Surveying – Civil + Structural Engineer magazine

Woolpert Contracted by USGS to Collect Aerial Lidar Data Across Eastern Arkansas for 3DEP

Bree Sikes — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 20:00:00 +0000

These data will be used to advance statewide priorities, including agriculture, flood-risk management, urban and regional planning, natural resources conservation, and critical mineral assessment.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The U.S. Geological Survey has tasked Woolpert with acquiring topographic Quality Level 1 lidar data and providing ground control survey across eastern Arkansas in support of the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and The National Map.

Led by the USGS National Geospatial Program, 3DEP offers the nation’s first baseline of seamless, high-resolution topographic elevation data, which is then incorporated into The National Map. These data are free and publicly available to local, state, and national agencies. They are used to inform decisions that impact the immediate safety of life, property, and the environment, and they are critical to effective, long-term infrastructure planning.

In Arkansas, lidar data has proved beneficial in supporting numerous business activities, including agriculture and precision farming, and has advanced flood-risk management, urban and regional planning, natural resources conservation, and critical mineral assessment.

Under this task order, Woolpert will collect 24,533 square miles of aerial lidar data, including parts of the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National forests, using a Leica TerrainMapper. Woolpert Project Manager Megan Blaskovich said that the size and complexity of the area of interest required extensive planning. She expects the lidar data to be acquired by fall 2024 and delivered in summer 2025. QL1 data are collected at 8 points per square meter.

“This is one of the largest Quality Level 1 lidar acquisition projects our team has been tasked with. We will be flying 996 flight lines and collecting over 940 ground control survey points,” Blaskovich said. “We are excited to get started.”

Woolpert has supported 3DEP since its launch nearly a decade ago. The firm has collected data across multiple states, tested sensors for optimal acquisition, and provided training for state and local government officials. Most recently, Woolpert delivered 13,000 square miles of aerial lidar data collected across southwest Ohio and completed lidar data acquisition across Colorado and Oregon under additional task orders for the USGS.

“It has been an honor supporting the U.S. Geological Survey and its efforts updating and enhancing The National Map,” Woolpert Program Director John Gerhard said. “The importance of this work extends far beyond the project’s completion. From disaster preparedness and emergency response to long-term infrastructure planning, these data will help inform decisions to improve the lives of individuals for years to come.”

About Woolpert
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private, and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is a Global Top 100 Geospatial Company, a Top 100 ENR Global Design firm, has earned seven Great Place to Work certifications, and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity, and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. Woolpert has over 2,000 employees and more than 60 offices on five continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.

The Geode GNSS Receiver by Juniper® Systems is Now Available with RTK

Bree Sikes — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Experience Professional-grade Mapping with the Geode GNSS Receiver.

Logan, Utah, USA – Juniper Systems, Inc., is excited to announce its Geode GNS3M (multi-frequency) GNSS Receiver will now support RTK Fixed position capability. The Geode GNS3M allows users to easily collect real-time GNSS data with sub-meter, sub-foot, decimeter, and now centimeter accuracy options. With the addition of the Hemisphere® GNSS Athena RTK Engine, Geode users will have access to the full spectrum of professional-grade mapping accuracies once RTK is activated. This scalable platform allows users to purchase the level of accuracy they need now while having the option to increase accuracy in the future.

“RTK Fix capability expands the capability of the Geode to provide our users with complete accuracy flexibility,” said John Florio, Geode product manager at Juniper Systems. “The Geode is the ultimate in flexible and scalable GNSS accuracy, with sub-meter, sub-foot, decimeter, and now centimeter-level accuracies available to mappers at the level they need for the work to be done.”

The GNS3M allows for scalable accuracy. Its multi-frequency antenna includes support for all constellations on L1, L2, and L5 frequencies. Multi-frequency signal tracking, together with Atlas L-Band correction subscriptions, allow for up to decimeter accuracy. With an RTK activation, the Geode can deliver two-centimeter accuracy through the use of a Network RTK service provider. This allows Geode to be used in cases that require certain standards or accuracy requirements around the world, such as meeting the GNSS accuracy suggestions of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as listed in their publications 38-22 and 75-22.

“Today’s professional mapping workforce needs flexibility, and the capability to deliver data within varied tolerances depending on specific job requirements,” Florio said. “Adding Network RTK correction capability will help to achieve the accuracies required for critical infrastructure mapping projects now and into the future.”

The RTK license activation can be included at the time of purchase of a multi-frequency enabled Geode GNS3M; or added at any time in the future to an existing GNS3M receiver. Multi-frequency activation is required for RTK. Multi-frequency and RTK activations are a one-time fee. RTK correction data can be accessed through local, regional and national RTK network providers.

The Geode GNS3 continues to offer flexible connectivity and can be used with Microsoft® Windows, Android, and Apple® iPhone® and iPad® devices. Its all-in-one design makes the Geode GNS3 a compact device with a single button for easy use. A USB-C port allows for data transfer and fast charging, and an antenna port allows for the use of an external antenna if desired.

Geode GNS3M multi-frequency receivers and RTK activations are available now through Juniper Systems and our reseller partner network.

About Juniper Systems

Founded in 1993, Juniper Systems, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of ultra-rugged tablets, handheld computers, GNSS receivers, mapping software, and field computing solutions. Professionals utilize Juniper Systems’ innovative mobile computers in natural resources, utilities and public services, geospatial, agriculture, industrial, railway, mining and military markets. In addition, the company’s HarvestMaster brand makes solutions for agricultural applications.

Juniper Systems is based in Logan, UT, USA, and employs more than 190 people there, and at its EMEA office based near Birmingham, UK. It was twice recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Beehive State and honored with awards for best compensation, work-life balance, and employee happiness among small and mid-sized U.S. companies by business research firm Comparably.

Visit us online at https://junipersys.com.

Medaro Acquires Additional Claims at Lac La Motte in Quebec and Discovers High Grade Lithium Samples

C+S — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 20:00:00 +0000

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE:MEDA; OTC:MEDAF; FWB:1ZY) (“Medaro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce a significant expansion of its Lac La Motte property in Quebec (the “Property”) through the acquisition of 15 additional claims (the “New Claims”) contiguous to its original western and northern boundaries, adding over 1000 hectares of prime territory to the Property.

During the initial exploration of the New Claims, Medaro’s team uncovered substantial pegmatite outcroppings, from which the Company collected 24 samples. Further, Medaro sampled a substantial boulder float (Figure 1) with an astonishing 5380 ppm Li (1.15% lithium oxide).

At this time, the Company intends to conduct further exploration activity on the Property, including satellite imaging, prospecting, and a diamond drilling initiative. In addition, the Company is performing a comprehensive analysis comparing the Company’s 2022 drill results (as described in the Company’s news release dated February 15, 2023) with the results of the aforementioned satellite imaging.

Michael Mulberry, CEO of Medaro, stated, “It’s exhilarating to witness yet another triumph for our Quebec-based lithium ventures. These results invigorate us, setting the stage for an extensive exploration agenda for Medaro’s Lac La Motte property in the future.”

Qualified Person
Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., a “Qualified Person” for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

About the Lac La Motte Lithium Property
Situated in the prolific mining region of Abitibi, Quebec, merely 40 kilometers Northwest of Val-d’Or, the Lac La Motte Property is strategically located. Several active lithium prospects/mines, positioned 5 km to 20 km from our property, underscore the lithium exploration potential of the area. Historical diamond drilling in the 1950s at the Property has yielded promising results, with drill holes returning over 1% lithium oxide values.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Michael Mulberry
CEO and Director

About the Company
Medaro Mining Corp. is a lithium exploration company based in Vancouver, BC, which holds options on the Superb Lake lithium property located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the Lac La Motte, Darlin, Rapide, Pontax and Cyr lithium properties in Quebec and the Yurchison uranium property in Northern Saskatchewan. The Company is also involved in the development and commercialization of a new process to extract lithium from spodumene concentrate through its Global Lithium Extraction Technologies joint venture.

For more detailed information, please consult the Company’s filings, available at www.sedarplus.com.

Trimble Launches New IonoGuard Technology to Mitigate Costly GNSS Signal Interruptions

C+S — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 18:00:00 +0000

WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) introduced today Trimble IonoGuard, a next-generation technology designed to mitigate ionospheric disruptions in positioning and navigation by minimizing performance impacts caused by scintillation or signal noise.

Referred to as solar activity, ionospheric disturbances peak every 11 years. The next major disruption, Solar Cycle 25, is expected to peak between 2024 and 2026. Ionospheric activity can directly impact the quality of GNSS signals, leading to the degradation of position accuracy. While this type of disturbance has the greatest impact on high precision GNSS users operating around equatorial and high latitude regions, global disruptions are possible during the height of the solar cycle.

Available as a downloadable firmware update on Trimble GNSS receivers utilizing the Trimble ProPoint^® GNSS positioning engine, IonoGuard leverages the latest developments in Trimble’s high-precision receiver hardware design and signal tracking to deliver improved positioning performance in challenging environments. This will minimize the probability of a complete loss of GNSS signals and improve the quality of the signals’ accuracy and integrity.

“IonoGuard is Trimble’s newest innovation on the path to raise the bar on positioning integrity and performance worldwide,” said Stuart Riley, vice president of GNSS technology at Trimble. “It brings our customers closer to uninterrupted and robust positioning data on every project, around the clock. Whether it’s mitigating the impacts of Solar Cycle 25 or another ionospheric event, we’re building advancements into Trimble GNSS technology to deliver accurate and reliable positioning solutions today, tomorrow and beyond.”

Availability

For Trimble’s geospatial, civil construction and OEM GNSS receivers supporting the ProPoint GNSS positioning engine, IonoGuard is a free downloadable firmware update expected to be available in the 4th quarter of 2023 for receivers under warranty.

About Trimble

Dedicated to the world’s tomorrow, Trimble is a technology company delivering solutions that enable our customers to work in new ways to measure, build, grow and move goods for a better quality of life. Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve productivity, quality, safety, transparency and sustainability. From purpose-built products and enterprise lifecycle solutions to industry cloud services, Trimble is transforming critical industries such as construction, geospatial, agriculture and transportation to power an interconnected world of work. For more information about Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), visit: www.trimble.com.

Medaro Acquires Additional Claims at Lac La Motte in Quebec and Discovers High Grade Lithium Samples

C+S — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Michael Mulberry
CEO and Director

For more detailed information, please consult the Company’s filings, available at www.sedarplus.com.

Virtual Surveyor Unveils Photogrammetry App in Major New Release of Smart Drone Survey Software

C+S — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 22:00:00 +0000

AARSCHOT, Belgium – Virtual Surveyor has added drone photogrammetry capabilities to the latest release of its popular Virtual Surveyor smart drone surveying software. The new Terrain Creator app photogrammetrically processes drone photos to generate survey-grade terrains which then transfer seamlessly into the traditional Virtual Surveyor workspace where the real survey work can be performed.

“Virtual Surveyor software is now two desktop apps in one subscription package that create a seamless end-to-end drone survey workflow to save time and money,” said Tom Op ‘t Eyndt, Virtual Surveyor CEO. “Terrain Creator removes complexity from the drone photogrammetry process, offering a visual and intuitive application to produce an orthomosaic and digital surface model (DSM) from drone photos.”

Virtual Surveyor software was originally developed to bridge the gap between drone photogrammetric processing applications and engineering design packages. Until this new release, users had to rely on third-party software to generate elevation models and an orthomosaic that could then be worked on with the Virtual Surveyor toolset to derive the 3D topographic information needed by engineers for construction, surface mining, and excavation projects.

“Drone surveyors no longer have to spend money on a third-party photogrammetry package to convert their drone photos into an orthomosaic and DSMs,” said Op ‘t Eyndt. “It just comes with our package, and the fully integrated workflow eliminates the time spent porting photogrammetry products from another package into Virtual Surveyor.”

Once the survey-grade terrains flow from the Terrain Creator into the Virtual Surveyor desktop app, users access the familiar interactive virtual environment and robust toolsets to generate CAD models, create cut-and-fill maps and calculations, or calculate volume reports – just as they always have in Virtual Surveyor.

Current subscribers to Virtual Surveyor Ridge and Peak editions will see their software updated automatically to Version 9.0 with Terrain Creator. A flexible licensing setup will allow two users within a subscribing organization to use the Terrain Creator and Virtual Surveyor applications simultaneously from different computers.

Virtual Surveyor will demonstrate the new software release with Terrain Creator at InterGEO 2023 (Hall 1.2, Stand D1.030) on October 10-12 in Berlin, Germany, and other trade fairs this fall.

To start a free 14-day trial of Virtual Surveyor and to view details of the Valley, Ridge, and Peak pricing plans, visit www.virtual-surveyor.com.

About Virtual Surveyor

Virtual Surveyor software enables professional surveyors to generate accurate topographic end products from drone photos five times faster than traditional field work in a seamless fully integrated workflow. Now used in 88 countries, Virtual Surveyor creates topographic information from drone data in very short timeframes. In a typical application, the suite generates an orthomosaic and digital surface model (DSM) from UAV imagery and then transfers the survey-grade terrain products to an interactive virtual environment onscreen where surveyors can select the survey points and breaklines that define topography. Standard topographic outputs from the Virtual Surveyor software are Surfaces or TINs (Triangular Irregular Network), Contours, Line Surveys, Stockpile Reports and Cut-and-Fill Maps for use in a variety of engineering design applications.

Bowman Supplying Engineering and Survey for a new Entertainment Center within San Diego’s Midway-Pacific Highway Community

C+S — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Reston, VA – Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (the “Company” or “Bowman”) (NASDAQ: BWMN) was contracted by Midway Rising to deliver engineering, survey and mapping services for a new entertainment center and master plan for San Diego’s Midway-Pacific Highway community. The Midway Rising group includes Zephyr, Legends and Chelsea Investment Corporation.

As part of the Midway Rising master plan, the new entertainment center is replacing the Pechanga Arena with a 16,000-seat facility designed to host an array of events, including sports matches, concerts and entertainment shows. This new entertainment center stands as a significant cornerstone within the broader Midway Rising redevelopment initiative of breathing new life into surplus land within the Midway-Pacific Highway community. The master plan also includes 4,250 housing units to include 2,000 designated as affordable housing units.

“Bowman is dedicated to upholding the highest standard of services to ensure the new sports entertainment center aligns seamlessly with the vibrant vision of the Midway Districts revitalization” said Greg Shields, principal at Bowman. “When PDC was acquired by Bowman, this is the kind of revenue synergy and growth opportunity we were hoping to realize. Our award of this project underscores Bowman’s commitment to contributing to developments that elevate and enrich communities.”

Bowman is providing a comprehensive list of services, including ALTA and boundary surveys, preliminary engineering and several technical studies. The company will leverage its expertise to craft site plan designs per City of San Diego requirements. This includes meticulous planning of street alignments, strategic grading techniques, storm drain systems and water quality designs. The company’s approach is not only centered on regulatory compliance but also on minimizing the project’s ecological footprint.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Bowman and know they will contribute significantly to the transformation of the Midway-Pacific Highway community,” said Brad Termini, CEO at Zephyr. “Their commitment to excellence and their dedication to blending innovation with sustainability aligns seamlessly with the goals of the redevelopment.”

