Civil Engineering

• Municipal Infrastructure Design
• Land Development Services
• Construction Management & Observation
• Road Design & Traffic Analysis
• Water Supply, Distribution & Treatment
• Wastewater Collection & Treatment
• Storm Water Drainage & Flood Control
• Site Grading
• Revegetation & Erosion Control
• Land Use Constraint Mapping
• Dams & Reservoirs
• Groundwater
• Irrigation Systems
• Solid Waste & Environmental Services

Surveying

• Aerial Mapping Control
• ALTA/ASCM Survey
• As-Built Survey
• Construction Surveying
• Easement & Right-of-Way Survey
• Improvement Location Certificate
• Mining Survey
• Monument Establishment, Restoration & Rehabilitation
• Property Boundary Survey
• Property Improvement Survey
• Subdivision Surveying
• Topographic Survey

What Is A Topographic Survey:

A topographic survey, also known as a land survey or a ground survey, shows the shape of the land. It uses contour lines, a line that represents a specific elevation measured from Mean Sea Level, to display the three dimensional features of the property onto a two dimensional surface. A topographic survey includes both natural and man-made features. It's common to show hills, streams, lakes, and vegetation along with major buildings, fences, roads, transmission lines, and property boundaries on a topographic survey. The difference between a topographic survey and it's cousin, the topographic map, is that a survey shows more detail for a smaller area than a map. A topographic survey is used for a variety of uses including planning and zoning, site layout, engineering and architectural design, and construction.

More Information:

• The U.S. Geological Survey, responsible for providing the nation with topographic maps, provides a wonderful website concerning these maps.
• Surveyors use a benchmark with a known elevation in establishing the contour lines of a topographic survey. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has a nice article describing benchmarks and their uses