Category Archives: Surveying

The life and times of a Chainman

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In the often-overlooked world of land surveying, there exists a breed of professionals who measure the earth’s dimensions with nothing but chains, tapes, and a good sense of humour – the survey chainman.  These unsung heroes of precision play a pivotal role in ensuring that the ground beneath our feet is accurately mapped out, with a dash of wit and a sprinkle of practicality.

While modern technology has crept into the surveying world, survey chainmen hold onto their classic tools like a proverbial pirate clutching a treasure map.  Armed with chains and tapes, they weave through bushes and leap over boulders, all while making sure not to trip over their own measurements (or each other!).

In a world of land surveying, precision is key.  A missed measurement of a misrecorded angle could lead to a misplaced building or a legal dispute hotter than a freshly calibrated laser.  But amidst the seriousness, survey chainmen bring a touch of levity to the field.  Imagine their banter as they debate whether a certain landmark is ‘eleven and a half chains to the west’ or ‘just a stone throw away’ – accuracy with a side of sarcasm.

For many survey chainmen, the journey doesn’t end with a measuring tapes and muddy boots.  Some aspire to become licensed surveyors, mastering the art of cartography and legal boundaries.  Others find joy in the camaraderie of the field, swapping stories of encounters with landowners who swear their property line extends to the moon.

So, the next time you see a surveyor’s team out in the wild, spare a thought for the unsung heroes – the survey chainmen.  They’re the ones ensuring your neighbour’s fence isn’t encroaching on your prized rose garden, all while keeping spirits high and the measurements even higher.  After all, in the world of surveying, where precision meets practicality, a good laugh and a steady hand are as essential as the North Star.

 

Image of Survey Chainman on hill overlooking mountains and water

By Rodney Kendall

Charting the future generation of Surveyors

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Peter from our Auckland office has his boys career paths set out from a young age. They are learning what their Dad does at work. Training the next generation of Surveyors runs in the blood, Pete’s Dad is a lector at Unitech teaching Surveying. Through Pete’s chats with his kids, they are developing important life skills such from problem solving, time management and particularly in the context of surveying, the importance of thorough checking.

Image of child and father on hill with survey equipment

“I can already see how these traits are beginning to shape the kids’ education. For example, instead of simply completing mathematical division questions for homework, they tend to use multiplication to CHECK their answer. It’s wonderful to observe how these small but crucial habits are becoming part of their problem-solving approach”

Image of father and child with survey device and clipboard

By Peter Latu

At RPC Land Surveyors, we are passionate about mentoring the next generation of surveying professionals and fostering skills that are critical for success in the land surveying and spatial information industry. By introducing young learners to surveying concepts and practices from an early age, they develop essential abilities such as problem-solving, attention to detail, time management, and accuracy in project work. This hands-on approach reflects our commitment to professional growth and ensures that knowledge and best practices are passed on to future generations.

Our team’s focus on training and development supports our mission to provide high-quality surveying services across the Auckland, Bay of Plenty, and Waikato regions. By cultivating strong technical skills and professional habits in emerging talent, RPC Land Surveyors continues to deliver reliable and precise land surveying solutions for residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects, while reinforcing the importance of mentorship and continuous learning within the surveying profession.

Landslide Monitoring

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Our dedicated survey team is diligently monitoring the houses atop the recently shifted terrain following the landslide. Armed with the precision of a Total Station, we’re conducting x, y, z measurements – a crucial aspect of our detailed monitoring surveys. These precise measurements are not just data points; they are key to assessing the structural integrity of each existing lot above the slip area.

Our focus is unwavering as we work to provide residents with accurate insights into any changes. The Total Station accompanied with post processing technology in the office enables us to capture the slightest shifts, ensuring that safety remains paramount.

These monitoring surveys aren’t just about measurements; they’re a commitment to the well-being of those living on the edge of change. We’ll continue utilising the latest technology to keep everyone informed and secure in the wake of this natural event.

By Jack Harley

The Importance of a Site Survey and Site Plan

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At the start of any subdivision development the initial critical survey is for a site plan of the property. This provides you with all the base information required for the future development.

The site plan will pick up the site and boundary ground levels, any existing building locations in relation to the legal boundaries, manholes and above ground services, street furniture including vehicle crossings, kerb, footpath and any power poles, and stormwater cesspits.