About Bowman Consulting Group Ltd.

Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Bowman is an engineering services firm delivering infrastructure solutions to customers who own, develop, and maintain the built environment. With over 2,000 employees and more than 80 offices throughout the United States, Bowman provides a variety of planning, engineering, geospatial, construction management, commissioning, environmental consulting, land procurement and other technical services to customers operating in a diverse set of regulated end markets. Bowman trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol BWMN. For more information, visit bowman.com or investors.bowman.com.

Ohio State Gets New and Improved 200-Meter Indoor Track with Help from an Advanced Polymer from NCFI Geotechnical

C+S — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 22:00:00 +0000

HOUSTON, TX—Track and Field at Ohio State’s French Field House needed a major facelift to be ready to compete in the upcoming NCAA season.

“The university’s 200-meter indoor track needed serious repair,” says Joe Work, owner of the Cleveland-based company, Mr. Level. “At some point in time, every track in the US faces problems from sub-surface soil erosion. The track inside French Field House has been resurfaced many times because of settling issues due to erosion. However, the cause of the settling issues had not been addressed. It needed void filling in the ground deep beneath the field house, leveling then resurfacing to meet NCAA standards, so they called us.”

Work says the university faced two choices: Excavate the entire track and replace it, which would cost in the neighborhood of $1-1.2 million and shut down the track for many months—perhaps throwing the season into question—or find a less invasive and expensive solution. “We counseled them to use a deep injection method of a polyurethane system called Terrathane to fills the voids caused by erosion and stabilize the soil, then lift the track to the 1/8th inch exacting standard of the NCAA.”

Work says his company first set up five-foot grid patterns, drilled two-inch holes into the subsurface and soil to depths of three, six, and nine feet, then inserted three 5/8-inch rods per hole and injected the polyurethane foam at each level. “We injected 35-50 lbs. of Terrathane, which expands to fills voids, into every hole at each level. Because of sensitivity to the NCAA requirements, we set up a system of laser levels to monitor any movement as the polyurethane carefully lifted the track to ensure we met the exacting standard.”

According to Work, the project went smoothly, and the university was completely satisfied with the results. “They saved hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it only took five days. The university resurfaced the track, and it was usable once the asphalt cured. They’ll have a new and improved track to compete on when the season roll around.”

Work’s company has been using NCFI’s Terrathane for more than seven years because of the quality and consistency of the product, and because the company support comes from people who’ve been applicators or engineers. “NCFI Geo knows how to solve problems like this Ohio State track, and they provide us on-site support to make sure we have what we need every time.”

Inspections of the Surduc Dam advanced with airborne LiDAR surveying

C+S — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Montreux, Switzerland – TOPODRONE, a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision surveying equipment, and Graphein, an EU service integrator for the construction industry, recently had a use case on the Surduc Dam inspections (EU) with the aerial TOPODRONE LiDAR 200+. The collected data is applied by the local Romanian dam managers to improve monitoring of the dam and its surroundings.

The flight of DJI M300 equipped with TOPODRONE LiDAR 200+ (c) TOPODRONE

The Surduc Dam is a vital piece of the European infrastructure, supplying Timișoara – the 2023 European Cultural Capital – with both drinking and industrial water. Nestled at an elevation of 195 meters above sea level, the dam plays a pivotal role in energizing a micro-hydropower plant boasting a capacity of 2MW.

The survey of the dam was conducted in spring 2023 by 2 Graphein team members. The project took 2 days: one day for data collection with DJI M300 equipmed with TOPODRONE LiDAR 200+ and P61 camera & one day for data processing with TOPODRONE Post-Processing software in the office.

‘UAV dam surveys improve inspection safety and efficiency. It is a fast and precise way of mapping to support dam managers with assessing the dam face for abnormalities or degradation. The accuracy of models obtained by drone surveys advance vulnerability analysis’, Iliya Shikov, TOPODRONE CTO, explains.

‘It is one of the latest projects Graphein has contributed to in Europe. In order to obtain the best results for our client – as fast as possible without damaging the quality of our outcome – we’ve relied on TOPODRONE technical solutions, in particular the new LiDAR 200+. It has helped us acquire relevant information, very rich detail wise, and later deliver dense point clouds and orthophotos’, Andrei Șueran, Graphein’s managing partner, adds.

Data collected with TOPODRONE LiDAR 200+ over the Surduc Dam (c) TOPODRONE

Earlier this year TOPODRONE released TOPODRONE Slam 100 for mobile mapping and a new lightweight 360° LiDAR model range: LiDAR 100 & 100+ with a 100 m working flight altitude and LiDAR 200+ with a 200 m working flight altitude. All of them can be used as a single payload for different carriers and installed on a drone, car and backpack. The products will be showcased at Commercial UAV expo in Las Vegas (USA) in September and at Intergeo in Berlin in October.

Harris County Flood Control District Partners with LAN for Two Major Sediment Removal Projects

C+S — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 20:00:00 +0000

(Houston, Texas) The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has partnered with planning, engineering and program management firm, Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. (LAN) for two major sediment removal projects in the Greens Bayou and Cypress Creek/Little Cypress Creek watersheds.

These projects will restore critical bayou capacity to reduce flood risk, remove siltation and repair damage caused by Hurricane Harvey to re-establish channel conveyance capacity to pre-Harvey conditions.

LAN will complete engineering services for survey, environmental, geotechnical, sediment removal design, permitting and all support services for over 75 miles of channel in the Little Cypress, Cypress Creek, and Greens Bayou watersheds. The team will navigate the specific challenges associated with sediment removal, such as federal funding compliance, environmental permitting, provisions for material disposal, utility conflicts, construction access, and traffic control—having designed and overseen these measures on numerous HCFCD projects in the past.

Matt Manges, PE, CFM, ENV SP, LAN Vice President and Stormwater Practice Leader, says, “We’re eager to partner with the District on these critical projects. Our team is prepared to leverage our expertise and resources to effectively address the challenges.”

LAN has previously worked on various projects for the District, including Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery projects, channel and detention basin repairs, and Tropical Storm Imelda channel repairs. Manges continues, “We understand the importance of flood control measures and are dedicated to implementing innovative solutions that will contribute to the long-term resilience and safety of the surrounding communities.”

The District is a leading authority dedicated to reducing the risk of flooding and protecting the residents and infrastructure of Harris County, Texas. As a proactive and responsive organization, the District implements comprehensive flood management strategies, including infrastructure projects, maintenance, and monitoring, to mitigate the impact of flooding events. With a commitment to community safety and environmental stewardship, the District works collaboratively with public and private partners to foster resilience and enhance the quality of life for all residents in Harris County.

WSP Geospatial Threat Management Tool Cited for Engineering Innovation

C+S — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 21:00:00 +0000

DALLAS — A specialized geohazard risk management platform to identify, inventory and track geohazards across more than 32,000 miles of TC Energy’s U.S. pipeline system in 38 states has received special recognition for Engineering Innovation from the Southern Gas Association (SGA).

The annual SGA Awards recognize members for advancing the natural gas industry. The 2023 winners were selected from 61 nominated projects with more than 1,500 votes cast from Southern Gas Association members. Winners were announced on June 13.

TC Energy’s GeoForce was built within the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) ArcGIS Enterprise, a robust and industry-leading mapping and location analytics platform, and customized by WSP USA, a leading engineering, environment and professional services consultancy. The toolset centralizes data into a single geospatial platform that is used daily by members of the Weather and Outside Forces (WOF) geohazard threat management team.

The GeoForce program has been very successful in better supporting geohazard threat management for TC Energy, a company that provides world-class energy infrastructure to communities across North America.

The web-based platform includes multiple custom apps and dashboards that enable the WOF team to efficiently view, summarize, add and update geohazard threat data. Another key feature is its connection to the ArcGIS GeoEvent Server, which provides near real-time geohazard threat notifications via dashboards and email, plus detailed information about sections of the system that are impacted by geohazard events.

“TC Energy’s datasets are extensive, covering their entire footprint across the U.S. — a sizable portion of which crosses through areas that are highly susceptible to geologic hazards,” said Stephen Schmidt, assistant vice president and asset risk data management practice lead at WSP. “This includes 15,000 active areas and some 30,000 water crossings that are being tracked for TC Energy’s pipeline system, so it’s a massive amount of data. We’re currently in the third year of this project and already preparing for the ninth release of the platform this September.”

GeoForce is designed to handle three primary types of threat data:

pipeline exposure locations: Supplies essential information about areas where pipelines may be exposed and potentially prone to damage or interference,
water crossing locations: Focuses on significant points of potential risk within the TC network and the data that helps manage and mitigate those risks, and
landslide identification: Provides a repository of all identified landslide sites near the centerline.

In the web-based platform the WOF team can rapidly view, query and inventory new geohazard threat data and readily cross reference spatial threat data with other TC Energy datasets.

While Schmidt oversees the data management portion of WSP’s work with this longtime client, other members of the team are involved in the field program. Initially, data on 15,000 landslides was collected.

“Those are all individual site delineations for high resolution LiDAR data, with numerous high-risk locations requiring an in-person site assessment,” Schmidt said. “About 10 years of field work went into collecting the initial database and, today, data is still being collected.”

Schmidt added that collaboration with our WSP team in Turin, Italy, resulted in custom data entry tools, several automated project workflows, and development of predictive climate models, as well as automated data integrity checks.

Essentially, WSP built a novel system on the client’s network with the client’s software and data, leveraging it in a more robust manner that was customized to address the real needs of TC Energy.

“It can be difficult to quantify the value of what we are doing because it’s about risk mitigation,” Schmidt said. “So to have SGA recognize the GeoForce system as an innovative risk management tool highlights the value of what WSP and TC Energy are achieving.”

SGA is an important forum for recognizing leading natural gas companies across the U.S. and Canada, supporting and showcasing companies and individuals that achieve real, measurable business outcomes in their organizations.

About WSP USA
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering, environment and professional services firms. Recognized on Fast Company’s Brands that Matter List for 2022 as a top Community-Minded Business, WSP USA brings together engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals who are dedicated to collaborate in the best interests of serving local communities. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,500 employees in 300 offices across the U.S., WSP partners with its clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com

McCarthy Completes Pile Drive on Port of Beaumont Main Street Terminal

C+S — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 19:00:00 +0000

McCarthy Building Companies has achieved a major milestone on the Port of Beaumont’s Main Street Terminal 1 project – driving the last concrete pile after a year-long process. The milestone was commemorated with an event on July 13^th attended by officials from the Port of Beaumont, McCarthy employees, and trade partners.

McCarthy’s project scope includes demolition of a collapsed dock structure and construction of a new state-of-the-art general cargo dock with a roll on/roll off terminal. The original dock collapsed in 2012, requiring McCarthy to demolish the entire dock, removing all timber piles and collapsed concrete dock structure that was in water which has zero visibility. McCarthy used an unmanned hydrographic survey vessel to assist in the identification of the underwater dock debris and used divers and cranes to remove all remaining debris.

The new dock is 1,200 feet long and 130 feet wide, with a larger section in the middle measuring 152 feet wide. Its construction consists of 548 concrete piles, cast-in-place concrete caps and beams, pre-case concrete deck panels, and a concrete topping slab. The piles are 30×30 square inches and 90 feet long, with 55 piles measuring 140 feet long. Due to the nature of existing underwater obstructions, multiple piles had to be shifted, requiring probing each time. Piles were driven using a 440 ton crane and barge, D-100 Diesel Hammer, and a 40×40 foot floating steel template. The concrete piles provide a corrosion-resistant foundation for extended resiliency, as well as a final concrete topping slab using synthetic concrete reinforcing fibers. In addition to welded steel wire mesh for added resiliency.

The new fender system includes an energy-absorbing component to reduce loads on the dock, which will extend its useful life. McCarthy self-performed all concrete and pile installation, as well as utility installation including water and sewer.

The Main Street Terminal 1 project is the largest of the 20 projects on the Port of Beaumont’s 2022 Capital Improvement Program. McCarthy began work on the Main Street Terminal in February of 2022, with total completion scheduled for mid-2024. Once complete, the project is expected to increase the port’s general cargo handling capacity by more than 15%.

Drones, Trees, and Water: A Highway Project in Romania

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

By Luke Carothers

Andrei Șueran founded Graphein nine years ago on a leap of faith with his business partner Eurgen Ursu. While Șueran says that simply starting a business in itself is an adventure, starting Graphein was even more of a fraught road. This is because pitching Graphein meant pitching new technologies and solutions to a market that he says favors “the good old ways.” Despite the challenges, Șueran and Ursu made a bet when they founded the company, but, so far, they’ve played their cards right. Based in Romania, Graphein is a service integrator for the construction industry–supporting engineering, surveying, 3D scanning and modeling, and building behavior monitoring–and an Autodesk partner. Șueran says that he and Ursu take pride in that they’ve managed to gather people within Graphein that are able to both “deliver jaw-dropping results” and maintain an open culture filled with passionate individuals. According to Șueran, this ability to recruit and retain top-level talent, that are also amazing individuals, has led to a pleasant working environment and a great reputation with clients.

Șueran is, at his core, a geodetic engineer–”always and forever” in his words. He never envisioned taking on the role of an entrepreneur. However, Șueran believes that becoming an entrepreneur came into his life in a “natural manner”, having stemmed from a long lasting desire to improve and innovate his field of work. His movement into entrepreneurship has allowed him to do just that, and, since founding Graphein, he has been able to get more involved with the process of product development. This includes working more in the testing phase and contributing input to the process.

Șueran believes that one of the most common needs across the construction industry is the ability to optimize and speed up processes without compromising the quality of work. Șueran also believes that drones have and will continue to play a massive role in providing this service for the construction industry. For many companies in the construction industry, the deployment of drones has resulted in massing time-savings while also producing “top-notch” results. An extended result of the effect drone deployment has had on the AEC industry is that companies are able to get involved in more projects. Șueran extends this, believing that drones have also increased companies’ abilities to engage in projects with various degrees of difficulty. These positive results mean that the construction industry has gained a high level of trust in the technology, but still other technologies that have the same potential to shape the industry are still in the process of earning this trust. As the benefits of these technologies are demonstrated, Șueran believes that, like drones, people will begin relying on them more. Șueran notes that there have been projects brought to fruition solely by using drone surveying. In the example of drones, this wider adoption of the technology has led to a new market filled with “high quality products.”

To highlight just how much drones and drone technology have shaped the construction industry, he points to an ambitious project that involves building a highway that connects the cities of Sibiu and Pitești in Romania. This massive project consists of 7 tunnels, 24 bridges, and 18 viaducts. In the process of constructing this important piece of infrastructure, Graphein and the other project teams relied on TOPODRONE products like LiDAR ULTRA and AQUAMAPPER. According to Șueran, the project has put his team to the test because of its location in an “unfriendly landform,” which consists of densely wooded areas and significant elevation changes. Șueran says the project has put his team and equipment to the test, but, by relying on the best products, these difficulties are surmountable. To overcome the challenges posed by terrain, Graphein’s team has been deploying TOPODRONE’s LiDAR ULTRA on board a DJI Matrice 300 drone to capture laser scanning from an altitude of 100-120 meters. Using this technology, he says they were able to capture an area of densely-wooded terrain 32-km lengthwise by 400 meters wide with only 14 drone flights.

