Land Auctions

Highway surveying is a specialized type of land surveying generally conducted for government agencies. A highway surveys are conducted during the initial highway planning stages. During the construction project, a highway construction survey can ensure that the process is going as it should and that the highway is located precisely where it should be. After the highway is built, a highway survey can be used to provide an accurate layout of roadways, utilities, storm drainage systems, overhead wires, nearby buildings, and other features of the landscape.

A construction surveyor is often involved in the placement process. This requires a survey of the existing terrain to find the easiest route. Highway construction surveys are particularly concerned with areas where dirt must be moved, noting to what level and grade. Often the goal of this survey is to determine the appropriate route where the least amount of land will need to be moved. An engineer can use the survey data to determine where the dirt should be moved to reduce the total amount of dirt relocation. Moving the route of the highway just a few feet can sometimes radically alter the amount of cut (dirt dug up) and fill (dirt laid down), thereby reducing the cost of the construction.

Not only do surveyors determine how the land must be prepared before the highway can be constructed, but they also assist engineers in the mapping of optimal routes. This includes not only grading (slopes) but also curves and the creation of tunnels or other features along the highway route. It is necessary to understand the geographic restrictions and the layout of the area before attempting to determine the best route. Because of the natural landscape, as well as existing buildings and other features, few highways are able to run perfectly straight along their entire length. One of a surveyor’s many jobs during highway construction is to aid in the mapping of this route.

Once the dirt has been graded and leveled, a surveyor will again survey the area to ensure that the land has been correctly prepared according to the plans. Then, construction begins. Before the advent of GPS technology, this involved the use of surveying stakes to mark the road edges. Today, GPS has eliminated this process, making it much easier to ensure that the road is aligned with the plans.

Once the road is built, surveys are be required for a wide variety of reasons, including road repair or maintenance. Surveys are undertaken after accidents too, to aid in police investigations. Surveyors accurately measure the position of vehicles and skidmarks on the road and relay this information to the authorities. Vehicle speeds can be calculated from vehicle positions and length of skidmarks and will help assess blame.

The process of taking measurements to perform a survey once required closing of the entire road so that the surveying team could set up equipment on the road’s surface. Today, specialized laser equipment allows this to be done from the roadside, usually eliminating the need for lane closures for surveying. The highly accurate data delivered by these systems allows for the creation of detailed 3D models showing not only the surface of the roadway down to the millimeter but also barriers, overhead wires, and other features.