Topographic surveying: it’s hardly a household phrase, but it’s something that helps make our buildings and world safe and inhabitable. If you’re just learning about topographic surveying, you probably have lots of questions. What is it, for starters? What purpose does it serve? What methods and tools do topographic surveyors use? Here are the answers to these questions and more. Hopefully you learn something about topographic surveying in Floresville, TX and beyond!
What is topographic surveying?
If you’re a landowner, you probably already know about boundary surveys. These maps are used to distinguish who owns what property, and where the boundaries are between you and your neighbors. But boundary surveys aren’t the only, or even the most important surveys out there. Topographic surveys note the topography of a piece of land—that is, they measure its natural and manmade features.
Some things that might be noted on topographic surveys include hills, ravines, streams, trees, fences and buildings. Unlike other maps, topographic surveys focus on the elevations of these features more than their horizontal size and the distance between them.
So why do we need topographic maps? Well, they are often required by the government, as well as by architects and engineers, when beginning a new real estate development. Knowing the elevation points and unique features of a piece of land ensures that anything built on top of it will have a sound foundation and will be safe from floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Topographic maps also help determine whether a new building will have any negative impact on the nature surrounding it.
So, in short, topographic surveying is probably one of the most important things to do when embarking on a new real estate project or renovation.
What do topographic surveyors do?
Now that you know what topographic surveying is, you’re probably wondering what tools and methods topographic surveyors use to ensure that their measurements are accurate and easy to obtain. When partaking in topographic surveying in Floresville, TX, there are a few different methods one can use.
The first method is aerial. From a helicopter or airplane, topographic surveyors can take photographs and video footage to record different elevations and determine the relative relationships between different features. Another method, transit-stadia, happens in the field. Different features are measured in the field, recorded on paper, and calculated in the office.
Regardless of which method a topographic surveyor uses, the goal is to obtain readings that are as accurate as possible. If an error occurs, it can throw off not just one feature of a topographic survey, but the entire map and the relative measurements.
Topographic surveying in Floresville, TX is key when erecting a new building or changing the structure of an existing one. Topographic surveys serve to both determine the safety and suitability of land for a particular use, and also predict whether a new building will have any type of effect on the land around it. For help with this crucial task, contact Pollok & Sons Surveying Inc to learn more about what goes into topographic surveying.