The highway construction project from Sibiu to Pitești also contains an added wrinkle that, according to Șueran, proved to be the biggest challenge. Part of this difficult terrain scanning included mapping under the 6 river crossings on the project. To achieve this, Șueran and his team relied on TOPODRONE’s AQUAMAPPER–a device for airborne bathymetric surveying– which was then only recently out of development. He says that, despite the potential difficulties posed by this underwater mapping, AQUAMAPPER has vastly improved the performance of the bathymetric surveying for the project. What is perhaps more remarkable is that, despite the terrain challenges stemming from water, trees, and topography, surveying for the project lasted less than 10 days. Șueran points out that drones played a significant role in shaping the project, and the time they saved is a testament to how much drone technology has advanced in the construction industry. By relying on tools like those developed by TOPODRONE, Șueran believes that more projects like the one in Romania will see immensely positive results.

Geotechnical specialists scale Brighton’s chalk cliffs to tackle rockfalls

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 18:00:00 +0000

A specialist team from CAN Geotechnical has been using rope access to work at a height of 30 metres (ten storeys) on Brighton’s chalk cliffs, between the marina and Saltdean, making the area safe after repeated rockfalls affected use of the Undercliff Walk.

CAN Geotechnical Project Manager Andy Pope said: “Our work here involves a two-pronged approach. The first priority is to make the area safe by identifying and removing any loose material (chalk and flints), which we are achieving by using light hand-scaling tools on an area of about 5000 metres. Once this has been completed, we will be carrying out a geotechnical inspection, which will provide a detailed report on the condition of the chalk face to give an informed assessment of the area.”

Andy said it had been challenging to evaluate the scale of the project until the six-person team could access and examine the cliff face. The work on the cliff began on 20 February and was paused on 7 April with 50% of the project complete. This is to avoid intrusive work on the chalk cliffs during the bird-nesting season. The project will resume in September.

He said: “In terms of technical and safety considerations for a project like this, we’ve had to align our rigging at the crest to allow for the constant movement of ropes (two 50-metre ropes for each operative), which is essential to hand scale the cliff face. For our rigging, we are using 4×4 vehicles and 8T excavators. This means that, instead of installing anchors 660 millimetres deep into the chalk cliff tops, CAN operatives have used purposely immobilised 4×4 vehicles and the excavators to create rigging that is both safe and efficient, with minimal disruption to this sensitive environment.

“It is extremely satisfying for the team to work on a project of this nature. The chalk cliffs are part of our heritage and synonymous with the region and specifically Brighton. To ensure everyone can safely appreciate the beauty of the cliffs, we need to understand the extent and the nature of the erosion and the particular challenges this will create, especially in terms of public safety, given the use of the popular Undercliff Walk.”

CAN, an RSK company, is working with RSK Geosciences on the project, with their colleagues responsible for the geotechnical inspection. CAN is carrying out the work for FM Conway as part of a project for Brighton and Hove City Council.

New ASCE Standard 77 Helps Minimize Risk in Dry Docking

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Reston, Va. – Dry docking can be extremely challenging requiring communication and coordination among a variety of stakeholders to ensure the safety of the vessel and personnel. ASCE’s newest standard, Dry Dock Standard, ASCE/COPRI 77-22, looks to specifically address safety certification of dry docking facilities. Both the US Navy and the US Coast Guard have documentation certifying facilities that drydock their ships. However, there has been no commercial standard for certifying dry docks. Many dry dock owners and operators obtain “commercial certifications” from third-party engineers, yet these certifications are not performed to a standard and are typically focused on the structural capacity.

Dry dock accidents have occurred many times over the last two decades, attributable to inadequate maintenance and inspections. The intent of this standard is to minimize the risk to personnel and the ships being drydocked. In addition, emphasis on maintenance and inspection provides the insight for facility owners and operators to enable repairs before the catastrophic loss of their capital assets.

This standard is intended for use by dry dock owners, Dockmasters, dry dock maintenance engineers, engineers engaged in dry dock inspection and certification, ship owners, and port engineers.

To purchase online visit the ASCE Bookstore

Purdue University Northwest ASCE surveying team takes first place at national competition

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 18:00:00 +0000

HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student surveying team made PNW history by winning the 2023 ASCE Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI) Surveying Society-wide Finals Competition, held June 10-12 at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. In addition to taking first place overall at nationals, the team also placed first in the field surveying competition. The PNW team finished ahead of 15 other teams from across the nation.

PNW’s team advanced to nationals by taking first place at the Indiana-Kentucky Region 4 competition, where they also achieved second place for field surveying, and third place for topographic mapping.

Team members Natalia Briggs, third-year Civil Engineering major; Quinton Pender, fourth-year Civil Engineering major; and Krish Zalavadia, third-year Civil Engineering major, attended the national competition, with Dylan Barthel, third-year Civil Engineering major, assisting the team’s win at the regional competition.

Smallest team, extraordinary effort

PNW fielded the smallest team competing at nationals with only three members. All other universities had five to six students vying for the title. This demonstrates the exceptional ability and skill of the PNW students, who strategically carried out competition tasks while maintaining compliance to rules and regulations.

“This mattered because you get penalized points if a member does more than three tasks out of the four,” said Zalavadia. “There were tasks which only one or two of us did in order to not get penalized.”

Pender, the team captain, added, “It just goes to show that you don’t need a huge group or an expensive getup in order to come out on top. All you need is dedication and proper teamwork and to just have fun with it.”

The team’s historic win reflects the quality academics and training provided by PNW’s Civil Engineering program, which is a part of the university’s nationally recognized School of Engineering in the College of Engineering and Sciences.

“Performing well in these events can open doors to new opportunities, such as scholarships, sponsorships or even future career prospects,” said Briggs.

Faculty advisor Wubeshet Woldemariam, assistant professor of Civil Engineering, added, “The team members worked so hard, and they made us proud by winning the competition. I am so happy about the team and its accomplishments.”

“The team members have worked very hard, and they made us proud by their success,” said Dietmar Rempfer, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences and director of the School of Engineering. “I am thrilled about our team and its accomplishments. This victory showcases the exceptional talent and dedication of our civil engineering students at Purdue University Northwest. It is a testament to their skills, teamwork and the quality of education they receive. We congratulate them on this historic win and look forward to more successes in the future.”

For more information about PNW’s School of Engineering, visit pnw.edu/engineering.

The Purdue Northwest School of Engineering

The PNW School of Engineering is recognized for its expertise in mechanical, civil, computer, and electrical engineering. For 2022-2023, U.S. News has ranked the school No. 42 among the Best Engineering Programs in the United States, of engineering schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Purdue University Northwest

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a premier metropolitan university dedicated to empowering transformational change in our students and in our community. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW values academic excellence, supports growth, and celebrates diversity. For more information about PNW, visit www.pnw.edu.

Another ENGEO Soil and Material-Testing Laboratory Earns Certification

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 14:00:00 +0000

VALENCIA, CA – ENGEO, the most comprehensive geoscience engineering firm in the world, has expanded its laboratory capabilities and services to Valencia, California, and is now Caltrans certified. This new lab offers the largest number of AASHTO testing services in Northern LA County and will help further service the Southern California area.“Clients can take advantage of our easy access, and highly qualified, friendly staff to take care of their laboratory testing needs,” said Annamarie Usher, Associate, who leads ENGEO’s Valencia office and laboratory.

ENGEO’s Valencia lab is on the City of Los Angeles’s official list of testing agencies, and test methods will continue to expand with the addition of recent certifications including Direct Shear, R-Value, and LA Rattler.

“We are excited to expand our laboratory capabilities in the Santa Clarita Valley to serve projects throughout Southern California. Our team is committed to serving the needs of our clients, projects, and communities,” said Kristie Paul, Laboratory Supervisor.

ENGEO maintains seven soil and materials testing laboratories managed by registered geotechnical engineers. ENGEO laboratories are accredited through USACE, AASHTO Re:source, Caltrans, and DSA. Quality-assurance programs such as AASHTO Re:source, and CCRL are utilized for laboratory control and quality assurance.

To learn more about the services ENGEO provides, visit the company’s website.

UES Expands Geotechnical Expertise with Acquisition of Riner Engineering

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

UES, a national leading engineering and consulting company, has acquired Riner Engineering, a geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing and inspection firm headquartered in Houston, TX.

Founded in 2006, Riner Engineering includes an experienced team of more than 170 engineers, project managers, technicians, and support staff based in offices in the Houston headquarters, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. Riner maintains full-service soil and CMT laboratories accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

The firm has successfully completed thousands of projects throughout the state of Texas and has serviced private and public clients across multiple industries. Noteworthy Riner projects include Daikin Industries’ $410 million, 4+ million square foot distribution and manufacturing facility in Waller, Texas, the world’s largest according to the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, and Houston Airport Systems’ Mickey Leland International Terminal (MLIT), Federal Inspection Services (FIS) building, and Checked Baggage Inspection and Screening (CBIS) building at Bush Intercontinental Airport as part of the $1.36 billion ITRP program.

Riner joins the Texas Region of UES, led by Brian Powell, P.E., President of the Texas Region. Riners’ leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business. “Riner Engineering further expands the capabilities of our region and we are excited with the experience and people that Riner brings to our Texas team,” said Brian Powell, P.E.

“We’re proud to announce the expansion of our presence and technical expertise in Texas,” said UES CEO Dave Witsken. “Texas is a leading market for infrastructure development in the U.S., and we believe UES will be better able to serve the growing market and provide enhanced services, solutions, and support to our clients with the addition of the Riner Engineering team.”

Ken Riner, P.E., President of Riner Engineering, adds, “With this partnership, we at Riner can improve our ability to provide top-of-the line geotechnical engineering and materials testing services with access to more personnel, more equipment, and more capabilities. Working in UES and UES’ Texas Region allows Riner to continue performing at the highest levels of our chosen engineering specialties, with top-quality people and a wider range of tools.”

Beginning in 2019, UES’ acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, Faulkner Engineering Services, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, and now Riner Engineering, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

NEW GEOTHERMAL GSHP PIPING SYSTEMS DOCUMENT AVAILABLE

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000

The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) has released a new Model Specification document that provides guidance to specifiers, engineers, designers, and others about selecting, specifying and installing plastic piping materials for ground source geothermal systems. Prepared by PPI’s Building & Construction Division, PPI MS-7 Model Specification for Plastic Piping Materials for Ground Source Geothermal Applications applies to plastic piping materials for open- and closed-loop, horizontal and vertical, direct-buried, and submerged water-based ground-source geothermal heat exchange systems.

PPI MS-7 includes detailed specifications for four plastic piping materials which have been proven in ground-source heat exchange systems: HDPE, PE-RT, PEX, and PP (PP-R and PP-RCT). According to PPI, the definitions, terms and other information can be readily used in bid documents, for example. The model specification provides language related to pipe and tubing materials, fittings, and joining procedures. Installation and pressure testing recommendations are also provided. It complements another PPI document, PPI TN-55 Plastic Piping Materials for Ground Source Geothermal Heating and Cooling Applications.

The construction of large HDPE manifolds for a commercial geothermal system. The new PPI MS-7 provides detailed language for specifying both outdoor and indoor GSHP piping systems. Photo courtesy of Geosource Energy Inc.

“High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has been the primary piping material used in geothermal ground loops for decades and is a proven resource for this application. The product standards and specifications for HDPE piping, however, have evolved in recent years, so a specifier that uses outdated language for piping systems may inadvertently specify a product that no longer exists in the market, or one that is simply less capable than the current state-of-the-art.” explained Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for PPI’s Building & Construction Division. “Also, two other types of HDPE-based piping materials, PEX and PE-RT, are now approved in model codes for geo ground loop and are important options for certain projects. In addition, PP-R and PP-RCT piping systems are recommended for indoor piping.”

Because geothermal systems significantly assist with decarbonization and deliver energy savings when heating and cooling buildings, this is the most exciting time in the geothermal industry in terms of market acceptance and new opportunities. Ground source heat pump systems are one of the most sustainable applications of plastic piping systems.

The team of experts from PPI member companies that developed MS-7 consulted with the latest model codes and standards from ASTM, CSA, IAPMO, ICC, IGSHPA, and NSF when developing the content. The new model spec also includes an entire section on Indoor Piping Products which are typically installed in mechanical rooms to connect the outdoor ground loops with heat pumps and hydronic distribution systems.

Additional information and data about piping materials used for both outdoor ground loop and indoor mechanical room piping materials is available from the PPI Building & Construction Division at www.plasticpipe.org/buildingconstruction.

Aurigo Software Partners with University of Florida to Develop Cutting-Edge Solution for Underwater Projects

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Aurigo Software, the leading provider of capital planning and construction management software for infrastructure and private owners, is partnering with the University of Florida’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering to develop a revolutionary system for underwater surveying, mapping, and inspection, provisionally named Bathydrone.

The current process to gather data for new underwater construction or the inspection of existing assets such as bridges, docks, and levees consists of manual surveying from divers or survey sensors mounted to a boat. With the new, safer, and more efficient Bathydrone system, a drone drags a small vessel on the water’s surface, eliminating the need for manual surveying. The vessel is equipped with a COTS sonar unit mounted on its bottom. The sonar unit has down-scan, side-scan, and chirp capabilities and logs data onboard the console, which is located inside the hull. Data can then be retrieved post-mission from the console and plotted in various ways.

“We are excited to be working on this groundbreaking technology with the team at the University of Florida,” said Balaji Sreenivasan, CEO and founder of Aurigo Software. “The Bathydrone system will vastly expand the possibilities for underwater endeavors while providing a cheaper, safer, and more eco-friendly alternative for our customers.”

Not only is data collected more easily, but the technology can also be operated remotely and autonomously using AI navigation software to overcome obstacles in or under the water, creating a faster and cheaper solution. The system will also integrate with Aurigo’s Masterworks Cloud Platform to properly store and categorize project data and route any inspections or other results for approval or further action.

Additional Bathydrone differentiators include:

Fully battery-operated and better for the environment—no fuel or loud noise
Lightweight and easily transportable
Does not require a dock or boat ramp to get in the water
Able to be deployed in a wide variety of water systems, including shallow water and rivers with strong currents
Able to survey a large area on a single charge

“This project supports our department’s mission to conduct state-of-the-art research to advance science and technology,” said Peter Ijfu, University of Florida’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Excellence Term Professor and Associate Chair of Faculty Affairs. “This pioneering approach to underwater surveying and mapping has multiple real-world applications that are not currently commercially available.”

Aurigo will work closely with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering’s staff and students to bring this leading-edge solution to the infrastructure market in the next 12 to 18 months.

DFI Announces 2023-2024 Traveling Lecturer Jesús Gómez, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 21:00:00 +0000

Jesús Gómez, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, vice president, GEI Consultants, has been selected as the 2023-2024 Traveling Lecturer. He is available, on request of DFI, to present lectures September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024.

A well-known geotechnical expert, and member of DFI, Gómez will travel and present a series of lectures to university students, professional groups and industry associations. The program promotes the field of geotechnical engineering and deep foundation construction by encouraging students to explore a career in the deep foundations industry, providing information on topics of interest to members of the industry and raising awareness of how DFI and its activities support the industry.

