Article | Landpoint

How a Land Survey Company Helps Get Your Team Up to Speed on Projects

September 2, 2014/in Article /by Jill Souter

New technologies such as GIS mapping are helping to drive the oil and gas boom forward, providing a greater level of visibility and detail that lets companies make more informed decisions. However, in order to fully take advantage of the possibilities offered by these new technologies, companies need to make sure that they are providing an easy way for their employees to access the maps, documents and information they need.

Getting New Employees Up To Speed

This problem is especially challenging in the case of new employees. When employees join a project from outside the company, or move over from another department within the same company, they often find themselves having to start from square one. While other employees can find information from past e-mails or coworkers they know are familiar with the project, new employees don’t have this luxury. Instead, they often find themselves having to sift through massive archives of maps and other documents trying to find the information they need. This process is inefficient and time-consuming, and it can even cause a project to grind to a halt.

The Solution: Cloud Based Project Management

What oil and gas companies need to combat this problem is greater organization and centralization of project assets. Fortunately, some land surveying companies provide project management solutions that help make the process of managing and organizing project assets a simple and ingrained part of a company’s everyday operations. This helps ensure that employees and authorized subcontractors will always have access to all the documents they need to do their jobs well. In turn, this will help significantly reduce the time it takes for new employees to go from uninformed to contributing members of the team.

Easy Access Across All Device Types

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits offered by cloud based project management solutions offered by a land survey company is that they can provide the only information and documentation portal that a company could ever need for a specific project. In the past, important documents might have been stored in different locations throughout a company. This meant that a new employee would often have no idea where to start looking to find the documents they needed.

They would have to waste their own valuable time, as well as their colleagues’ time, tracking down those documents. Worst of all, since there was no single repository to cover the entire project, different employees might end up working with different versions of the same document, which could lead to confusion and miscommunication.

Project management solutions provide the single document repository oil and gas teams need to keep everyone on the same page. In addition, this one central repository can also be accessed from anywhere, meaning that employees can always access the documents they need, even if they need to do so using a tablet or smartphone while working in the field.

The Delicate Balance of Security and Easy Access

To ensure the level of easy access to information and documents that new employees need in order to get up to speed quickly, project assets can’t be stored on internal company networks that have special access requirements. This creates another challenge, as companies still need to be certain that their sensitive data is secure.

A project management platform can provide the balance between security and openness, allowing companies to store assets off their network for easy access, while also relying on the dedicated data security of a third-party partner–the land survey company. This means that new employees will always be able to access the assets they need, without exposing the company to risk.

Contact us today to learn more about how out how a land survey company can make project management easier. If you want to get started with Landpoint’s cloud-based project site, you can sign up here.

How a Land Surveying Company Can Reduce Bottlenecks for Oil and Gas Projects

August 28, 2014/in Article /by Jill Souter

As the oil and gas boom continues, projects are increasing in scope, size and complexity. Companies often find themselves unable to adjust to the new realities of their project, leading to bottlenecks that can cause extending delays and wasted resources.

In order to remove these bottlenecks and keep your oil and gas projects progressing according to plan, you need to work with an experienced land surveying company that you can trust to provide scalability, rapid access to deliverables, and open lines of communication between key project stakeholders, no matter where they are in the country.

Working With The Wrong Land Surveyor Is A Major Cause Of Bottlenecks

One of the byproducts of the oil and gas boom has been a proliferation of new land surveying companies across the country. These new companies come in many different sizes and experience levels, and choosing to work with the wrong land surveying company can have grave consequences for your oil and gas project.

Working with a land surveying company that is too small or too inexperienced can cause project bottlenecks due to:

Lack of scalability
Inability to distribute information quickly
Inexperience in oil and gas surveying

Working with the right land surveying partner can help you address these issues, ensuring that bottlenecks won’t occur with your project.

Ensuring Scalability

In the context of land surveying, “scalability” refers to a company’s ability to keep up with rapid changes in product scope. Scalability is frequently an issue in the oil and gas industry, as new obstacles and complexity arise frequently as these projects progress.

Oil and gas companies simply can’t afford the long turnaround times that occur when a land surveyor can’t complete field work and produce deliverables quickly. It’s also important that these companies assess a land surveying company’s ability to scale before the project begins; having to replace a land surveyor that can’t scale will only delay the project even further. It’s a better idea to do your homework beforehand, and make sure you’re working with the right land surveyor right from the start.

