Who compiles the complete survey data

[eleonard]

Our office is having a debate.....

Who compiles the survey information into a C3D file? Of course our surveyors feel that they should be running the and completing ALL aspects of thier survey file, auto-line work, additional linework as needed and the existing surface.

Then we have engineers who think that EIT / Designers should be creating the existing surface and drafters to complete the line work.

No here is a bit of back ground on my office. Our office has been around since the dark ages. No real training has ever occured on any software that is or was used. So the shift from a static 2D drawing to a dynamic 3D model is not something that they understand, nor do they really listen to me about.
The process for a long time was the surveyors would go collect thier data, our survey tech would transfer that data to a dwg containing points and some automatic line work. This this would get shipped up to the drafting department where the drafters would erase the auto line work that was completed and connect the dots by way of printing out the point file and reading the description for each point number and creating a pretty 2D picture. Then this product was shipped off to a designer or EIT to create an existing surface. Keep in mind that this whole time the only people who have physically seen the site are the surveyors who collected the data.
In my opinion this process is extreemly out of date when it comes to the capabilities of Civil 3D and possibly LDT (which I didn't use for more than 5 years). And also possibly gives you an incomplete surface.

I am wondering how things are done in other company's. Do your survey crew's do all of thier line work, or other people who are experienced in using and manipulating survey data. Or are you having run of the mill drafters completing survey data?

[brainman1000]

Where I work it is the survey department that completes the survey drawing.

[Glenn Pope]

One place I did the survey drawing instead of the survey department, but I went out to the site at least once with them to get a good look.

The only other place I have worked for that had their own survey department, the surveyors created the line work and surfaces. If corrections were needed, the drawings would go back to the surveyors.

The other places I have worked for contracted out the survey work with an outside company. They are to provide completed line work and surfaces. Any drawings needing correction goes back to the surveyor.

[sinc]

Most definitely the Surveyor should be responsible for creating the EG surface.

[bhaugi]

This is an age old debate within many companies. We do it within survey department, and that may consist of office staff, but that have survey experience and work with the field crew closely. Although a topo survey may not be required to be stamped by a surveyer, if the client is paying you as a surveyor, even if it is not clearly defined by the law (and it may be), you have a responsibility that this be performed "under the direct supervision of a licensed surveyor".

Would the engineer allow one of the survey techs to take one of their sketches, complete the design, send it out, without the engineer reviewing it? No, it's not exactly the same.

My opinion is that you must work together. It's fine to use experienced office staff if they really comprehend the importance of what they are creating, and it is reviewed by somebody that was actually in the field.

I am an office designer, and I do prepare these. But I also do field check them myself and work directly with the field crew as well. The P.E. I work with is also an experienced P.L.S., so we are both truly on both sides of this debate.

Developing a good model is not for the "run of the mill drafters", there are many issues that must be understood. I just troubleshooted a design based on existing contours that were merely missing a good exterior boundary, so there were a bunch of contours jumping across a void that was not surveyed.

[sinc]

Developing a good model is not for the "run of the mill drafters", there are many issues that must be understood. I just troubleshooted a design based on existing contours that were merely missing a good exterior boundary, so there were a bunch of contours jumping across a void that was not surveyed.

Well that's just an error. It in no way indicates that the Engineer should have any part of creating the EG surface. That said, I realize that in the real world, sometimes unexpected things crop up and you just have to do what you have to do. And everyone makes errors from time to time that you may have to catch and fix.

But the EG surface falls squarely in the domain of the Surveyor, and ideally, the Engineer doesn't touch it. If the Engineer finds a problem with the surface, ideally the Engineer would report the problem to the Surveyor, who would fix it. Of course, this may not always be practical, but it is the best route. It's better than the Engineer "guessing" at the intent of the Surveyor, even though the Engineer may guess correctly much of the time.

[jpaulsen]

The surveyors should be responsible for the entire survey, field and office work. They should be creating the base drawings and the surface.

Think about it this way. If your company did not have a survey department and you had to contract out the survey work, what product would you expect from that surveyor?

[bhaugi]

Sinc... well said. Jeff - excellent point.

[jmeyer.186809]

Where I work it is the survey department that completes the survey drawing.

wow a lot of micro managing there. lol Survey's should handle the survey work and engineers should handle design!

[brainman1000]

Survey's should handle the survey work and engineers should handle design!

Thats exactly how it is where I work. The survey department provides a complete survey of the existing site and then the engineering department completes the proposed design.