Gómez has more than 35 years of design and construction experience in geotechnical projects nationally and internationally. He has led numerous foundation, dam rehabilitation and earth support projects where he has developed cost-effective, constructible solutions.

He has authored over 80 publications on a variety of geotechnical and structural topics and on soil-structure interaction. He has been teaching courses on soil mechanics, foundation design, ground improvement and ground stabilization since 1985 as an adjunct professor at various universities, and as an instructor for the National Highway Institute (NHI) and other entities throughout the Americas and Europe.

Gómez obtained a civil engineering degree at Universidad Católica in Caracas, Venezuela, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Virginia Tech.

Following are the topics available for the 2023-2024 traveling lecture series:

The L-2 Viaduct No. 1, Venezuela
Exploration, Design and QA/QC for Rigid Inclusion Projects
Dos and Don’ts in Lateral Stabilization of Soils Using Deep Foundation Elements

Learn more about the Traveling Lecturer program, request the Traveling Lecturer to speak at your event or nominate someone as a future Traveling Lecturer.

S&T professors named inaugural fellows of the Taylor Geospatial Institute

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 19:00:00 +0000

Dr. Joel Burken. Photo by Michael Pierce/Missouri S&T

ROLLA, Mo. – Two professors from Missouri University of Science and Technology were recently announced as part of the inaugural class of fellows for the Taylor Geospatial Institute (TGI).

Dr. Joel Burken, Curators’ Distinguished Professor and chair of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at S&T, will serve as a fellow, as will Dr. Genda Chen, the Robert W. Abbett Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering. A total of five fellows were named.

Through this program, TGI institutions will be supported in recruiting and retaining high-achieving researchers in geospatial science fields, developing scientific leaders, and strengthening collaboration among the TGI members to accelerate the St. Louis region’s development as a world-renowned global geospatial center.

Fellows will receive support from TGI in several manners, such as discretionary funding, assistance from a TGI postdoctoral scholar, access to data analytics and computing resources, and guidance with grant proposal development.

Dr. Genda Chen. Photo by Sam O’Keefe/Missouri S&T

The three other inaugural TGI fellows include: Drs. Malia Gehan, principal investigator and assistant member at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; Carmel Martin-Fairey, assistant professor of biology at Harris-Stowe State University; and Abby Stylianou, assistant professor of computer science at Saint Louis University.

The TGI consortium includes Missouri S&T, Saint Louis University, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Harris-Stowe State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Washington University in St. Louis. Collectively, these institutions encompass more than 5,000 faculty and 100,000 students.

The TGI is housed at Saint Louis University. The institute’s mission is to advance geospatial science through collaborations to create innovative solutions to societal grand challenges. It supports a collaborative research and training environment, and its main focus areas include core geospatial science, food systems, geospatial health and national security.

Trimble Advances Reality Capture with the New X9 3D Laser Scanner

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today the Trimble^® X9 3D laser scanning system, a new versatile reality capture solution for surveying, construction and engineering professionals. The X9 is built on Trimble’s proven laser scanning technologies, engineered to enhance performance in more environments while leveraging innovations such as Trimble X-Drive technology for automatic instrument calibration, survey-grade self-leveling and laser pointer for georeferencing.

The new Trimble X9 expands on the industry-proven Trimble X7, delivering longer range, higher accuracy, shorter scan times and exceptional sensitivity, improving scan results and boosting productivity. Advanced processing and a high-performance laser increase the sensitivity of all scans, positioning the X9 at the forefront for capturing difficult dark or reflective surfaces. A new center unit design improves signal transmission for better scan quality. With more efficient reality capture capabilities, the X9 broadens potential applications for customers in surveying, building construction, oil and gas, rail, forensics, monitoring, tunneling, mining and others.

The X9 provides significant time savings with extremely accurate and dependable data, enabling confident decision making both in the field and in the office through in-field registration within Trimble Perspective and Trimble FieldLink by minimizing the need for target deployment. The auto-calibration eliminates the need for annual calibration, which lowers the cost of ownership, reduces downtime and significantly increases the users’ return on investment. In addition, the X9 also includes survey-grade self-leveling with the industry’s widest compensation range for fast, easy setup.

Trimble X9 data can be delivered directly from Trimble Perspective or FieldLink software to Trimble’s office software, including Trimble Realworks 3D scanning software, Trimble Business Center office software, SketchUp and Tekla, or exported to industry-standard formats to produce application-specific deliverables. The Trimble ecosystem provides the software and flexibility to work the way scanning professionals want, so they can deliver what their customers need.

“Our customers buy Trimble because they want reliability and performance,” said Jason Hayes, market manager, Reality Capture Solutions, Trimble Geospatial. “The Trimble X9 is simple to use, provides unsurpassed reliability, and excels at creating high-quality digital representations of the world for applications ranging from fast-paced building documentation to challenging outdoor surveys.”

Availability

The Trimble X9 is available now through Trimble’s Geospatial and Building Construction Field Solutions Distribution Partners. For more information, visit: geospatial.trimble.com/X9 or fieldtech.trimble.com/X9.

Wood Thilsted takes first steps to support development of South Korean offshore wind market

Tue, 30 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000

London, UK – Wood Thilsted is pleased to announce the establishment of its first presence in the South Korean offshore wind market with the relocation of two of its specialist engineers to support the development of about 10 potential fixed and floating offshore windfarms. Jack Cran and Luke Graydon will be co-located with Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) in Korea from April 2023. Jack will bring his skills in Geotechnical Engineering while Luke will be supporting on Floating Foundation Engineering. Both will be supported by our teams in Taiwan and Europe to ensure that COP can access WT’s full range of expertise.

This move comes at a very exciting time for the South Korean offshore wind market with significant partnership announcements in 2023 from installers, fabricators, and developers.

The high level of activity in the market is indicative of the scale of opportunity for South Korea due to its large amount of coastline and favourable wind conditions. The South Korean government recognises this and as part of its Green New Deal, is aiming to generate over 20% of the country’s power with renewables by 2030. This is supported by a target of 12GW from offshore wind capacity which is around a hundredfold increase from the 125MW of offshore wind generating capacity the country has today. This combination of factors puts South Korea is a position to become a future global player in offshore wind power generation.

Hannah Abend, Wood Thilsted Director of Growth said:

‘Korea has great ambitions in the offshore wind sector and Wood Thilsted is looking to make early hires to support the development of South Korean capabilities in offshore wind engineering. The first step to this approach is locating key WT team members in South Korea to work with our partners on South Korea’s exciting offshore wind projects, while also identifying and hiring future talent.’

Johan Hodel Meincke, Wood Thilsted regional lead for APAC said:

‘Having established exceptionally strong partnerships in Taiwan that have enabled us to harness local talent and supply chains in ways other consultancies cannot, WT is looking to build up a similar network in South Korea that benefits local communities and the economy.’

Manhard Consulting Acquires Austin Surveying Firm

Mon, 22 May 2023 19:30:00 +0000

AUSTIN, TX and LINCOLNSHIRE, IL – National civil engineering and surveying firm Manhard Consulting has acquired an established Austin-area surveying firm Abram Dashner RPLS LLC. This acquisition represents Manhard’s second office in Austin. Both offices will work closely together to provide clients in the greater Austin area the full range of engineering and surveying services.

Abe Dashner started his firm in 2018 after more than twenty years surveying in and around Austin following his graduation from Austin College. He built the practice to include two registered surveyors, three field crews, and several dedicated survey CAD technicians.

“Bringing Abe and his team on was a great fit given our strategic growth around Austin and across central Texas,” said Don Manhard, Jr., President and CEO. “We’ve worked with him on a variety of projects and share the same focus on development work and customer service. Austin’s growing status as a technology hub and with our clients in the region and statewide needing more support, we’re happy to continue our focus on and investment in the area.”

“We are excited to become part of Manhard Consulting,” said Abe Dashner. “Working with Manhard as a client and meeting with Don, Jesse Conrad, and several others from the firm made it clear that it is full of genuinely nice people. I wasn’t looking to sell, but that positive, collaborative culture is something I’ve come to recognize and appreciate and consider all-too-rare. The cultural fit and our need for more support helped make the decision.”

The acquisition is a win-win for Manhard and Abram Dashner’s team of 11. It provides a complete administrative team to support his experienced survey experts, allowing them to find and focus on completing surveying projects. The team brings deep knowledge of the greater Austin and Central Texas area into the Manhard fold.

Since joining Manhard Consulting, Abe and his team have been surveying hundreds of acres for a number of clients involved with various developments in Seward Junction, an area expected to become a major hub over the next decade. In addition, they are in the process of platting several single-family subdivisions in the Liberty Hill and Largo Vista areas.

This addition of Abram Dashner RPLS LLC to Manhard Consulting gives the firm 13 offices nationwide, with five in Texas–Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and Austin.

TWM Appoints New Chief Operating Officerto Drive Growth & Innovation

Fri, 12 May 2023 12:00:14 +0000

Swansea, IL – TWM, Inc., one of the top engineering and geospatial firms in the greater St. Louis area, is pleased to announce the appointment of Derek Twente, PLS, EI, as its Chief Operating Officer. Derek will be responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the company, as well as driving growth and innovation across all areas of the business.

Derek brings over 18 years of accomplishments, contributions, and experience in Geospatial/Surveying to his new role. He has a proven track record of investing in new technologies to increase operational efficiency and delivering results in fast-paced, dynamic environments. He also holds senior leadership positions at TWM as Vice President and Director of Geospatial Services.

As COO, Derek will work closely with President Robert DeConcini, PE, and the rest of the executive team to set the strategic direction for the company and ensure that it is executed effectively.

“The TWM Board of Directors and I couldn’t be more pleased to establish Derek in this role, formalizing his ongoing contributions as he epitomizes the culture at TWM in its mission of providing exceptional service to its clients. His wealth of experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to expand in new markets and innovate in a rapidly changing business landscape. We’re confident in his ability to help TWM build on our strengths and continue to serve as a positive influence on the company’s forward growth and expansion,” said Robert DeConcini, President.

Derek added, “I’m looking forward to this new challenge and working together with both leadership and all our employee-owners. It is exciting to be part of a talented team that continues to raise the bar and exceed expectations. The quality of this team is reflected in the standards they’ve set for themselves: Exceptional Service. Nothing Less.”

Program Highlights for DFI’s S3: Slopes, Support and Stabilization

Tue, 09 May 2023 19:42:24 +0000

The program is available for S3: Slopes, Support and Stabilization being held August 8-10 at the Royal Sonesta in Boston.

The two-and-a-half-day conference focuses on the practical application of deep foundations and ground improvement techniques for stabilizing soft ground, landslides and slopes, and supporting deep excavations. Highlights of the program include a keynote address and two panel discussions.

Scott Hamwey, director of infrastructure planning within the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Office of the Chief Engineer, is delivering the keynote address — “Major MBTA Initiatives: Where They Come From, Who They Serve, and How to Pay for Them.” Hamwey leads a team responsible for conceptual planning and early design work on a range of investments to modernize, expand or otherwise improve the MBTA and the service it provides to riders in the Greater Boston region.

The program features a panel discussion titled, “Fair Geotechnical Risk Management and Mitigation of Unforeseen and Varying Site Conditions.” This panel session will discuss risks associated with unforeseen and varying site conditions, including obstructions, using examples from the panelists and audience experiences. The intent is to share current strategies and methods that lead to equitable solutions for all stakeholders of a project.

A highlight of the event is the annual software discussion, where a problem is presented to slope stability software providers who discuss, analyze and present solutions. This year’s problem is a deep excavation site in Boston with poor soil. Edward Laczynski, P.E., of Wagman Heavy Civil is moderating the discussion, which will kick off with an introduction and brief overview of the zones of influence for excavation-induced movements presented by Damian Siebert, P.E., Haley & Aldrich. The panelists for the software discussion are Augusto Lucarelli, Itasca Consulting Group, and Robert Bradford, P.Eng., Rocscience.

The event also includes an exhibit hall of material, equipment and service providers as well as networking events, such as the popular Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Committee networking reception. For more information, visit www.dfi.org/S3-2023

Leica Geosystems introduces the next evolution in smart, autonomous mobile mapping

Fri, 05 May 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, today announced the latest addition to its Leica Pegasus TRK portfolio of mobile mapping solutions, the Leica Pegasus TRK100. Specifically designed for GIS professionals, the new mobile mapping system is a powerful, easy-to-use geospatial solution built for large-scale infrastructure measurement and digital twin creation.

Leica Geosystems’ Pegasus TRK portfolio is renowned for its simplicity and ease of use, lightweight robust design, and integration with intelligent, autonomous systems. The Pegasus TRK100 is even lighter and smaller, weighing just 14 kilogrammes, making it easy for one person to mount on any vehicle. The new mobile mapping system features the same modular hardware approach allowing users to add more cameras to expand the range of use cases.

The Pegasus TRK100 is designed to excel in GIS mapping and asset management applications, providing essential location intelligence for georeferenced visual data. Tailored for GIS professionals, it empowers them to transform their business operations. The system puts control into their hands for quick and autonomous data collection, and asset information capture.

With its advanced mapping capabilities, the Pegasus TRK100 enables GIS professionals to visualise and understand the location of assets, to help make the right decisions, improve asset management, and support infrastructure building and maintenance. The capabilities include MatchPoint for delivering next-generation point cloud refinement. This new technology combines artificial intelligence and a unique learning algorithm to enhance and optimise the clarity of points in post-processing for improved accuracy. The versatility of the Pegasus TRK100 suits a variety of applications in diverse industries, including telecommunications, utilities and road maintenance.

“The Leica Pegasus TRK100 advances autonomy and artificial intelligence in mobile mapping, removing manual process steps and providing actionable insights for informed decisions,” said Christian Schäfer, Business Director Mobile Mapping at Leica Geosystems. “It empowers GIS professionals to create the maps they need, collect the information they require and visualise the data in a way that immediately aids understanding.”

This innovative solution will be a featured Tech Highlight at Hexagon’s flagship digital reality solutions conference HxGN Live Global in Las Vegas, NV, from June 12-15, 2023.

To find out more about the Pegasus TRK solution, visit: https://leica-geosystems.com/products/leica-pegasus-trk

ROCK Robotic Introduces R3 and R3PRO LiDAR, Advancing Survey-Grade Commercial Mapping Systems

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 22:00:00 +0000

LiDAR technology company ROCK Robotic announced its latest innovative LiDAR mapping system with the launch of the R3 and R3 PRO systems. The R3 product line introduces sophisticated hardware components into a lightweight, integrated 3D point cloud collection tool. The R3 launch is the latest effort for ROCK Robotic to offer a user-friendly, end-to-end LiDAR solution to land surveyors and commercial mapping professionals.

The R3 launch is the latest effort for ROCK Robotic to offer a user-friendly, end-to-end LiDAR solution.