A land surveying company can ensure scalability by having a large team of experts and the latest technology. When change in project scope creates the need to have more surveyors in the field, a larger company that has experienced teams spread out across the country can easily make that happen, ensuring that the project can continue with no major delays.

On the other hand, smaller land surveying companies often lack the resources needed to respond quickly to changes in project scope. If they need more surveying teams in the field, it may take them weeks to get those teams lined up, if they are able to do at all.

Ensuring Distribution of Information

Today’s industries are more spread out than ever before, and oil and gas is no exception. Key stakeholders from the same project can often be stationed at different locations throughout the country, making it difficult for everyone to be on the same page. As project scope changes, this problem only gets worse. Oil and gas companies need to work with a land surveyor who can provide the ability to distribute information quickly across dispersed geographic locations.

Land surveyors with cloud-based project management offerings can help address this issue. When new information arises that changes the nature of a project, team members have one centralized portal they can upload that information to, and instantly ensure that everyone is able to see it. This removes the bottleneck involved with trying to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Land surveyors can also offer field teams the ability to access the project management system on mobile devices, so that new information can flow from job sites to offices as quickly as possible.

For more information on land surveying services from Landpoint, read our oil and gas brochure, or request a free land surveying quote.

How Tablets Are Used For Field Work on Surveying Projects

August 26, 2014/in Article /by Jill Souter

Land surveying teams are benefiting from sophisticated tablet technology that combines collection, real-time data access, and a plethora of other utilities in a mobile environment. Surveyors are able to interact with their data to obtain realistic, multidimensional knowledge of the survey area. Essentially, tablet technology has revolutionized how field surveyors operate, allowing them to work smarter and faster.

Here is a look at how surveyors are using tablets for field work boosts project efficiency.

Real-Time Communication

Land survey teams can coordinate efforts from disparate locations with ease as they utilize 2D and 3D views that inform their work in real-time. Data can be shared in real-time and quantitative data, including analytics, can also be accessed. Field agents can synchronize data with data technicians and surveyors in the office to get real-time support, minimizing the need for field crews to revisit the site

Mobile Workforce Management Tools

These tools enhance productivity in the field with applications that help withteam and asset management, mobile workforce routing and field service scheduling. Surveyors can review the progress of other teams, send out messages, and answer emails from individuals back at the office.

Calculation Tools

Mobile devices offer a variety of handy tools, such as calculation and productivity apps, which helps to increase onsite efficiency. Essentially, many of the tasks that would have to wait until the surveyor got back to the office (or at least back to an internet connected computer) can now be performed with a tablet in the field, greatly cutting down turnaround times on projects.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is a potentially dynamic view of real-world information enhanced by computer resident data that includes sound, graphics, GPS data and video. This technology is becoming more widely used by surveyors since it allows them to get a clearer view of a project and make better recommendations.

In AR, targets become registration points that orient the tablet to the identical point where construction is occurring. As targets are scanned, the original design of the construction is displayed. This view updates as location changes.

Visualization is an extremely important part of augmented reality. In a proposed site development, ease of access for large installations can be determined and reviewed in 3D to foresee how any phase of project construction can be best accomplished with optimal access and best fit. Trial and error belongs to the model world when problems can be solved virtually. Tablets show exactly what a project will look like at any stage of development, provided the data is available.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a target resource utilizing AR. It provides improved visualization and information retrieval, as well as the ability to coordinate project documentation. The ability to embed and link vendor specific data, location details, and quantities required for estimation and tendering is invaluable to project efficiency.

Tablets and 3D Laser Scanners

When paired with other surveying technology, tablets can dramatically increase a surveyor’s productivity and further improve turnaround time. One good example of this is when tablets are paired with 3D laser scanners.

With 3D laser scanning, points are scanned at 2mm intervalsby the scanner’s high resolution digital image and are then colored according to the photo. Scan stations are set up in multiple areas for comprehensive data collection. When GPS is associated with data scanned, it can be tied to a local coordinate system. With the latest laser scanning techniques, it becomes possible to convert three-dimensional surfaces into highly accurate mathematical models, which can be viewed on the tablet device. This means that a surveyor can utilize 3D scans, upload the information to the project management site and then review that data on the tablet.

