Past to Present: The Importance of Surveying

Methods used by the Egyptians influenced early Grecian surveyors, who were referred to as rope stretchers because they used knotted ropes to take measurements.

It was the Greek geographer, mathematician and astronomer Hipparchus who invented the astrolabe, a tool used to measure geographical latitudes and time by observing the stars.

Other notable surveyors in early American history include:

• • Benjamin Banneker, a freed slave who was hired by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Ellicott worked as one of the first survey crews in Washington, D.C.
  • Explorer and pioneer Daniel Boone, who is famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, was a land surveyor.
  • Abraham Lincoln was named deputy surveyor of Sangamon County in Illinois before becoming the 16th president.

Common Land Survey Types

While there are a variety of types of land surveying, two of the most common are boundary surveys and topographic surveys.

Boundary surveying involves the correlation of legal records with field information to produce a map showing the property lines, land area, legal description and any conflicts that may affect the title. This includes right-of-way maps, legal descriptions, as-built drawings, which include accurate boundaries (improvement surveys), franchise or public utility easement descriptions, and platting.

Topographic surveying focuses on the mapping of natural and human-caused features for a specific area. It provides a detailed geographic representation of the earth’s surface. The purpose is to create a complete map that includes elevations, contours, roads, buildings, bodies of water and vegetation.

The topo-map assists engineers, architects and planners to better understand the terrain in their area of interest.

Boundary surveys define property lines and ownership information, while topographic surveys provide a detailed map of the physical features of the land.

Both types of surveys play a critical role in land management and development.

Latest Technology for the Job

Aerial drone technology provides a safe, quick and cost-effective way to obtain data.

One key to producing an accurate topographic survey is to pick the right technology for data collection.

Aerial photogrammetry and lidar or mobile lidar are the best data collection options for long linear routes. While conventional surveying is commonly used for shorter routes and supplementing obscured areas from aerial view, terrestrial lidar is excellent for safely capturing data along busy roadways, railroads, or under bridges and overpasses.

Bathymetry or hydrographic surveying is employed to measure the depths of bodies of water.

Data fusion (see example below) is the process of combining several different methods of data collection into one complete dataset for a seamless deliverable for your client.

The IH-10 mapping project provided layered data using a point cloud, which contains massive amounts of data points in three dimensions (X, Y and Z coordinates).

Professionals you can trust. Halff has been providing high-quality surveying services for more than 60 years with offices in Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas. We have 28 surveyors licensed in Texas (including an LSLS) with additional licensed professionals in 14 states and a certified photogrammetrist. Our 170-person survey team has the experience and technology to help you with all of your surveying needs.

For more information about our land surveying and geospatial services, please visit our Surveying and Geospatial service pages.