Inside the new ROCK R3, you’ll find cutting-edge technology, including a geodetic-grade GNSS receiver and tactical-grade IMU. The R3 PRO comes equipped with a Hesai Pandar XT32 sensor, while the lower pricepoint R3 utilizes the Hesai Pandar XT16 sensor. The R3 includes a detachable 26MP camera for high-resolution RGB image capture. The sleekly designed R3 weighs only 1.26 kg (2.77 lb) compared to the previous ROCK 360 system’s 1.70 kg (3.74 lb). In addition, the R3 offers optional advanced SLAM capabilities for mapping on the ground, as well as in areas with weak GNSS signals.

ROCK Robotic CEO Harrison Knoll is enthusiastic about offering the R3 to customers. “The ROCK R3 PRO is a major step forward for ROCK Robotic,” Knoll stated. “It offers better accuracy, better SLAM, a better camera, a lighter payload — basically a better product all around. Not only will our current customers love it, but we’re confident that the R3 will attract new customers who want a great hardware product along with our great software and support.”

The R3 LiDAR system will integrate into ROCK Robotic’s comprehensive LiDAR approach. “We want surveyors and mapping professionals to have the simplest workflow while getting the best results and deliverables,” Knoll expressed. “From the time you’re out in the field flying your drone to when you send deliverables to your client, ROCK makes it as easy as possible to make it happen. With the recently released ROCK Desktop software, R3 system and ROCK Cloud post-processing software, we’ve got all the bases covered. ROCK is definitely stepping up as a major player in the LiDAR arena.”

For more information on the ROCK R3 and R3 PRO, visit www.rockr3pro.com.

Medaro Mining Soil Sampling Identifies More Lithium Exploration Targets on the Darlin Lithium Property in Quebec

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA)(OTC:MEDAF)(FSE:1ZY) (“Medaro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the results of Phase 1 exploration fieldwork program (the “Program”) on its Darlin Lithium Property (the “Property”) located in Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada. The work identified lithium anomalies in soil sampling which the Company plans to follow up during summer 2023 exploration work. The 2022 work program included airborne and ground geophysical surveys, soil and rock sampling and diamond drilling.

Results Highlights:

A total of 209 soil samples were collected during exploration work in the summer and fall of 2022 along two grids located on the Darlin North and South Claim Blocks (see Figures 1 and 2 below).
Lithium (Li) values ranged from less than (<) 15 parts per million (ppm) to 123 ppm, indicating a trend which is extending further to the east and northern part of the Property.
The samples also reflected anomalies of other rare elements such as niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), rubidium (Rb), and cesium (Cs).
Results of eight diamond drill holes (see Figure 3 below for location) intercepted larger widths and low grades of lithium, in the range of <15 ppm to 272 ppm, in pegmatites. The lithium intercepts with over 100 ppm Li will be followed up to develop a work program for upcoming 2023 work.

Figure 1: Darlin North Soil Grid

Figure 2: Darlin South Soil Grid

Program Description
The Program was comprised of soil and rock sampling and geological mapping, aimed at sampling, mapping and identifying a group of pegmatites for their potential to host lithium mineralization. 21.83 line-kilometres of ground magnetic and very low frequency (VLF) geophysical survey was also completed as part of the Program. A high-resolution helicopter borne magnetic geophysical survey was also flown on Medaro’s Darlin and Rapide claims, the results of which will be reported in a subsequent news release once known.

A total of eight (8) diamond drill holes were drilled with a cumulative drilling of 1,286 metres NQ size core, out which two (2) holes were abandoned at shallow depths of 27m and 33m, respectively, due to difficult ground conditions. The drill holes intersected several pegmatites with varying widths and lithologies.

All rock, soil and drill core samples were bagged and tagged using best practices and were delivered to Activation Laboratories (“ACTLABS”), Ancaster, Ontario for sample preparation and analyses using laboratories code Ultratrace 7. ACTLABS is an independent commercial, accredited ISO Certified Laboratory. Drill core was logged and sampled at a core shack facility located in St-Dominique du Rosaire, Quebec.

Figure 3: Location of 2022 drill holes

Michael Mulberry, CEO of Medaro, states “I am excited to see another of our 2022 additions to our Quebec Lithium portfolio generating such positive results. As we receive and analyze the soil sampling results from Darlin lithium property, we are increasingly optimistic about the potential of this property. The data we have collected so far demonstrates indications of lithium mineralization, which gives us confidence in the viability of the project. In addition, Darlin’s proximity to the Val D’Or area, and all its support contractors, logistically enhances the value proposition of the project. We remain committed to unlocking the full potential of this asset and look forward to continuing to further exploration work in 2023 by extending the soil survey grids.”

Qualified Person
Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., a “Qualified Person” for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

UES Expands Geotechnical Expertise with Acquisition of Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

UES, a national leading engineering and consulting company, has acquired Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, a geotechnical engineering and materials testing firm headquartered in Little Rock, AR.

Founded in 1964, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt includes an experienced professional and technical team based in the Little Rock headquarters, the firm’s branch office in Springdale, AR, and the satellite office in El Dorado, AR. The firm focuses on solving foundation and earth structure problems, offering services such as geotechnical investigations, engineering analysis and design, subsurface exploration, and field and laboratory testing.

With its experienced personnel and fleet of exploration equipment, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt has provided services to numerous roadways, bridges, airports, low and high-rise structures, earthen dams and levees, landfills, and hazardous waste facilities.

Noteworthy projects include: Interstate 30 improvements in Saline and Pulaski Counties, ARDOT Connecting Arkansas projects, The Clinton Presidential Library, ARDOT Bridge Replacement Program, Pulaski County Big Dam Bridge and Two Rivers Bridge, Little Rock National / Clinton National Airport expansion projects, ARDOT Interstate 630 Improvements, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Expansion Project, and Cypress Cold Storage-Springdale, among others.

Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt joins the Midwest Region of UES, led by Ed Alizadeh, PE, JD, President of the Midwest Region. Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt’s leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business.

“We’re proud and excited to expand our geotechnical expertise with the Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt team,” said UES CEO Dave Witsken. “Their reputation as geotechnical problem solvers is well regarded, and, with their addition, we look forward to growing our services in the southern portion of the Midwest Region.”

Mark Wyatt, President of Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, said that “The opportunity to join the UES team accommodates the long-term goals for our firm to provide quality geotechnical testing and materials testing services throughout Arkansas and gives us the opportunity for expansion. We have previously teamed with the Geotechnology group on numerous projects, benefiting both firms. Becoming a part of the Midwest Region of UES will bring additional personnel and equipment and a broad increase in capabilities to our firm.”

Beginning in 2019, UES’ acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, Faulkner Engineering Services, and now Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

Medaro Mining Files Two Provisional Patent Applications on Its Hard Rock Lithium Extraction Technology

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 18:00:00 +0000

Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA) (OTC:MEDAF) (FSE:1ZY) (“Medaro” or the “Company”), a multi-faceted venture aimed at developing an innovative hard rock lithium extraction method concurrent with its lithium focused exploration in Canada, is pleased to announce the filing of two provisional patent applications (PPAs) on its proprietary spodumene processing technology (the “Technology”).

Lithium is a key component of batteries used in electric vehicles, which have become increasingly popular as the world transitions to cleaner energy sources. However, current methods of extracting lithium from the spodumene in globally widespread lithium pegmatite ore deposits are expensive and environmentally damaging.

Medaro’s Technology, which has been in development for almost two years, addresses these challenges by streamlining the lithium extraction process and minimizing environmental impacts. The Technology utilizes a combination of physical and chemical steps to extract both lithium and aluminum from spodumene with high efficiency and low environmental impact. The key characteristics of the Technology are:

it will rapidly manufacture high-purity lithium carbonate and/or lithium hydroxide monohydrate from spodumene concentrates with widely varying Li₂O contents;
it only requires three feedstock materials (spodumene concentrate, carbon dioxide, and water);
it will be compact, modular, highly scalable, and amenable to deployment in remote geographic locations;
it produces commercial grade aluminum hydroxide/oxide as a saleable by-product;
it can be powered entirely by green electricity; and
its closed-loop internal recycling design significantly reduces overall processing time and costs, producing only a trivial amount of environmental waste.

Factoring in all of the above, the Technology holds the potential to reduce overall spodumene processing costs by at least 30% to 50%.

“We are thrilled to have filed PPAs on this ground-breaking technology,” said Faizaan Lalani, Medaro’s President. “Our team has been working tirelessly to develop a solution that makes spodumene-sourced lithium extraction more sustainable, and we believe this technology is a major step in that direction.”

The Technology has already been successfully tested at the bench-scale laboratory level, and Medaro is currently finalizing plans to build its first pilot plant in the United States. The Company is also exploring partnerships with other mining companies, in various capacities, to further advance the lithium mining industry.

PUMA: the new accreditation scheme from TSA creates a national standard for utility surveys

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

More than four million excavations take place nationwide every year. Many of these take place without a detailed search for pipes and cables being carried out first. Striking of these underground assets can cause injury and death, as well as millions of pounds worth of damage and delays to major projects. Raising standards in utility surveys is essential to prioritise safety, drive efficiency and save money. To achieve this, The Survey Association, the trade association representing land surveyors in the UK, has launched an accreditation scheme for its members who carry out utility surveys.

Named PUMA (PAS128 Utility Mapping Accreditation), the new accreditation scheme will be run by LRQA, a global leader in assurance, certification and inspection services. PUMA is designed to assess the ability of surveyors to deliver to the PAS128 specification. It will provide a benchmark and create a national standard for best practice for underground surveys. Membership of the scheme will give accredited surveyors a competitive edge and will be a tangible means of demonstrating their continuous professional improvement.

The globally trailblazing accreditation scheme is open to all eligible members of The Survey Association (TSA). The rigorous assessment process for gaining accreditation has two key stages. The first is an assessment of the applicant’s office systems and the second stage is a site assessment. Following accreditation, LRQA will institute a surveillance programme to ensure that the standards, processes and systems against which accreditation was granted are maintained through the three-year validity period of accreditation.

PUMA is the culmination of ten years of development work by TSA. Sam Roberts, Technical Committee Chair at TSA, who has spearheaded the campaign to create PUMA, commented,

“Installing and maintaining the UK’s four to five million kilometres of buried assets requires accurate utility data to understand the networks that may be present within a survey area, below and above ground. Previously, survey companies could claim to deliver to the PAS128 specification but did not have to provide any proof of their capability and there was no recognised standard for them to work to. Now, thanks to this new scheme, anyone seeking a utility survey, who sees that a survey company has PUMA accreditation, can have complete confidence in the level of service and the quality of data that will be provided to them.”

Mr Roberts continued,

“One of TSA’s stated aims is to raise standards across the surveying profession and the introduction of PUMA is absolutely key to helping us accomplish that. PUMA will not only provide clients with peace of mind but will also save them time and costly delays, as well as warding off potentially huge problems further down the line which can be caused by poor and inaccurate utility surveys.”

For more information about PUMA, go to https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/pas128-accreditation/TSA and LRQA.

Seequent unveils SLOPE3D: Advanced stability analysis tool to help engineers design safer slopes

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company, today announced the release of SLOPE3D, an advanced slope stability analysis tool that empowers geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists to design safer slopes.

SLOPE/W 2D cross-section of a benched open pit mine. Now you can expand your analysis into 3D within the same project file.

Building on the capabilities of GeoStudio’s trusted 2D SLOPE/W product, SLOPE3D is an intuitive limit equilibrium solution for analyzing rock and soil slopes in mining and civil projects – for example, hillslopes, open pit mines, and engineered structures such as dams and levees.

The same benched mine pit but now in SLOPE3D.

Chris Kelln, Director, Technical Solutions for GeoStudio, said, “SLOPE3D combines the most up-to-date research on 3D slope analysis techniques with the capabilities in SLOPE/W, a trusted tool for assessing 2D slope stability for over 30 years, providing a practical approach for capturing slope failure mechanisms for simple to complex geotechnical models.”

Geometry for the SLOPE3D analysis was easily created by connecting with a Leapfrog geological model.

“Ensuring the safety and reliability of engineered projects is at the heart of geotechnical engineering,” Kelln added. “We specifically designed SLOPE3D to empower geotechnical and geological engineers to make confident decisions, improve safety, reduce project risks and costs, and ultimately design better infrastructure.”

SLOPE3D can also be used to investigate the stability of natural hillslopes.

GeoStudio’s powerful and easy-to-use interface provides a unique modelling and analysis experience. Multiple 3D geometries and analyses can be added to a single project and solved simultaneously. Geo-professionals can include SLOPE3D analyses in existing 2D stability projects for efficient results comparison.

Additional 3D geometries can be added to a project file to evaluate construction or excavation sequences.

SLOPE3D connects directly with Seequent’s geological modelling software, Leapfrog, via Seequent Central, and integrates with GeoStudio’s SEEP3D. This creates a seamless workflow with smooth data exchange and simpler data management to improve project accuracy and outcomes.

SLOPE3D can be purchased now from Seequent. See the new SLOPE3D product page for more information, release announcement video, and a free trial. SLOPE3D is part of the GeoStudio 2023 release.

TOPODRONE – RASA Surveying partnership augments coastal mapping, serves resilient communities

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 19:00:00 +0000

April 4, 2023 – Montreux, Switzerland – TOPODRONE, a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision surveying equipment, and RASA Surveying, an integrated surveying company, enter a technological partnership to advance airborne surveying approaches and accommodate coastal management and monitoring demands in the Philippines. RASA Surveying will adapt Swiss hardware & software for data collection and processing to overcome local operational limitations for coastal mapping.

In Q1 2023 TOPODRONE & RASA Surveying teams agreed on the strategic partnership and technology exchange to collect elevation and depth data for effective coastal management and planning. RASA Surveying’s new approach synchronizes current photogrammetry and LiDAR practices with the bathymetric data collection capabilities of TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER. The join between orthophotos, above and below waterline point clouds and bathymetric data is expected to better support authorities to manage coastlines and enhance the resilience of coastal communities.

‘Coastal cities in the Philippines are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and climate-related disaster events. However, coastal areas are expensive and challenging to map using conventional technologies. UAV-based surveying of coastal environments allows quickly and accurately to collect shallow water data and details on the land-sea interface’, Maxim Baklykov, TOPODRONE CEO, explains.

‘TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER will provide RASA the much-needed efficiency in doing bathymetric survey. We will be able to conduct our bathymetric surveys with ease since the equipment involves only 2 people to operate. Furthermore, it can quickly cover a large survey area within a short span of time without sacrificing data accuracy’, Raymund Arnold S. Alberto, President & Owner, adds.

To learn more about RASA Surveying team’s test flight with TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER in the Cabuyao City, Province of Laguna watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgxb4WLS_eU

Launched in October 2022 at Intergeo, TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER, has been named as a finalist in the XCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY of the XCELLENCE Awards 2023 by AUVSI. On May 17-18, 2023 TOPODRONE will participate in GEO Business in London (booth G357); as a part of the expo business programme the company will run a session ‘Airborne bathymetry: surveyors’ insights’ on May 18. Guest speakers are Maxim Baklykov, CEO, TOPODRONE; Roman Kirsanov, CEO, ERELIS; Andrei Șueran, Managing Partner, Graphein.

Meet the judges of the 2023 Engineering Drone Video of the Year (EDVY) contest

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 15:56:26 +0000

All submitted Engineering Drone Video of the Year Contest videos will be viewed and judged by a prestigious panel of judges to select the top 10 to be voted on publicly. Voting is May 3-12th. The winner will be announced in the July issue of Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine.