Overall, when tablets are used for field work, project managers can enjoy better data collection, decision making, problem solving, and accuracy. To learn more about how the latest land surveying technologies can benefit your business, please contact us.

Image Source : Martin Voltri

How a Land Surveying Company Creates 3D Models

July 22, 2014/in Article /by Jill Souter

Traditional methods of collecting, rendering, and storing survey data are rapidly being replaced with 3D digital data scanning and modeling. Today, three-dimensional surfaces and objects are converted into highly accurate mathematical representations using laser scanners and 3D modeling software. Thanks to the benefits of 3D laser scanning and modeling, construction project managers enjoy an easy, independent, and cost-effective resource for mapping any type of surface.

Using 3D Models

Contractors, engineers, land surveying companies and historical preservation groups all use data modeling. When creating a model, they start by scanning the area to be modeled with 3D laser scanners.

Scanners collect millions of survey-grade points to aid the engineer and land surveying company with design as well as problem identification and resolution. Once the points are collected the modeling process can then begin. This is useful for:

3D BIM (Building Information Modeling)
3D topographical site scans
3D site representations and modeling
Construction As-builts
Measurements for erosion control plans
Grading volumes
Height measurements for equipment and crane mobilization
Environmental compliance
3D laser scanners provide fast data collection and an increased safety envelope in difficult environments such as valleys, quarries, landfills, and facility locations.
Surveyed contours, volumes, and cross sections may be delivered as 2D or 3D models. They may be 3D survey points and break-lines used to produce digital terrain / elevation and TIN models, or full-detail models used for advanced designing.

How It Works

3D Laser Scanning for Construction

Thanks to Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), extremely accurate data can be collected, and therefore more accurate 3D models can be made.Here are some facts about 3D laser scanners:

3D laser scanning uses high speed lasers fired at incredibly-high rates of speed.
3D laser scanners may be Phase Based, where a constant laser energy beam is released, or Time of Flight based, where the scanner calculates the distance based on the laser light phase change.
The more, and closer, scans are taken, the more accurate the scan is. Scanned points are typically every 1/4 inch.
Each point taken by the scanner’s high resolution digital image is colored according to the photo.
Analysts setup scan stations in multiple areas to collect as much data as possible.
GPS can be tied to the scan data to make use of existing local coordinate systems.

3D Mapping Software

3D mapping software takes all of the raw scan data and converts it into a format that the modeling software is able to read. Clients can also request the raw scan data for use in AutoCAD, Miscreation, or other architecture/engineering related programs that can import point clouds.

Here are a few facts about 3D mapping software:

Many software platforms provide editing, direct access, visualization, spatial data analysis, and CAD modeling.
The initial “raw scan file” can be several gigabytes. When compressed and converted into anAutoCad drawing, the file size will normally drop considerably
Videos, digital color photos, Point clouds, survey files, and computer models of roads, bridges, and fully textured objects are all common forms of deliverables.

An Example of 3D Modeling for Oil and Gas

Landpoint was contracted to do an As-built 3D intelligent model on a gas processing facility located in Haughton, LA in 2011. The scan produced models within a 1/4 inch of accuracy and provided the contracting company with a complete as-built survey as well as an easy to access asset management model. To learn more about the benefits of 3D laser scanning, contact Landpoint today.

Landpoint Awarded Third Place on 2014 ZweigWhite Hot Firm List

July 21, 2014/in Article, Uncategorized /by Jill Souter

Landpoint is excited to announce that it has been awarded the #3 spot on the 2014 ZweigWhite Hot Firm List. This marks the third consecutive year that the company has been awarded a spot on the exclusive list which ranks the top 100 fastest growing firms in the A/E/P and environmental consulting industry.

“We are thrilled to have placed so high on this year’s list” says James Souter, CEO of Landpoint. “Our team has worked very hard to support and control the growth we’ve been experiencing.”

Landpoint has grown to more than 220 professionals, from land surveyors to licensed professional engineers, who are located across the nation. Many of its operations are located in extremely active energy development zones. The company has secured long term relationships with some of the largest clients in the Eagle Ford, Permian Basin, Haynesville Shale, and other emerging oil and gas formations. Additionally, Landpoint and its subsidiaries provide surveying and engineering services for municipalities, construction firms, and industrial companies.

