more and larger ocean transport vessels and infrastructure improvements, such as larger and deeper channels. The larger vessels will operate more efficiently and safely by optimizing their routes using weather, wind, and current information. However, the larger and more numerous vessels will create congestion in ports with negative consequences on the economy and the environment as well as increased concerns for public safety. References: D.C.: Dougherty, Leo B. (1993). "Census Mapping in Developing Countries." ACSM Bulletin September/October. Douglas, David H. (1989). "Cadastral Mapping for Development in Central America and the Caribbean 1960-1980." Cartographica Autumn/Winter: Dowson, E., and V.L.O. Sheppard (1952). Land Registration. London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office (HMSO). Dunkerley, H. (1985). Land Information Systems for Developing Countries. The Managementof Natural Resources. Malaysia: 9. Foong Kwan (1986). "A Computer Assisted Land Surveying System (CALS) for the JohureState Survey Department." The Surveyor 21.1 Irsyam, M. (1988). Status Report on Remote Sensing Activities in Indonesia. Meeting of theDirectors of the National Remote Sensing Centers, United Nations Development Program.United Nations. Reid, R.J. (1979). The consequences of Urbanization in a Developing Country (Nigeria). University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. Ribeiro, C. (1984). Important Issues in Land Administration. International Workshop on LandTenure Administration. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil: Wellar, Barry (1993). "Designing a program to assist the "East-West sharing of GIS/LIS ideas, technologies and applications." Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. Read More