Luke Carothers, Editor, Civil+Structural Engineer Media

Luke Carothers is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine where he has been heavily involved in covering drones/UAVs and their applications in the AEC industry. As a returning judge for the EDVY Competition, Luke has witnessed firsthand the growth of drone/UAV technology in the AEC industry. He looks forward to seeing drones change the AEC industry, and sees EDVY as a way of expressing this movement.

Margot Moulton, Videographer and Editor, Zweig Group

Margot’s background in videography and editing began when she was the Art Director for two television stations. She ran around with the production crew as an extra hand at shoots. This gave her just enough experience in lighting, audio and video to jump in head-first when she was offered another position as the lead promotions producer within the same company. Along with the Creative Director, Margot worked in house and on location to film, edit and produce promotional videos of on-air talent, special event and sports content, and high level executive sponsorship commercials. After over 10 years of work in television, Margot joined Zweig Group, where she works to tell stories through video of the people and firms of the one industry that actually builds the world: the AEC.

Adam Kersnowski, Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist, Airworks

Adam brings over 15 years of expertise in drones and construction, having successfully co-founded AirWorks and managed two other companies. As Chief Evangelist, he drives client success, account expansion, business development, and partnerships. Adam is also pursuing a CP certification and is passionate about data collection and remote sensing. Adam is an advocate for leveraging technology to address climate-related challenges. His commitment to this cause led him to participate in a convening for climate risk monitoring to detect landslide potential in Mocoa, Colombia, organized by MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative. His passion for utilizing drones and data collection to address climate risks is a reflection of his dedication to creating a more sustainable future.

Maxim Baklykov, CEO, TOPODRONE

Maxim Baklykov is a surveyor with more than 20 years of experience in field and office work. In 2018 together with a team of like-minded experts he started the TOPODRONE project. TOPODRONE is a Swiss – based company that designs and produces high-precision surveying equipment for installation on UAVs, vehicles, and backpacks.

Bryan Baker, Drone Pilot for Leica Geosystems

Bryan Baker has been the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Sales Manager for Leica Geosystems Inc. since 2014. Bryan has been in the Geospatial Industry for his entire career starting at Nikon Instruments as a software developer in the mid 1980’s and has held multiple technical and sales positions over the years. Additionally, Bryan is an ASPRS Certified Mapping Scientist for UAS (CMS-UAS). On the aviation side, Bryan is a Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor, Advanced Ground Instructor, and Remote (UAS) Pilot. When not working and traveling for Leica Geosystems, Bryan enjoys traveling, giving flight lessons, flying his personal aircraft, and volunteering in the aviation community. Bryan is a volunteer Drone Pro for FAASafety.gov, a volunteer pilot for Lighthawk, Pilots and Paws, Angel Flight, and a volunteer and flight crew member with the Commemorative Air Force.

Andrea Perotti, IT System and Administrator, Drone Pilot, Casale

Andrea Perotti lives in Gordola, Switzerland, and is an IT Systems Administrator in Casale SA (Lugano Switzerland). Perotti is passionate about drones and model aircraft. Perotti conceived and managed the project “Il mio primo drone” to bring young people closer and aware of the conscious use of drones and their potential, a project that achieved a World Record by making all the drones fly simultaneously, piloted by the guys who built them. In their free time, Perotti participates in downhill and Super-G ski races.

Enter for a chance to see yourself featured on the cover of Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine as well as Topodrone LiDAR Post Processing Perpetual License! More info here.

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Missouri S&T researchers awarded seed grants from Taylor Geospatial Institute

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000

ROLLA, Mo. – Researchers from Missouri University of Science and Technology were recently awarded funding from the Geospatial Institute Seed Grant Program to Stimulate Collaborative Research. This program is administered by the Taylor Geospatial Institute, which awarded a total of $1.7 million for projects throughout the TGI consortium.

The projects bring together researchers from multiple institutions that are part of the consortium and provides them with resources to advance geospatial science.

The grants support two types of research projects – four $200,000 development grants designed to create large-scale multidisciplinary research teams, plus several smaller exploratory grants.

Receiving a development grant for S&T is Dr. Grace Yan, associate professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. Her team’s project is titled “Developing a Smart Geospatial Tool for Extracting Building Information at a Community Level to Enable Digital-Twins for Disaster Resilience.”

Receiving an exploratory grant for S&T is Dr. Shoaib Usman, an associate professor of nuclear engineering and radiation science. His project is titled “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-driven Framework for Meteorological Data Mining and Synthesis for Health Systems.”

TGI’s mission is to advance geospatial science through collaborations to create innovative solutions to societal grand challenges. It supports a collaborative research and training environment.

TGI builds on St. Louis’s geospatial assets and is funded by a legacy investment by Andrew C. Taylor, executive chair of Enterprise Holdings, Inc. and founding chair of Greater St. Louis, Inc., with supporting investments from each of the eight member institutions.

Beyond creating new connections to strengthen the consortium, the exploratory research projects are expected to lead to multi-institutional research grants from external funding agencies.

The seed grants awarded by TGI support research projects that use geospatial science and tools to address problems in areas such as digital agriculture, digital twins, climate change, public health and developing artificial intelligence tools. These projects span the institute’s research focus areas of core geospatial science, food systems, geospatial health and national security.

“We are excited to support the innovative research projects of our partners and foster collaborations among researchers across different institutions,” says Dr. Vasit Sagan, acting director of TGI. “These seed grants will provide the necessary resources to jump-start promising projects that use geospatial technology to address critical societal challenges.”

To learn more about TGI, visit taylorgeospatial.org.

How spongy is Toronto? Global survey reveals city’s natural ability to absorb rising rainfall

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 18:00:00 +0000

Toronto has joined Arup’s Global Sponge Cities Snapshot – a global survey of the natural ability of cities to absorb rainfall. The survey has shown that the urban centre of Toronto is far ahead of Sydney and London in terms of its “sponginess”, with its sponge rating of 30% (compared to 18% for Sydney and 22 % for London). Toronto obtained the same sponginess rating as New York, Mumbai, and Singapore.

Arup, a global sustainable development consultancy, developed the snapshot to prompt cities to ask: how spongy am I? The authors of the survey are calling on leaders to move beyond concrete interventions and instead look to nature for solutions to climate-related challenges, such as managing heavy rainfall.

Authors have studied sample areas of approximately 150km² in ten diverse global cities with Toronto joining Auckland, London, Montreal, Mumbai, Nairobi, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney – to assess how well their existing natural infrastructure helps them absorb rainfall.

This analysis comes as the IPCC predicts that water-related risks will increase with every degree of global warming, with around 700 million people currently living in regions where maximum daily rainfall has increased.

Toronto ranked third in the sponginess snapshots, just ahead of Montreal and tied with New York City, Singapore, and Mumbai. Over one quarter (29%) of the land analyzed in Toronto is covered in trees. The city’s sponginess rating is also based on the soil’s classification and run off potential.

Toronto’s sand and clay soil mix is comparable to New York City, though Toronto’s ability to absorb runoff is slightly lower. Both North American cities have the same level of green and blue spaces in their downtown core (39%), but with different concentrations and characteristics. In comparison, Mumbai and Singapore have a much higher blue-green cover of 45%, while both also have much less permeable soil than Toronto or New York. As a result, all four Snapshot cities have a sponginess rating of 30%, based on different land cover compositions.

By comparison, London and Shanghai align much more with the “concrete jungle” stereotype, with a higher percentage of hard surface in their urban centres: 69% and 67% respectively. This places them as the two least “spongy” of the cities surveyed.

In Toronto, the study area includes approximately 150km² of the city including the high-density downtown core, a mix of medium- and low-density housing, and major urban parks. The Snapshot shows Toronto’s ravines function as a network of urban green infrastructure which mitigates flooding risks. The city’s interconnected ravine system, one of the largest ravine networks in the world, links with natural watercourses to receive, filter, and transport stormwater from urban landscapes to Lake Ontario. Toronto has already begun expanding blue-green infrastructure across the city, particularly along the lakeshore to the south. Arup has been involved in the design of many of these projects, including the Queens Quay revitalization, Corktown Common, Aitken Place Park, and Love Park (now under construction). These projects, along with the City of Toronto’s newly published Green Infrastructure Standards, led by Arup and landscape architect DTAH, are establishing green infrastructure as a City priority.

To create the calculations, Arup’s team used an advanced digital tool, Terrain, which applies machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to accurately quantify the amount of green infrastructure (e.g. grass, trees) and blue (e.g. ponds, lakes), versus the amount of grey (e.g. buildings and hard surfaces). The survey was based on detailed satellite imagery covering a snapshot of approximately 150 square kilometres of each city’s main urban centre. Authors supplemented this analysis with insight on soil types and vegetation, enabling them to estimate how much rainwater would be absorbed in a defined heavy rainfall event.

Arup Global Sponge Cities Snapshot: Full results

City	Sponge Ranking	Overall %‘sponginess’	Green-Blue Area %	Soil Classification and Runoff Potential
Auckland	1	35%	50%	Moderately-high runoff potential (<60% sand and 10-20% clay)
Nairobi	2	34%	52%	High runoff potential (<50% sand and >40% clay)
Singapore	3	30%	45%	Moderately-high runoff potential (<60% sand and 20-50% clay)
Mumbai	3	30%	45%	High runoff potential (<50% sand and 20-40% clay)
New York	3	30%	39%	Moderately-low runoff potential (40-70% sand and <10% clay)
Toronto	3	30%	39%	Moderately-high runoff potential (<50% Sand, 20-40% Clay)
Montreal	4	29%	36%	Moderately-high runoff potential (50% sand and 20-40% clay)

Shanghai	5	28%	33%	Moderately-high runoff potential (<50% sand and 20-40% clay)
London	6	22%	31%	Moderately-high runoff potential (<50% sand and 20-40% clay)
Sydney	7	18%	24%	Moderately-high runoff potential (>60% sand and 10-30% clay)

UES Acquires Faulkner Engineering Services; Expands Expertise in Florida

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 20:00:00 +0000

UES, a national leading engineering and consulting company, has acquired Faulkner Engineering Services, an environmental services, geotechnical engineering, and construction materials testing firm in Tampa, FL.

Founded in 2005 by David W. Faulkner, P.E., Faulkner Engineering Services is dedicated to protecting public safety, helping clients manage risks, and exceeding clients’ expectations on every project. This acquisition expands UES’ growing expertise in Florida. Faulkner Engineering serves Florida’s construction development industry, partnering with engineers, developers, design build and site contractors, FDOT, and government agencies while specializing in commercial, municipal, industrial, and infrastructure projects. The company has supported several noteworthy projects including FL DOT S.R. 54 Widening Project in Pasco County, the University of Tampa sports fields, and MacDill AFB Military Family Housing.

Faulkner Engineering joins the Florida Region of UES, led by Rick Kushner, P.E., President of the North Florida Region. Faulkner Engineering’s leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business.

“We’re excited to add Faulkner Engineering to our portfolio of companies,” said UES CEO Dave Witsken. “This acquisition bolsters our growth and development initiatives in Florida, and we look forward to having the Faulkner team as part of UES.”

“This acquisition allows our company to expand upon the services we provide,” said David Faulkner, P.E. “It also provides a national footprint to service our clients from coast-to-coast, as well as offers our incredible teammates more opportunities for career growth and advancement.”

With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country. Beginning in 2019, UES’ acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, and now Faulkner Engineering Services, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

Trimble Introduces an All-In-One System for On-Machine Excavator Guidance and Site Surveying

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) introduced today the Trimble® Siteworks Machine Guidance Module, extending the capabilities of Trimble Siteworks Software from surveying and layout to support on-machine excavator guidance and operator assistance. With the addition of the new software module, contractors can use the same rugged Site Positioning Systems hardware and software to perform a variety of tasks on the job site, including surveying, machine guidance, in-field design and reporting.

Designed specifically for small site and utility contractors, the Siteworks Machine Guidance module gives users the ability to move the system between multiple excavators and jobsites as an accessible and entry-level combination machine guidance and construction surveying solution. Current Siteworks users can utilize their existing technology on-machine quickly and easily, with the addition of a simple-to-install machine kit and the software module.

“The new Siteworks Machine Guidance Module is purpose-built to be versatile, portable and easy to use, giving local contractors an entry-point into construction surveying and machine guidance,” said Kevin Garcia, general manager, Trimble Civil Specialty Solutions. “Our goal is to give users all of the benefits of Trimble Siteworks at the tip of the bucket, essentially turning the machine into a surveyor. Contractors can get more done with less training and time, and utilize their personnel for other tasks, while also moving workers out of trenches and away from equipment operating on the jobsite.”

The announcement was made at ConExpo 2023, North America’s largest trade show for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines, construction vehicles and construction equipment. The Trimble booth is located in the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall #W-41522.

The Siteworks Machine Guidance system includes the Trimble SPS986 or Trimble R780 GNSS Smart Antenna with tilt compensation and Trimble’s ProPoint high-precision positioning engine, and any bring-your-own-device or Trimble field tablet that supports Trimble Siteworks software. The versatile new module enables contractors to use Siteworks off the machine to design, measure and lay out projects, and then transfer the GNSS receiver and field tablet from the pole to the machine to provide in-cab, 3D machine guidance and grade checking capabilities without the need for a surveyor. Using the Trimble CenterPoint® RTX correction service, contractors can experience true mobility working without the constraints of a local base station or VRS network, with high-level accuracy delivered worldwide via satellite or cellular/IP.

In addition to helping contractors increase efficiency in the field, the new software module enables users to easily share information between the jobsite and the office. Using Trimble WorksManager Software, contractors can easily share designs between locations, access remote support and keep projects moving forward from the road.

Availability

The new module is expected to be available worldwide through the SITECH® distribution channel in the second quarter of 2023. For more information, visit: trimble.com/siteworksmachineguidance.

EagleView Unveils Revolutionary Geospatial Platform for Industries and Public Sector

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000

EagleView Technologies, Inc., a leading aerial imagery, software, and analytics provider, is opening its powerful platform for strategic customer and partner access. The EagleView Platform will provide customers and partners the capabilities to access interactive experiences, improve current workflows and create services and solutions with the same core capabilities and tools that power EagleView’s renowned products and services.

“With this platform, we are opening access to the capabilities that have made EagleView an industry-leading geospatial solution provider,” said EagleView CEO Chris Jurasek. “Now, companies across all industries from architecture, engineering, and infrastructure to wireless service providers will be able to build solutions utilizing our proprietary software, imagery and property data sets into their own products and workflows, speeding innovation and delivery.”

The platform includes the capability to leverage EagleView’s library spanning multiple decades and 20 million+ square miles of geospatial images and data captured using EagleView’s technology. This native access to the multi-decade imagery database includes high-precision aerial captures of properties and rural and city landscapes (including bridges, roads, powerlines and other features) from which strategic partners can utilize machine learning tools to extract unique data.

The EagleView Platform offers strategic enterprise customers and partners the capabilities to both identify and extract features of the natural and built environment of residential and commercial property, as well as assets and infrastructure. These next-generation capabilities combine imagery, machine learning, and change analytics. The vertically integrated platform includes the capability for image storage, image processing, feature identification, and extraction of new geospatial data insights.