The list looks at more than 100,000 firms located in the United States and Canada and only recognizes those who have outperformed the economy and their competitors. The economic recovery is well underway as firms on the list in 2014 boast an impressive median growth rate of 72 percent, up significantly from 44 percent in 2013.

“Getting on The ZweigWhite Hot Firm list is a tremendous achievement,” said Mark Zweig, ZweigWhite founder. “That’s especially true now the economy is doing better,” Zweig added. “The goal post is getting higher”

The Hot Firm award is the most recent of several accolades presented to Landpoint for 2014. Earlier this year the Association for Corporate Growth awarded Landpoint with the “Deal of the Year” award after successfully creating and executing a long-term acquisition strategy and integration platform. In 2013 Landpoint completed transactions with King Surveyors of Windsor, Colorado and West Company of Midland in Midland, TX.

Oil and Gas Surveying: Simplifying Pipeline Route Selection

July 15, 2014/in Article /by Jill Souter

If you are using pipelines to transport oil and gas, then one of the most crucial first steps for your project is going to be route selection. Where you put your pipelines is going to affect not just how much pipe to buy but have legal and environmental issues as well. The best pipeline transport routes move oil and gas in the safest, most economically efficient way possible and have the least impact to the environment and landowners. The oil and gas pipeline routes are defined by the pipeline size(s), terrain, soils, and engineering analysis requirements.

The engineers’ assessment based on survey data is essential to the oil and gas pipeline construction project. The most direct route is not always optimal and each solution has an associated cost and schedule increase. Failure to thoroughly investigate all features of the intended route and surrounding lands quickly adds additional time and cost. Thankfully, quality oil and gas surveys can help to mitigate costly errors, geotechnical mishaps, regulatory issues and breaches.

Pipeline Planning

The shortest route is generally not possible due to physical obstacles and environmental limitations that can get in the way. To mitigate costly oversights, surveys should provide engineers typographic, geographic, boundary, environmental, and other in-depth data to help them determine things like:

Corridor Selection
Route Survey
Foreign Pipeline Identification

Selecting a Route During an Oil and Gas Pipeline Construction Project

To determine the preferred / final route, oil and gas survey information should highlight and map constraints within the route corridor. Negotiations can then begin, construction limitations and potential impacts addressed, schedules made, construction method(s) determined and a traffic management plan prepared. The survey should involve the following:

A detailed survey of the route and the pipeline’s construction environment.
Access roads, construction camps, staging, facility, cathodic protection, and mainline valve sites should be surveyed at this stage.
Pipeline corridor design and above-ground facilities locations should be completed in the field.
Surveyors should contact appropriate authorities/third parties to obtain information about unknown development or encroachment along the route, underground obstructions, as well as other pipelines, services, and structures that may be in the way. Surveyors should also meet with landowners and land agents along the proposed route.
Land and environmental corridor surveys should be wide enough to cover sufficient width and depth around the provisional route and have sufficient accuracy to identify all features that could adversely influence installation and operation of the pipeline.
The selected route should be recorded on appropriately-scaled alignment sheets that include significant point coordinates and contour lines.
Geo-hazards can be identified and addressed. Geo-hazards are “geological, hydro-geological, or geomorphological events.” The extreme result of a geological hazard on the pipeline is a rupture. This is why terrain evaluation and risk analysis are imperative to selecting the most appropriate pipeline route.
Early-stage terrain evaluation and assessments can be performed to reduce design and construction time and cost. Costly remedial measures or site restoration is prevented and the operability of the pipeline is maintained.

Learn more about how land surveying can impact your oil and gas pipeline construction project by downloading Landpoint’s oil & gas brochure.

Oil and Gas Engineering Challenges in the Niobrara Shale

July 8, 2014/in Article /by Jill Souter

The oil and gas development opportunities being explored in the Niobrara Shale area are numerous and have presented the region as a prospectively lucrative venture for many energy companies. However, this has also lead to a number of challenges for oil and gas engineering firms.

