Braemar Technical Service LLC

Surveying and mapping technicians assist surveyors, cartographers, and photogrammetrists. Together, they collect data and make maps of the earth's surface. Surveying technicians visit sites to take measurements of the land. Mapping technicians use geographic data to create maps.

Surveying technicians typically do the following:

• Operate surveying instruments, such as electronic distance-measuring equipment, to collect data on a location
• Visit sites to record survey measurements and other descriptive data
• Search for previous survey points, such as old stone markers
• Set out stakes and marks to conduct the survey, and then retrieve them
• Enter the data from surveying instruments into computers, either in the field or in an office

Surveying technicians assist surveyors in the field on teams, known as survey parties. Then, in the office, they help to process the data collected in the field. A typical survey party consists of a party chief and one or more surveying technicians and helpers. The party chief, either a surveyor or a senior surveying technician, leads day-to-day work activities.

Mapping technicians typically do the following:

• Select needed information from relevant databases to create maps
• Produce maps showing boundaries, water locations, elevation, and other features of the terrain
• Update maps to ensure accuracy
• Assist photogrammetrists by laying out aerial photographs in sequence to identify areas not captured by aerial photography

Mapping technicians help cartographers and photogrammetrists produce and upgrade maps. They do this work on computers, combining data from different sources.

Geographic information specialists are mapping specialists who use geographic information system (GIS) technology to assemble, integrate, and display data about a particular location in a digital format. They also use GIS technology to compile information from a variety of sources.

Marine engineers and naval architects design, build, and maintain ships from aircraft carriers to submarines, from sailboats to tankers. Marine engineers work on the mechanical systems, such as propulsion and steering. Naval architects work on the basic design, including the form and stability of hulls.

Marine engineers typically do the following:

• Prepare system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics
• Inspect marine equipment and machinery to draw up work requests and job specifications
• Conduct environmental, operational, or performance tests on marine machinery and equipment
• Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment
• Investigate and observe tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with standards
• Coordinate activities with regulatory bodies to ensure that repairs and alterations are done safely and at minimal cost
• Prepare technical reports for use by engineers, managers, or sales personnel
• Prepare cost estimates, schedules for design and construction, and contract specifications
• Maintain contact with contractors to be sure the work is being done correctly, on schedule, and within budget

The people who operate or supervise the operation of the machinery on a ship are sometimes called marine engineers, or, more frequently, ship engineers. Their work differs from that of the marine engineers in this profile. For more information on ship engineers, see the profile on water transportation occupations.

Marine engineers are increasingly putting their knowledge to work in power generation. Companies that formerly concentrated on other activities, such as papermaking, are now increasing their efforts to produce and sell electricity back to the power grid. These engineers' skills are also useful in the oil and gas industry, including offshore drilling operations.

Naval architects typically do the following:

• Study design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of a ship, such as size, weight, and speed
• Develop sectional and waterline curves of the hull to establish the center of gravity, ideal hull form, and data on buoyancy and stability
• Design entire ship hulls and superstructures, following safety standards
• Design the layout of ships' interiors, including passenger compartments, cargo space, ladder wells, and elevators
• Confer with marine engineers to set up the layout of boiler room equipment, heating and ventilation systems, refrigeration equipment, and propulsion machinery
• Lead teams from a variety of specialties to oversee building and testing prototypes
• Evaluate how the ship does during trials both at the dock and at sea and change the design as needed to make sure the ship meets national and international standards.

Surveyors establish land, airspace, and water boundaries. They measure the Earth's surface to collect data that are used to draw maps, determine the shape and contour of parcels of land, and set property lines and boundaries. They also define airspace for airports and measure construction and mining sites. Surveyors work with civil engineers, landscape architects, and urban and regional planners to develop comprehensive design documents.

Surveyors typically do the following:

• Measure distances, directions, and angles between points on, above, and below the Earth's surface
• Select known reference points and then determine the exact location of important features in the survey area using special equipment
• Establish official land and water boundaries
• Research land records and other sources of information affecting properties
• Look for evidence of previous boundaries to determine where boundary lines are
• Travel to locations to measure distances and directions between points
• Record the results of surveying and verify the accuracy of data
• Prepare plots, maps, and reports
• Work with cartographers (mapmakers), architects, construction managers, and others
• Present findings to clients, government agencies, and others
• Write descriptions of land for deeds, leases, and other legal documents
• Provide expert testimony in court regarding their work or that of other surveyors

Surveyors guide construction and development projects and provide information needed for the buying and selling of property. In construction, surveyors determine the precise location of roads or buildings and proper depths for foundations and roads. Whenever property is bought or sold, it needs to be surveyed for legal purposes.

In their work, surveyors use the Global Positioning System (GPS), a system of satellites that locates reference points with a high degree of precision. Surveyors interpret and verify the GPS results. They gather the data that is fed into a Geographic Information System (GIS), which is then used to create detailed maps.

Surveyors take measurements in the field with a crew, a group that typically consists of a licensed surveyor and trained survey technicians. The person in charge of the crew (called the party chief) may be either a surveyor or a senior surveying technician. The party chief leads day-to-day work activities. For more information, see the profile on surveying and mapping technicians.

Some surveyors work in specialty fields to survey particular characteristics of the Earth. Examples include the following:

Geodetic surveyors use high-accuracy techniques, including satellite observations, to measure large areas of the Earth's surface.

Geophysical prospecting surveyors mark sites for subsurface exploration, usually to look for petroleum.

Marine or hydrographic surveyors survey harbors, rivers, and other bodies of water to determine shorelines, the topography of the bottom, water depth, and other features.