With the EagleView Platform, strategic customers and partners can utilize:

A 20+ year historical database of proprietary aerial and drone imagery, covering 94 percent of the North American population, 20 million+ square miles of visual records, and the majority of U.S. counties.
Geospatial information captured to ensure geolocation accuracy, geometric quality, and photometric quality.
High-resolution ortho and oblique imagery that allows for feature identification, extraction, and change comparison.
Multi-source cloud imagery storage including drone, aerial and other technologies.

“EagleView Platform offers game-changing innovation and speed. Our customers, which consists of landscape architects and designers, will now be able to optimize their design processes as well as provide innovative proposals” said Noah Nehlich, Founder of Structure Studios. “We are excited to partner with EagleView to give our customers a competitive edge.”

To discuss your specific solution or learn more, please contact Eagleview.

The Acquisition Strengthens Verdantas’ Geology and Geotechnical Capabilities and Establishes Its First Expansion into Southern California

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000

DUBLIN, Ohio—Verdantas, a private-equity-backed solution provider of engineering, planning, and science services to support their clients’ sustainability, resiliency, and strategic infrastructure objectives, announced today that it had acquired Southern California-based Leighton, a well-respected company known for its technical expertise and deep knowledge of the geo-environmental conditions in the region. This addition to Verdantas significantly strengthens its western US presence and brings added depth to their geologic, geotechnical and materials capabilities.

“Leighton joining Verdantas marks a strategic inflection point in our ability to expand our service offerings to clients and extend our geographic reach,” said Gerry Salontai, CEO of Verdantas, “We are thrilled to have Leighton and their reputation of bringing the best and brightest people to each of their client’s projects. This commitment to excellent work for clients and Leighton’s efforts to capitalize on a collaborative environment fits well into Verdantas’ intentional people-focused approach.”

Jesse Kropelnicki, COO of Verdantas, commented, “Leighton and Verdantas bring very similar views of the future, of company culture, and on how we support people—all key aspects of why this transaction was such an easy decision to make and why it brings significant optimism of future success for our employees and clients.”

Leighton CEO Sudhir Damle says: “Working together at Leighton, we’ve created a business and culture that has positioned us well to take the next step in our evolution bringing opportunities for and investments in our Leighton people. Joining Verdantas will allow us to capitalize on our reputation with clients and deepen our relationships as we bring new capabilities and innovative solutions to our client’s complex projects.”

Chris Lee, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at RTC Partners, said, “We are delighted to have the Leighton Group join Verdantas. A new western US presence and an enriched mix of services align with Verdantas’ focus on strategic growth, and represents a win for clients, employees, and increased shareholder value.”

Using 3D Mapping Solutions Effectively for Enterprise AR

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Today, the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) published a new research report entitled 3D Mapping Solutions for Enterprise AR. The new AREA research report reviews 3D mapping technologies and principles and defines parameters for choosing a 3D scanner for a specific use case.

3D models or point clouds can lower the cost, time, and developer training to view an object or environment with AR information such as instructions, warnings, or routes overlaid on the physical world. Despite its relatively young presence in the enterprise sector, AR technology has rapidly evolved into a powerful tool with broad versatility and a thriving community of experts.

AR technology is already being leveraged with 3D mapping data to provide strategic tools for site planning, instructional guidance, or real-time navigation. As AR technology advances, so will its capabilities to leverage 3D mapping data.

“3D mapping technology has become pervasive throughout various industries to capture objects and environments in a digital format such as point clouds or 3D models,” said Mark Sage, Executive Director of the AREA. “It allows for rapid visualization, communication, and prototyping without the additional physical overhead. Our new report offers developers, business decisions makers and companies interested in AR, information about 3D mapping technology and techniques to eliminate resistance to augmented reality (AR) adoption.”

“This research helps to inform enterprise on how 3D mapping technologies can be utilized to capture accurate, cost-effective digital representations of real-world environments, how this data can be leveraged in augmented reality applications, and why these concepts can be useful in industrial environments,” said Samuel Neblett, Senior AR/VR Software Developer and 3D Modeler, Boeing Research & Technology.

The new AREA research report provides steps companies can take to ensure accurate and successful capture of objects and environments. A supporting sample project demonstrates a real-world example that leverages 3D scan data for an AR-assisted use case.

“The AREA research project is very valuable for corporations looking to use AR technologies. It offers a good overview of available 3D mapping solutions (including our AR solutions), and outlines the advantages of each,” said Markus Meixner, CEO, ViewAR.

Please view an executive summary of the 3D Mapping Solutions for Enterprise AR research report from the AREA website. Please also view executive summaries of other AREA resources and enterprise guidance from the AREA website.

Geospatial tech firm sets its sights on sustainable data solutions

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000

One of the UK’s leading geospatial technology companies is scaling up its data-led asset management support for major utility and infrastructure organisations, helping to minimise their environmental impact.

MGISS works with clients such as Northumbrian Water Group, Severn Trent Water and the National Trust, replacing traditional environmental surveying methods with GIS-based solutions, increasing both time efficiencies and the quality of data capture.

The firm provides forward-thinking solutions to the utilities, environment and infrastructure sectors, supporting clients to future-proof their assets, avoid sector disruption, and reduce emissions and minimise waste in their operations.

While manually locating the exact position of buried assets, such as water mains pipes, can be a costly and time-consuming process for organisations, it can also result in significant carbon emissions due to the need for tools and vehicles for excavation.

By turning spatial data into actionable intelligence, MGISS supports organisations to mitigate their negative impacts on the planet and to reduce the risk of environmental hazards to people and livelihoods.

A recent infrastructure project with Surrey County Council to capture highway boundaries saw MGISS’s geospatial solution deliver a 50% reduction in physical resources, as well as a cutback in vehicle usage due to the reduced need for travelling to sites.

Now, through a partnership with ECO-I North West, part of Liverpool John Moores University’s Industry Innovation Zone, MGISS is developing plans to maximise the potential of its geospatial solutions in reducing carbon emissions.

Last month, the firm announced a new two-year collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), providing cutting-edge solutions to detect changes to the built environment caused by third-party interference.

The IPAS (Interruption Prevention Alert Service) project is estimated to significantly reduce the 300,000 tonnes of carbon which is generated annually through disruptions to UK water utility networks.

MGISS has also agreed a partnership with Trees for Life, a multi-award-winning conservation charity reintroducing wildlife to the Scottish Highlands. MGISS will be training the team in all aspects of GNSS and how to utilise geospatial data for asset management purposes.

“For many years, we’ve supported our customers to become more sustainable by increasing the efficiency of their operations,” said Michael Darracott, Managing Director at MGISS.

“But by quantifying these actions and providing transparency on carbon emissions data, we can continue to develop our expertise in this space, deliver meaningful value to our customers and help protect our most valuable asset: the planet.”

With the Government’s ambitious target to reduce carbon emissions by 78% by 2035 and reach net-zero by 2050, smart and data-driven solutions are required to minimise negative impacts on the environment and help organisations generate carbon savings.

MGISS are continuously developing their solutions with a focus on environmental impact, with the aim to be recognised as the market leader of sustainable solutions in the geospatial technology market.

Alongside its sustainable solutions for clients, team members at MGISS have taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint by travelling by train, by foot or taking part in the Octopus Electric Dreams EV Salary Sacrifice scheme.

Find out more about MGISS and its innovative services for utilities, infrastructure and environment agencies by visiting www.mgiss.co.uk

Learn more about the intelligent solutions the firm provides for clients by reading their case studies at www.mgiss.co.uk/case-studies

Medaro’s Airborne Survey Identifies More Lithium Exploration Targets at the Superb Lake Property, Ontario

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA) (OTC: MEDAF) (FWB: 1ZY) (“Medaro” or the “Company”), a multi-faceted venture aimed at developing innovative spodumene processing technology concurrent with lithium focused exploration at its properties in Canada, is pleased to announce the results of the airborne geophysical survey recently conducted at its Superb Lake Lithium Property (the “Property”) located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. A preliminary interpretation of the survey data show that lithium bearing spodumene mineralization on the Property is most likely controlled by structural trends in the NW- and NE-directions. The results suggest that the lithium mineralized pegmatites most likely occur along the lithological contacts or within fractures buried in the metasedimentary rocks.

Highlights

The superimposition of 2021-2022 soil sampling contours on the magnetic tilt map identifies four areas of interest with the highest potential for spodumene-bearing lithium mineralization within the Property. Areas of P1, P2, P3, and P4 are categorized as exploration targets with low magnetic responses and low Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) conductivity (see Figure 1).
The Northwesterly trend of lithium assay contours implies that LOW magnetic, LOW conductive zones adjacent to mafic dykes or veins are most likely associated with spodumene-bearing lithium mineralization.
The superimposition of the dB/dt Calculated Time Constant and the Fraser filtered VTEM responses on Magnetic Tilt Derivative contours also reflects four areas of interest (T1 to T4 on Figure 1) with the highest potential for sulphide and graphite mineralization as well as base polymetallic deposits within the Property. The result clearly indicates zones of potentially high concentration of sulphide mineralization with anomalous magnetic/ conductive features that are spatially coincident with existing major faults/fractures, and the boundaries of the metavolcanics with pegmatitic granite and metasedimentary rocks.

In 2022, the Company contracted Geotech Ltd. (“Geotech”) to complete a VTEM and horizontal magnetic gradiometric survey (the “Survey”)on the Property. A total of 908-line kilometres of survey at 50 metre line spacing was completed on the Property. The survey type is an exclusive technology of Geotech and is suitable to identify deeper geophysical targets and structures. During the Survey, the helicopter was maintained at a mean altitude of 94 metres above the ground with an average survey speed of 88 km/hour. This allowed for an average transmitter-receiver loop terrain clearance of 59 metres and a magnetic sensor clearance of 69 metres. The horizontal and vertical gradients data from the Survey were measured by two magnetometers 12.5 metres apart on an independent bird mounted 10 metres above the VTEM loop. To identify linear magnetic features, three advanced magnetic derivative products, the total horizontal derivative (THDR), first vertical derivative, (CVG), and tilt angle derivative (TDR) were created.

The data collected from the Survey shows high potential for spodumene-bearing lithium mineralization within the Property and gives the exploration teams further targets to follow up on with a potential future diamond drill program.

Further to the Company’s press release dated November 22, 2022, the Company has currently optioned the Property to Rock Edge Resources Ltd. (CSE: REDG) (“REDG”) to acquire an undivided 70% interest in the Superb Lake Property. REDG has an obligation to incur $700,000 of qualified exploration expenditures on the Property by November 2024. Therefore, Medaro is well positioned to participate in the exploration upside in the Property while remaining focused on its flagship package of assets in Quebec and Saskatchewan.

Michael Mulberry, CEO of Medaro, stated that “the geophysical survey results not only validate Medaro’s ground exploration work in 2021 and 2022, but also identified more

New ASCE Publication Analyzes Recent Embankment Failure in Northern California

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 19:00:00 +0000

Reston, Va. – In January 2021, a mudslide took out part of the California Coastal Highway near Big Sur. The Embankments, Dams, and Slopes Technical Committee of the Technical Coordination Council of the Geo-Institute of ASCE mobilized a team to investigate the disaster. This latest Geotechnical Special Publication (GSP) from American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Highway 1 Rat Creek Embankment Failure: 2021 Reconnaissance and Analysis, GSP 337, provides an overview of the reconnaissance and analysis done of the embankment failure caused by Rat Creek.

The report begins with a historical and geological overview of this stretch of highway along with a description of the embankment failure. Specific data collection activities such as terrestrial LiDAR and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data acquisition, exposure mapping and sampling, radiocarbon dating of soil samples, precipitation and geospatial analyses, and satellite-based assessments, used by the investigative team, are outlined in the book. GSP 337 concludes with the roadway repair and recommendations to avoid future embankment erosion.

Civil engineers interested in designing and constructing resilient infrastructure to accommodate future extreme events will benefit from this case study showcasing a failure of US infrastructure in the face of climate change and cascading natural disasters.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore

Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly, lconnelly@asce.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation’s infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency.

Going Underground: The UK’s busiest highway meets its fastest railway network

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 10:44:00 +0000

Critical and large-scale transportation projects have become a common feature of the UK’s landscape in the last fifteen years, including, most recently, Crossrail, a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system crossing the capital, and HS2, a high speed rail service which will connect London to the West Midlands. Central to the safety and uninterrupted operation of these projects is the monitoring of existing nearby infrastructure for deformations. During the tunneling of the HS2 railway under the M25 highway near London, SOCOTEC UK successfully monitored the difficult-to-access and busy motorway with a Leica Geosystems solution featuring automated laser scanning and a range of other monitoring techniques.

A high-speed train, a critical highway and a monitoring challenge

Britain’s first passenger railway opened in 1830, initiating a transit revolution. Nearly two centuries later, UK commuters still ride railways laid in the Victorian era while demand for more lines and faster cross-country connections has outpaced rail infrastructure development. The UK’s High Speed 2 (HS2), a dedicated high-speed railway currently under construction, will help alleviate these problems by linking major cities and airports to further connect Britain’s largest economic regions.

However, building this extensive railway between major cities, including London, Birmingham, and Manchester, requires tunnel construction that potentially could disrupt existing transit and create structural deformations to the roadways above. This was the case for tunneling under the M25, a critical national highway carrying over 250,000 vehicles each day along 117 miles of tarmac.

Particularly, the construction of two separate tunnels underneath this asset led National Highways, a government-owned company in charge of maintaining the M25 to require a monitoring solution that would ensure the safety of travellers and evaluate the structural integrity of the roadway throughout the project’s progression.

Monitoring such a busy highway, however, posed problems: the roadway, with consistently high traffic volumes, had only limited access to monitoring areas and it was not feasible to close the highway for the initial or regular data collection during construction periods. At the same time, it was impractical to install prisms on the road surface where they would be destroyed by heavy vehicles or traffic would have to be redirected to avoid them.

Industry leader SOCOTEC UK takes on the challenge

To meet this challenge, Align – the joint venture company completing 21.6 kilometers of the rail infrastructure, including the 16.04 km twin-bored tunnels under the M25 – contracted monitoring experts from SOCOTEC UK, a leading UK provider of testing, inspection, and compliance services across industries. With specialisations in geotechnical and structural monitoring and over thirty years of experience on large-scale civil engineering projects like the Victoria Station upgrade in London, they were the perfect project partner.

SOCOTEC UK not only considered the practicality of the setup in terms of access and instrument installation, but they also wanted to minimize disruptions and, most importantly, secure the safety of M25 travellers and their own staff while working along the highway. Therefore, they required a solution with minimal installation to the road surface, reduced installations to earthworks and the ability for the monitoring system to be fully remote and run autonomously 24/7 over several years.

Dedicated to digital innovation, SOCOTEC UK saw this as an opportunity to incorporate laser scanning and automation available through the Leica Geosystems monitoring solution.

Patch scanning: A non-intrusive monitoring solution from Leica Geosystems

The custom monitoring scheme was designed in consultation with SCCS, part of Hexagon and the UK’s leading Leica Geosystems distributor, and implemented a range of automated features, including patch scanning, imaging, instrument leveling, and reporting.