Niobrara Shale and the Recent Boom

The Niobrara Shale is attracting large investments from companies in the energy and oil and gas development sector, due to its oil rich and easy to drill stratum. An amount of $4 billion was invested by some of the top companies in the sector during 2013, with plans to pursue drilling activities in 2014 as well.

Drilling sites: The 4 major enterprises operating in Niobrara have identified around 15,000 potential drilling sites within the location, targetting the huge amount of oil and gas reserves that the area possesses. Moreover, smaller companies have outlined 5,000 other locations which are prospective spots for oil and gas drilling in Niobrara shale.
Increase in rig sites: The North American Rig Count has estimated a 50% increase in the number of oil rigs within the area, only within the past 22 months. The alluring prospects presented by Niobrara Shale has given rise to the amount of investment done by energy sector companies, with around $1 billion already spent on the rail terminals, pipelines and plants, for the processing and shipping of oil.
Economic boom: The investment activities in the region have resulted in an economic boom in the area, the effects of which are easily discernible all across the Front Range. Many energy investment companies are still evaluating the true potential of Niobrara, and regard it as a highly lucrative region for exploring and discovering oil and gas development opportunities.
Rising demand for drill permits: Statistics show that in the latter part of 2013, there were around 1000 drilling permits which were issued in the Niobrara Shale basin, whereas 250 were still pending. This is evidence of the vast drilling and exploration opportunities being offered by the region for oil and gas development.

Niobrara is included in the list of different shales within the country, which have increased the domestic output of the state to exceed their oil imports, since 1995.

Challenges by Oil and Gas Engineering Firms Faced With Developing the Area

Though Niobrara Shale is rapidly being recognized as an abundant resource of oil and gas reserves in the industry, there are still a number of challenges in its path towards success. These include:

Land surveying: Finding quality land surveyors is a major challenge for companies in the energy sector who want to explore the resource potential offered by Niobrara. There are quite a number of land survey companies, but they sometimes lack the appropriate team size and a mobile professional group of professionals, to competently handle large exploration projects, which are major challenges and a cause for delays.
Political and community resistance: Many political segments and community associations are resistant to the extent of development change which is fast penetrating into the suburbs of the Niobrara basin, which is one of the major challenges to the development endeavors in the area.
Technological expertise: Not many service providers have technological expertise to make use of the instrumentation and software, like GIS mapping, cloud based data sharing, high definition scanning, and many other important services.
Permit issuance: In order to pursue development projects within the area, permits are a necessity, and due to the rising demand, the process has become time consuming, making it difficult for investment companies to explore and develop Niobrara.

In Niobrara, land surveying and exploration is critical to the development of the area. If you are seeking an oil and gas engineering firm, then get a no obligation quote from Landpoint.

Image by : USFWS Mountain-Prairie

How Surveying With Drones Changes Everything

July 1, 2014/in Article /by Jill Souter

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), otherwise known as “drones,” are among the most important technological advances that have been introduced to the land surveying industry in quite some time. These small, ultra-light weight aircraft can be piloted by remote and can take detailed survey information while simultaneously transmitting that data back to the head office. This creates highly accurate maps and provides valuable data to companies and individuals who are considering major projects on large areas of land. In this article, we will take a look at how surveying with drones can help Oil and Gas companies get better, more accurate data.

Why Use Drones for Surveying?

There are a number of reasons why drones are an ideal addition to any land surveying project and can increase accuracy and return on investment.

Highly accurate, high-definition maps can be created in a fraction of the time that used to be required
Data of all sorts can be gathered by the drone including photography, Lidar, and video
All information can be instantly uploaded to a server where it can be accessed by authorized individuals anywhere in the world
It becomes much easier to reach difficult locations with drones. This makes using drones significantly safer in certain situations.

These are just a few of the reasons why this technology has been so important to the industry. As applied robotics continue to increase in complexity, there is very little doubt that the capabilities of surveying drones and the breadth of data that they can collected will only increase.

How Land Surveying With Drones Works

While not common place today, more companies are recognizing the benefits of using drone technology in order to produce things like base maps and other important pieces of the surveying puzzle.

To put it simply, drones are deployed over the area to be surveyed equipped with a number of important pieces of scanning technology. Among these are 3D laser scanners that sweep over the region and give the surveyor highly detailed images and ideas of what the terrain actually looks like.

