Ludlow Engineering and Land Survey

  Surveying or land surveying is the technique, art, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes.

To accomplish their objective, surveyors use elements of geometry, engineering, trigonometry, mathematics, physics, and law.

An alternative definition, per the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), is the science and art of making all essential measurements to determine the relative position of points and/or physical and cultural details above, on, or beneath the surface of the Earth, and to depict them in a usable form, or to establish the position of points and/or details.   (Wikipedia)

As a Land surveyor in the State of Utah, the above definition is an accurate description. In addition, the land Surveyor researches old documents and survey data from the times of the pioneers through the late 1800′s. The surveyor needs to locate points on the ground called Section corners, that were set back in these times for the control of a land boundary survey. This sometimes requires hours of research and planning. The old records will sometimes describe the location of the section corner by reference to other physical features such as the top of a ridge, a ledge, a stream, a road, or old trail. Some of these features still exist and are used to help locate the section corner, which may be a stone, a post, mound, or other type of marker as described in the old record.

 The old methods of surveying were not entirely accurate. Sometimes the bearings and distances are considerably different on the ground from corner to corner than was stated in the old record. The law states the corner shall forever remain in the original position it was placed for the corner it was intended to represent, regardless of the error to record.

 Land Surveying in Utah and in all other States can sometimes be a complicated process. That is one reason why we need the talents and skills of the Professional Land Surveyors.

                                                                              Daryl N Penrod PLS, Utah

A lot of people ask about land surveys.  Here is a description of what they are, compliments of Wikipedia.  Please enjoy!

Surveying or land surveying is the technique and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes.

To accomplish their objective, surveyors use elements of geometry, engineering, trigonometry, mathematics, physics, and law .

An alternative definition, per the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), is the science and art of making all essential measurements to determine the relative position of points and/or physical and cultural details above, on, or beneath the surface of the Earth, and to depict them in a usable form, or to establish the position of points and/or details.

Furthermore, as alluded to above, a particular type of surveying known as “land surveying” (also per ACSM) is the detailed study or inspection, as by gathering information through observations, measurements in the field, questionnaires, or research of legal instruments, and data analysis in the support of planning, designing, and establishing of property boundaries. It involves the re-establishment of cadastral surveys and land boundaries based on documents of record and historical evidence, as well as certifying surveys (as required by statute or local ordinance) of subdivision plats/maps, registered land surveys, judicial surveys, and space delineation. Land surveying can include associated services such as mapping and related data accumulation, construction layout surveys, precision measurements of length, angle, elevation, area, and volume, as well as horizontal and vertical control surveys, and the analysis and utilization of land survey data.

Surveying has been an essential element in the development of the human environment since the beginning of recorded history (about 5,000 years ago). It is required 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.

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Utah Land Surveying

Types of Land Surveys

Land surveyors are involved in the task of measuring the boundaries of the land, making maps, creations of legal description about the land they even plan for the development of the land. This article deals with the different types of the land surveys present in the market that can help you determining the boundaries of your land.

Boundary survey

The survey which reveals the corners of the property and the property lines of a piece of a land is referred to as a boundary survey. They are usually undertaken to obtain the building permits, to settle the disputes related to the property and for the purpose of erecting the fences. This survey is considered to be the basic survey to be undertaken in the initial stages of the property.

Cadastral survey

Cadastral survey is the name referred for the original survey, resurvey of the lands belonging to the public under the Public land survey system for the purpose of the re-establishment of the property lines.

Construction Survey

The survey which is being undertaken at the time of the construction in order to have control over the elevation, the dimensions of the place are referred to as construction survey. In short this kind of survey is undertaken during the construction of the land.

Control Survey

Control survey facilitates information on the horizontal and the vertical points that determine the boundaries of the place. Further the output facilitated by this survey helps in the aerial view of the photographs.

Court Exhibit or Judicial Survey

This survey is useful in court room for the purpose of registration. This survey involves the analysis of the various legal descriptions and maps; it also involves the cross checking of the different fields located in the description and the actual, the monuments and the physical aspects of the place and all this information has to be presented in a visual exhibit so that it could be used in the court room with ease. This survey is referred with different names in different areas like in some areas it is referred as Torrens or judicial land marks (JLM’s) or Judicial Monument (JM’s) or Judicial Marker.

Elevation or Floodplain Survey

This survey is conducted to estimate the altitude of the various sections of the building or the land. The results derived from this survey are often used in building plans and it also helps in determining whether the property is in flood zone or not.

Geodetic Survey

This survey takes in consideration the curvature of the earth and other astronomic observations for the determination of the boundaries.

Hydrographic and Underwater Surveys

These surveys collect data on the water bodies, they provide details regarding depth of water, the contours, the direction and the velocity of the current, the place where the immovable objects are located in the under waters.

Lot split survey

These surveys are needed when a piece of land has to be divided in two or three pieces.

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