So, you’ve invested in some GPS machine control technology. You’ve weighed the option of training or hiring an in-house person versus hiring an external service provider to handle the data prep. Based on your research, you’ve decided to partner with an external company that specializes in data prep and want to know what the next steps are.

A question we are frequently asked by our clients and prospective clients is “What is the turnaround time for this project?”. Generally speaking, we typically run on average with a two-week turnaround time but situations sometimes impact that timeline which means it could take longer. Let’s go over some problems that impact the speed of model building.

The increased use of GPS systems for construction projects has led to contractors often asking themselves or service providers like us, “What does a 3d road model cost?”. Typically, you’ll hear the standard reply of “it depends” which it does. However, we’re going to explain why it depends and what each type might generally cost.

There are tons of specialties that one can build off of within construction. Not everyone has to be a carpenter or a heavy equipment operator. However, if you do start in one of those jobs, your chances to further build out your skills are plentiful.

Continuing our support for Careers in Construction month by giving you information about two exciting professions: civil engineering, and landscape architecture. Some might think they’re very similar, however, they differ quite a bit.

In tribute to October’s Careers in Construction month, we’re sharing what it’s like to pursue a career as a Virtual Construction Engineer (VCE). It’s not necessarily a widely known term, so we’re glad to share our knowledge as well as some insights from our very own VCEs.

When was the last time you were on a job site where you didn't see large rolls of fabric lying around somewhere? You'd probably have to go way back in your memory bank to find one. These penetrable fabrics, called geotextiles, are an essential part of most construction projects today. When used in construction projects, they have numerous advantages.

Dozers are arguably the coolest piece of heavy equipment out there; however, we can make a strong case for the road grader. Long gone are the days of graders being pulled by horses and tractors! The power and versatility of a modern-day road grader are two of the top reasons we consider it to compete with the dozer for being badass.

We love watching stuff blow up – what a rush! Blasting in construction is an efficient way of getting a job site prepped. Using controlled explosives in the excavation has been a popular method for breaking rock for over a hundred years. The size of the rock you’re demolishing will dictate the velocity of the explosives. The harder the rock type, the higher the velocity.

There is so much for a PM to consider when managing a construction project. Establishing and maintaining effective monitoring and control protocols improves project success. With so many moving parts and the potential for changes arising at any point, how can you best monitor and control your job site?

Breaklines are essential for creating a precise 3D surface model. Breaklines connect data representing specific features on a surface, such as the centerline of a road, a ridgeline, or a ditch's flowline. Whether to use spot elevations or contour lines to determine your breaklines is not always clear. Here, we help shed some light on the differences between contour lines and spot elevations and provide guidance on when to use which one.

For GPS to work successfully and efficiently in earthwork, there must be accurate 3D models loaded into the dozer or other heavy machinery. GPS has become more of the industry standard, and we expect there will not be many site contractors running projects without GPS on their equipment. The benefits are far too great not to make the switch.

Land surveyors have been using GPS receivers at a known position, called base stations, for a long time, and that method continues to be effective and used a lot. However, there's also the option of using a virtual reference station (VRS) instead of a base station. A VRS is a technique for network RTK for GPS systems. How do you choose between a base station and a VRS? Well, there are pluses and minuses with each system, so it depends.

The American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is one of the most important considerations that must be factored into all construction projects, whether new construction or renovation. Numerous ADA guidelines must be followed when constructing, for example, sidewalks, ramps, parking spaces, or buildings. Not following them will result in hefty fines, which can reach as high as $150,000 depending on the number of violations.

We genuinely value our client partnerships and want to share some of our experiences with you whenever possible through a Client Spotlight. In particular, we are working with a contractor out of Western Virginia, S&K Contracting Inc., that approached us recently about a subdivision project. Their enthusiasm for their work is contagious, and for that reason, we have decided to shine a light on them.

Rovers and base stations have been around and used in our industry for a long time. When paired with the GPS Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) operation, it gives you impeccable accuracy down to the centimeter. Choosing the best location for set up on the job site is the most crucial first step towards obtaining the best data possible.

The 90s were a great decade for many reasons including a lot of technological inventions like Adobe Photoshop, Linux, text messages, Nintendo, Google, and more. Among the myriad of discoveries was also the Virtual Reference Station which came to be in 1997. A Virtual Reference Station (VRS) is a technique for network real-time kinematic (RTK) for GPS systems. Before VRS, surveyors used the base station method.

Moving dirt, it's what we do and what we love to do! It is super important to have a firm understanding of how soil shrinks and swells. When soil is moved from one location to another, its volume changes, and this is known as either shrink or swell.

Have you ever stopped and given control points a second thought? Probably not. However, we felt obligated to dedicate a blog to the importance of control points because without them, quite frankly, there would be nothing more to the job site. So, let's dig into the 4 Ws of Control Points and give them the attention they deserve!