The data from the 3D laser scanners can be used in a process called GIS mapping, which is the creation of a digital map through the employment of cartographic sciences, advanced computer skills, and statistical analysis. The map provided by this process is not only high definition and easy to use, but also gives very specific information regarding the area in an easy to access format.

The GIS map and other data is stored using cloud technology so that what is being seen by the drone and the resultant reports can be instantly uploaded to a server that will provide access to authorized parties. Not only is this the quickest way to inform decision makers on the results of surveys, it also allows them to be informed no matter where they are so long as there is an Internet connection.

Advancing With the Times

More companies are changing their land surveying services to take advantage of the new technologies becoming available. They are finding a much higher return on investment due to more accurate data being accumulated by fewer people in less time with quicker results. Not working with a modern surveyor employing the best techniques is far too expensive a proposition for many companies, and they are finding the change worthwhile.

At the time of writing, the legal use of drones for surveying purposes has not been approved by the government. However, Landpoint has already begun investing in Research and Development for drones so that when they do become legal it can offer this service to its customers soon after.

If you’re interested in seeing what a difference the latest advance in land surveying technology can make, both in terms of accuracy and bottom line, don’t hesitate to request a no obligation quote so that you can see for yourself the incredible benefits.

Image by : Don McCullough

Overlooked Benefits of Using GIS for Surveying

June 24, 2014/in Article /by Jill Souter

What is GIS Used For?

GIS (Geographic Information System) provides a central location for data and analysis critical to today’s surveying, planning, construction, and management. It allows professional land surveyors a way to provide more accurate and less expensive surveys.

While these features alone are enough to justify using GIS, there are a number of additional benefits of using GIS and Surveying which can add value to commercial, industrial and oil & gas construction projects. These provide additional value not just to the surveyors but to their clients as well. In this article, we explore three of the overlooked benefits of using GIS and how they impact a construction project.

The Additional Benefits of Using GIS Technology for Land Surveying

Most sophisticated professional land surveyors rely on GIS in their everyday work processes. In addition to more rapid data collection and better planning, design, construction, and resource management, GIS benefits the professional land surveyor with the following:

1. Better Decision Making
Collected, analyzed, and mapped data help managers make better and more informed decisions about plan location and design. Construction projects depend on a wealth of data for things like site selection, accesses and easements, zoning restrictions, conservation of environmentally sensitive areas, natural resource extraction, existing utilities and community resources. GIS provides this additional information, allowing for informed decision making and concise planning in consideration of location, people, and the environment.

2. Reliable Records Retention
Historic data, documents, and maps provide a basis for a prospective project’s feasibility. More accurate background information leads to more options to satisfy all concerns about the project. This gives design managers, politicians, and interest groups the right data about location, resources, and previous development to drive project outcome.

Equally important are as-built drawings, updated base maps, and current data after the project is completed. Government organizations in particular are responsible for maintaining authoritative public records regarding changes of geography (geographic accounting), topography, and land use. Zoning, population, land ownership, administrative boundaries, and private access roads to restricted lands, are contained in the GIS cultural geographic records. Physical geography such as forest clearing, biological assessments, environmental deviations, landmarks, courses, measurements, and water resources (hatcheries, intakes and dams) are also a part of GIS geographic records.

3. Better Land Use Management
GIS is quickly becoming the standard for government and larger corporations. It’s an important tool that helps to envision, develop, and formally illustrate ideas of expansion, acquisition, and notable resolution to congestion, pollution, and resource availability concerns.

Historical data may be used as base maps for conceptualizing, understanding, and prescribing action and utilizing available resources. Various data overlays provide additional geographic data, recurring patterns, sensitive areas, hazards and relationships associated with practical land use, environment, and security issues.

Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) require large amounts of varying kinds of data to be collected and analyzed. Project permits by government agencies hinges on collected EIS and BA (Biological Assessment) data. The project team is typically comprised of personnel in the office and out in the field, the client, and consultants. All members need access to surveys and analysis data at some point during the decision making and construction problem solving stages. Information sharing is critical for managing teams in remote areas. GIS offers a central database resource that all groups may access, analyze, and input into the project’s conversation.

GIS has transformed how organizations manage their resources, solve problems, make decisions, and communicate. To learn more about the benefits of using GIS for land surveying, please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have.