California Surveyors Forums

Well, as long as I am sharing my legacy works on subjects related to Land Surveying with this community now that I am retired, I thought I would share this document I originally wrote when I was a member of the LSTAC for BPELS - no G on Machine Guidance Systems (MGS).

I wrote this document when I volunteered for the assignment and the TAC chair (Mike Butcher) agreed. It was originally written as a basis for our Board to take to the Contractors Board for communication on the legally defined role of the Land Surveyor related to MGS for education purposes of the Contractors.

As always, everything that I have written (Caltrans Surveys Manual Chapters, classes, seminar presentations, etc.) are always open to revision as new information is brought to light or technologies change. This is true with my opinions on this subject.

BTW, this document was not used in any way by BPELS to my knowledge. It was, however, published in the "Oregon Surveyor" magazine but submitted and not accepted by the California Surveyor magazine.

Wow! This subject would have solicited many comments a few years ago. Is the subject dead now? The tools have become so easy that the contractors have no need for the surveyor’s expertise anymore? Or are all the surveyors fat and happy providing the control and building models for the contractors? Which one is it? Just wondering, Jp

I wrote this in the beginning of 2010. The issues are still pertinent today.