3D Data on a Fast Track Civil Site
The urgency to start projects and complete them quickly has become common. No matter what the use, the quicker the job is completed, the faster it’s used. Being first on the site, civil contractors generally have the least complete plans to start with. Owners do not...
3D Modeling for a Cul-De-Sac
American suburbia is practically synonymous with cookie-cutter houses, carefully manicured lawns and winding roads. Another staple of these types of neighborhoods is the cul-de-sac. These road designs have been used in suburban planning for the better part of the last...
Mastering Mass Haul Diagrams for Construction Efficiency
Mass haul refers to a calculation that multiples the volume of material with the distance that it's transported during construction. It's commonly used in construction and civil engineering projects as they often involve excavating and moving large amounts of earth. A...
Carlson and Civil 3D: The Details
Let’s get to the meat of the program and see how data is produced. Before sending things out to the field, we need to make 2D and 3D lines as well as points. As I go through the steps, you will see some different approaches to the process that may help users with...
Navigating the World of 3D Point Cloud Data
New technologies are always disrupting the construction and civil engineering industries. Point cloud modeling has existed for a while, but it's becoming a major tool for contractors and engineers who seek more ease and efficiency when conducting land surveys. It...
Carlson Software: Under the Hood
There are a lot of things to like about a software program. In the case of Carlson, I think it is the blend of old and new. Carlson software is mature and there are commands I am still finding that I either forgot about or never used. I am sure that some commands have...
Mastering the Art of Photogrammetry Survey Techniques
For centuries, photogrammetry has played a critical role in our understanding of faraway objects and the Earth's surface. Its uses have expanded over the years and have led to a powerful range of game-changing technologies in industries like construction, engineering,...
Trimble Business Center: Tips and Tricks
When you are learning software, there are two approaches; menu driven and process driven. Software developers write commands so that understanding software revolves around the command(s) that fit the need. My approach is to find the shortest and straightest line to...
3D Data: Looking Beyond Machine Control
For many years, our business has been centered on the production of 3D data modeling for machine control. This is the low hanging fruit of a civil site. High dollar paving, building pads, and retentions are easier to do and higher quality with machine control. Fast...
Guide to Cut and Fill Maps
The processes involved with building roads, railways and canals often involve adding or removing large masses of dirt and stone. This addition and removal of mass is called cut and fill in the excavation industry. Cut and fill is a common process where the movement of...