Just Another Day On The Job

Working on a mountainside near Farmington, CT, our Hodge survey crew gets a nice view of the valley. In the foreground is our backsight prism, which we use as a point of reference for our total station. Just beyond it is an old stone chimney and the remains of a foundation for a home that has long since decayed. A goose had been nesting on the top of the chimney until moments before the photo was taken.

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Project Spotlight: #1040 State St., New Haven

If you have ever lived near or driven by 1040 State Street, you are sure to have recognized the old Star Supply building. For years, this site has been the subject of multiple discussions about urban development projects.

However, a project is now fully underway to turn the blighted industrial site into modern housing apartments, rendering all but the iconic entrance to the building unrecognizable. Continue reading “Project Spotlight: #1040 State St., New Haven”

Surveying An Entire City: The Case of Detroit

Detroit once bustled with business and manufacturing, but unlike many other cities of similar size, has seen population decline since the 1950s. As people left, and city blocks were abandoned, it became increasingly difficult to keep track of the over 400,000 parcels of land within its limits, especially with an antiquated computer system. It is estimated that there are some 80,000 or more abandoned buildings.

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Surveyors, Drones, and the FAA: Bringing Law and Order to the Sky

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Sometimes, technology develops faster than regulatory agencies can regulate, and with drones, this has certainly been the case. For years now, law regarding the use of drones has been unclear and rarely enforced. For some surveyors, this lax regulation has allowed the latest surveying technology to thrive; surveying by drone.

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What Should Come First: the Survey or the House?

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In a story showcased by the January 2015 edition of the CALS Newsletter (Connecticut Association of Land Surveyors), one couple learned the hard way why it can be important to have a property surveyed before closing the deal on a house.

They had just closed on their dream house with the intention of building a swimming pool in the backyard. Plans were submitted, and the city promptly denied their application to build. Why?

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Printing the President’s Face: 3D Scanning

describe the imageThis week (December 2014), using some of the most advanced camera and laser scanning technologies, “[a] bust of President Obama was created by a Smithsonian-led team of 3D-digital-imaging specialists, Autodesk and 3D Systems, in collaboration with the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies” (whitehouse.gov).

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