The plan forms the basis of the scheme plan for subdivision and can also be used for any engineering design required. The plan can also be used by an architect for the future house design.

So the importance of a good clear, detailed site survey should not be underestimated.

Marking the Journey & School of Surveying’s 60th Anniversary

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“Marking the Journey” could not have been a better theme for this year’s conference as it was the School of Surveying’s 60th anniversary. The theme also aligned with the republished autobiography of Archie Bogle in the Part I of the three-part book, ‘The Measure of the Man’, allowing us to look back in time to allow us to reflect and appreciate the Journey that has been. “Walking backwards into the future”, a phrase thrown around at the conference, reminding us, that to best prepare ourselves for the future we need to look into the past.

The three-day conference was jam-packed with informative and educating presentations from modernising Landonline, challenges in the City Rail Link project, challenges in large scaled brownfield development from the Piritahi alliance, to a panel discussion on the cadastral system moving to NZTM 2000 and many more interesting presentations.

Upon arriving in Dunedin on the first day, I attended an afternoon session on survey capture in Landonline and in a group we worked through a challenging boundary definition.

If there was a cadastral job to bring out all the cadastral tools out of the toolbox, it was this example. Uplifting the limitations of a parcel that is limited as to parcels, intersections of bearings, half angle calculations, occupation age investigation, questions of adverse possession and questioning what the original intention was of the surveyor, were all required as a minimum to get started.

A job of this complexity required no stone to be left unturned. As a surveyor expecting to sit the professional examination interviews in April 2024, these are the kinds of presentations and group discussions which I can benefit from.

Overall, it was an electric couple of days in the lecture theatres also in the link where it was great to meet former classmates, former lecturers and friends.
The three-day conference was a blast!

By Peter Latu

Drone Survey of the Puketormiro Pa Site

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The Puketormiro Pa Site lies in the Kopurererua Valley, Payes Pa, Tauranga. Tauranga City Council wanted to change the status of Puketormiro Pa Site to an Historic reserve.

The first step in this process was to conduct a survey of the site. The idea was to survey the extent of the features in order to determine boundaries of the proposed historic site. We used the Phantom 4 RTK drone and flew at 80m. Apart from having to wait for a few rain showers, everything went smoothly.

An aerial image was sent to the client and an exact location of the proposed boundaries around the Pa site was determined. We then prepared a scheme plan for the historic site. Ultimately the client was happy with the new boundary.

Golf and Land Surveying

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We recently had a round of golf with a few of us in the Mount Maunganui office (taking advantage of daylight saving hours). A beautiful evening at the local Otumoetai Course. At first glance, golf and land surveying may seem quite different from each other, but there are a few ways in which they have some things in common:

  1. Precision: Both golf and land surveying require a high degree of precision. In golf, players need to hit the ball accurately to get it into the hole in as few strokes as possible, while in land surveying, professionals need to measure and map the earth’s surface and features with great accuracy.
  2. Equipment: Both activities also require specialised equipment. In golf, players need clubs, balls, and other accessories to play the game, while in land surveying, professionals use instruments like theodolites, levels, and GPS devices to measure and map the land.
  3. Outdoors: Both activities take place outdoors. Golf is usually played on a golf course, which is an outdoor space, while land surveying professionals often work outside, measuring and mapping the land.
  4. Skill: Finally, both activities require skill. Golfers need to master the techniques and strategies of the game to play it well, while land surveying professionals need to have specialised knowledge of mathematics, physics, and geography to do their jobs effectively.

Going the extra mile

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RPC Land Surveyors’ new field wagon.

In a recent subdivision, we had to survey a farm that had a natural river boundary, last surveyed around 1916. Unfortunately, a number of the survey records were destroyed by fire in the Napier earthquake, so our task was made a little more difficult than it would’ve otherwise been.
We surveyed 1.6 km of river bed using the latest drone technology and making use of the farmer’s latest off-road vehicle (below). The recent floods from cyclone Gabrielle resulted in a water level well above the vehicle height and covering the river bed as far as the eye can see.
Fortunately, not too much damage was done here as the riverbed is well contained within steep banks but downstream they were not so fortunate.