“We chose SCCS to provide us with the hardware, software, and the customer support we needed to install a system capable of surveying accurate patch scans, prisms, and reflectorless points,” explains Jeff Foggo, Senior Project Manager at SOCOTEC UK.

To solve the access and disruption issues, SOCOTEC UK chose a unique, non-intrusive monitoring solution called patch scanning that utilises laser scanning and automated monitoring software to generate data and analyses. The combination of the Leica Nova MS60’s high-accuracy laser scanner, capturing thousands of points per second, with GeoMoS software, minimized the need to install reflective targets or prisms and enabled monitoring to proceed in even the most restrictive areas. This decreased disruptions to live traffic during installation and operation, removed SOCOTEC UK staff from potentially hazardous areas and ensured safety for road users.

SOCOTEC UK captured reference measurement data for twelve months ahead of the excavations to determine the normal movements of the road surface. During the monitoring period, the MS60, installed high up on adjacent plinths to optimise visibility, scanned small areas or “patches” of surfaces at determined intervals with arrays of 20, 40, and 60 metres. Other measurement arrays included prisms set up on the top of the embankments and multiple reflectorless points on structures. Additional prisms were installed as survey control in stable areas.

Utilising hybrid techniques with MultiStations helped SOCOTEC UK optimise their monitoring installation and ensured impeccable measurement reliability. GeoMoS compared the measurements to baseline reference values, enabling deformation detection and subsequently sent notifications to key stakeholders if tolerance thresholds for movements were exceeded.

Additional automation for 24/7 monitoring

Complementing the patch scans, SCCS also recommended further automation of the project using imagery to minimise visits to the site. Remote access to live video and still images via integrated cameras in the MS60 made it possible to easily resolve and verify any data measurement questions without delay.

The intelligent measurement sensors, including the MS60s and TM50, were centrally controlled through GeoMoS and used custom power sources with backups to ensure continuous monitoring. Additionally, since the instruments were installed in remote locations where environmental factors could impact stability, SOCOTEC UK needed a way to ensure the total stations remained level. Connected through the ComGate20, GeoMoS remotely and automatically activated the AD12 self-leveling tribrach for each TPS before each measurement cycle, ensuring result quality and reducing maintenance visits.

However, SCCS provided more than the instruments and software – they also supported SOCOTEC UK with remote and onsite training during the operation and delivery of the monitoring scheme and overall solution.

“SCCS delivered excellent support and assistance and, when combined with SOCOTEC UK Monitoring UK’s wealth of knowledge and experience installing, commissioning, managing and maintaining monitoring systems, the results were of a very high quality,” says Foggo.

Continuous monitoring benefits from constant protection

Given the remote nature of the site, power outages and environmental factors weren’t the only issues SOCOTEC UK had to consider when determining how to ensure 24/7 monitoring. To protect the valuable equipment in the field, they mounted the instruments within secure cages and installed the Leica LOC8 theft deterrence and location solution.

LOC8 enables geofencing, custom alerts via messaging and instrument tracking and locking. While useful for fleet management daily, this solution was especially crucial to the project when three instruments were stolen from the site. With LOC8, SOCOTEC UK was able to provide tracking information to local police, who recovered £120,000 worth of stolen equipment. Once returned, the instruments were inspected, serviced and quality checked by SCCS before returning to the site so monitoring could resume as quickly as possible.

Results of the innovative monitoring system

Ultimately, SOCOTEC UK’s use of the Leica Geosystems monitoring solution allowed the M25 to operate as usual during the tunneling period, ensuring that one project to improve transportation didn’t interfere with existing transit networks.

“Through our collective effort with SCCS, we confidently monitored the M25 and surrounding assets on an hourly basis during the passing of two tunnel boring machines under the M25 along the HS2 in quick succession,” reflects Foggo.

“Having the opportunity to provide an innovative monitoring system for one of the busiest parts of the highway infrastructure in the UK has been, and continues to be, a rewarding experience. The data certainly spoke for itself in terms of the monitoring system being a success: the record of minimal asset movement was clear during the tunneling phase and all stakeholders, such as National Highways, received the reassurance they required”.

A complete series of guides to running a business, new from The Survey Association

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Working in partnership with Leeds Beckett University, The Survey Association, the trade association representing land surveyors in the UK, has commissioned The Retail Institute at the university’s Leeds Business School, to produce a series of useful guides to running a business for all members of The Survey Association (TSA).

The 11 guides can be downloaded by TSA members from the TSA website. The diverse range of topics included encompass all aspects of managing a modern business. The guides cover everything a business manager needs to know, from building a brand, to finance, productivity, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, digital marketing, business resilience, sustainability and much more.

The guides contain top tips and recommendations of best practice in every area of business. With some academic content included, the guides also provide practical checklists, models and questions for the audience to apply and consider in order to support and guide their decision-making.

Chiefly targeting SMEs, the guides are aimed at any size of business, at whatever its stage of development. Whether a member is just setting up a new business for the first time and needs to put systems and processes in place or has a more established firm and is now looking to healthcheck existing practices or introduce new ideas, the guides are ideal for ‘time poor’ TSA members, who are looking for effective, yet easy to implement, solutions.

Each of the guides has been authored by a different expert in that particular field, from human resources and marketing specialists to experienced practitioner academics, all providing top tips on strategy and implementation, as well as suggestions for further reading and other helpful resources.

Sam Roberts, Director at Met Geo Environmental Ltd and Technical Committee Chair for TSA, who has spearheaded the production of the business guides, says,

“Our membership of land survey professionals is made up of a huge range of people, all of whom have at least one thing in common – they are very busy people, working extremely hard for their customers, with little spare time to spend on business development. To help them achieve best practice and assist them in their constant drive for business improvement, we have been delighted to work together with The Retail Institute at Leeds Beckett University, one of the UK’s leading academic research centres, to provide these in-depth business guides.

“One of our vision statements at TSA is, ‘TSA will help you build a better business’. These guides are designed to do just that, and we hope our members will find them informative, practical and helpful.”

The first guide, Good Mental Health, is already available for TSA members to download from the website. Members should go to https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/members-area/ to find out more. For information on how to become a member of TSA, go to https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/membership/

AirWorks Announces Partnership with Nearmap, Officially Launching Data Marketplace

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 14:00:00 +0000

AirWorks, a leading AI-powered mapping solution, providing geospatial data processing and analytics, and Nearmap, a leading location intelligence and aerial imagery company, today announced Nearmap will join AirWorks’ newly-launched Data Marketplace, an ecosystem of geospatial data providers that aims to bridge the gap between data access, processing, and analytics, uniting it in a single platform –AirWorks Automate. Through this agreement, Airworks and joint Nearmap-Airworks customers will be able to request and access planimetric data based on Nearmap imagery.

High-resolution aerial imagery from Nearmap is now available on-demand for all AirWorks clients in their Automate accounts, allowing them to place orders for feature extraction and receive complete, actionable engineering deliverables in record time. The AirWorks Data Marketplace is the first solution in the market that integrates data availability with linework creation in the same platform. Through this simplified process, clients will see significant increases in productivity, completing more projects faster and freeing up internal resources for value-generating activities. Users are not required to be existing Nearmap subscribers to take advantage of the imagery in AirWorks.

AirWorks’ web-based software turns orthomosaic photos and photogrammetric point clouds into vectorized basemaps for easy analysis and operates anywhere at any time. Through its patented machine learning algorithm, the software autonomously identifies and categorizes data points, optimizing itself to create CAD outputs with pixel-level accuracy. Clients can upload an unlimited number of datasets for projects.

“AirWorks was built on the vision that geospatial data can help us tackle some of the most important problems our society faces today: rapid urbanization, population growth, and climate change. For the first time ever, project mapping data, feasibility plans, GIS basemaps, and other analytics can be accessed directly from our customers’ offices and workstations, eliminating the complexity of data collection and reducing costs through AI-powered analysis. Now, engineers, governments, and other stakeholders can increase design phase efficiencies and better understand the impact that any new construction project can have on the environment,” said David Morczinek, CEO and Co-founder of AirWorks. “We’re excited to partner with Nearmap to give our customers access to imagery that is accurate and recent. With this, we can start a new era of powering engineering and GIS projects with updated project plans and analytics.”

“We’ve learned from an overwhelming majority of organizations that they want to choose how they access Nearmap content for their business. This includes having the flexibility to access data instantly through Nearmap MapBrowser or through a third-party platform. Nearmap is responding by adding flexibility and market leading content including high-resolution 2D aerial imagery and 3D content to better support companies,” said Tony Agresta, General Manager of Nearmap in North America. “Organizations can now work smarter and more efficiently knowing that their AirWorks planimetric basemaps can be built on current and highly accurate Nearmap imagery.”

“We built the AirWorks Data Marketplace to more easily connect the right data source with the right project,” said Adam Kersnowski, Chief Evangelist & co-founder of AirWorks. “In the complex industry that we work in, we increasingly see that the wide variety of project needs –accuracies, deliverables, budgets and timelines can all be different every time, which presents a challenge for firms when it comes to choosing the best data collection method for a specific project. If we can ease that burden by removing the barriers to accessing geospatial data from the best providers in the market, then we can better enable our clients to get projects done faster, which is becoming a must in an industry that is moving towards shorter project delivery times more than ever before. We’re looking forward to fostering strong relationships with more providers and building integrations to AirWorks Automate through APIs for even faster data exchange.”

Nearmap location data and content is now available for use directly in AirWorks through the new Data Marketplace. For more information, contact the AirWorks team at (857)-990-1060 or sales@airworks.io.

Medaro Mining Identifies Lithium Pegmatites at the CYR South Lithium Property in James Bay Area, Quebec

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:00:00 +0000

Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA)(OTC:MEDAF)(FSE:1ZY) (“Medaro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the results of soil and rock samples from their 2022 exploration work on the CYR South Lithium Property (“CYR” or the “Property”) located in the James Bay Region of northern Quebec. The results indicate higher than expected lithium values in several pegmatites sampled across the Property. These pegmatites zones also show concurrent lithium anomalies in soil samples and will be further explored through trenching and drilling. Anomalous values of other rare metals, such as beryllium, cesium, niobium and tantalum, were also found in the soil and rock samples.

Program Description
The summer 2022 work program was comprised of soil and rock sampling and geological mapping, aimed at identifying a group of pegmatites for their potential to host lithium mineralization. A total of 600 soil samples and 18 rock samples were collected as part of the work program. 42.58-line kilometres of ground magnetic and VLF geophysical survey was also completed as part of this work program. The results of rock and soil samples are reported in this news release and the ground geophysical survey will be reported separately.

Assay Highlights

Rock Samples

Rock samples assays show lithium values in the range of less than 15 parts per million (ppm) to 1,480 ppm (Figure 1) with five pegmatites sampled for higher lithium and require a follow up work of trenching and drilling.
Beryllium (Be) values are in the range of 6 ppm to over 5,000 ppm (above the laboratory’s detection limit) with six samples showing over 5,000 ppm.
Cesium values are in the range of 6 ppm to 1770 ppm, and rubidium (Rb) in the range of 3.2 ppm to 285 ppm.

Soil Samples

Lithium values are in the range of less than 15 ppm to 73 ppm (Figure 2). A cluster of anomalies in the middle of the Property is considered as a high value target for trenching and exploratory drilling.
Cesium values are in the range of 0.3 ppm to 26.6 ppm.
Niobium is from less than 2.4 ppm to 24.3 ppm and tantalum is 0.3 ppm to 21.2 ppm.
Rubidium is in the range of 3.1 ppm to 127 ppm.
Several samples with higher cesium, niobium, tantalum and rubidium values are concurrent with lithium anomalies.

All rock and soil samples were bagged and tagged using best practices and were delivered to Activation Laboratories (“ACTLABS”), Ancaster, Ontario for sample preparation and analyses using laboratories code Ultratrace 7.

Figure 1: Rock Samples Results from 2021 and 2022 sampling.

Figure 2: Soil samples results for lithium.

The Company expects to advance the next stage of its exploration work based off the new information gained from the soil and rock sample program at the Property. The basis for beginning this preliminary surface exploration work at CYR is to identify new pegmatites across the Property in order to help establish targets for a potential, future diamond drill program. CYR is one of four Quebec properties within the Medaro portfolio and all are in close proximity to each other which provides cost savings when conducting multiple drill programs by sharing camps, core shack, and other equipment. The Company will provide an update to the viability and timeline for a future drill program once the completed ground geophysical survey results have been fully analyzed and reported.

Michael Mulberry, CEO of Medaro stated that, “We are excited to see promising results on our exploration efforts for the CYR South property. James Bay area is a prolific region for discovering high grade lithium deposits with several new discoveries made recently. The Company is planning to carry out trenching and diamond drilling programs on the identified targets.”

CivilGEO Grabs Top Spot in Winter 2023 G2 Reports

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 17:00:00 +0000

For the 3rd time in a row, CivilGEO has been recognized as a “Leader” in the Civil Engineering Design Software industry in the G2 Winter 2023 Grid® reports, based on reviews of customers using our software.

CivilGEO’s GeoHECRAS has been recognized as Winter 2023 Leader in the category of Best Civil Engineering Design Software. GeoHECRAS is a river modeling software used to compute water surface profiles for steady and unsteady flow models, bridge and culvert roadway crossings, FEMA floodplain encroachments, stream restorations, inline reservoir structures, off-channel storage areas, and much more. To learn more about GeoHECRAS, click here.

G2 recognized CivilGEO’s GeoHECHMS as the Top Performer Winter 2023. GeoHECHMS is a stormwater modeling software that greatly speeds up the creation, analysis, and review of stormwater projects. To learn more about GeoHECHMS, click here.

Overall, CivilGEO is ranked 4.7 out of 5 stars. Reviewers describe our products as:

“GeoHECRAS combines useful features of other mapping and modeling programs into one powerful package.”

“GeoHECRAS makes stream modeling easy by allowing for the direct input of geospatial data into the program.”

“GeoHECRAS supports lots of GIS and CAD formats. Also, the tech support is extremely responsive and helpful.”

“The ability to look at the results and compare multiple results in such an easy-to-read output is easily the most useful tool I have found in GeoHECHMS.”

Click here to read more customer reviews.

CivilGEO has received 17 badges including “High Performer,” “Momentum Leader,” “Easiest To Do Business With,” “Best Support,” and “Best Relationship” in the Overall Reports.

G2 is the world’s leading business solution review platform. Business professionals, buyers, investors, and analysts use the site to compare and select the best software and services based on user reviews. Basing its analytics on customer feedback, performance surveys, rigorous product comparisons and market research, G2’s quarterly reports synthesize data relating to key software performance metrics for major business sectors.

TOPODRONE supports Engineering Drone Video Contest of the Year 2023

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 14:23:57 +0000

January 30, 2023 – Montreux, Switzerland – TOPODRONE, a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision surveying equipment, partners with Civil + Structural Engineer Media (USA) to support the 2023 Engineering Drone Video of the Year (EDVY) Competition. The winner will get a TOPODRONE Post Processing software license as a special prize.

Videos must be original, comprised of video footage gathered with a drone or other UAV/S, and should feature an engineering or construction project. Additionally, videos should be between 1:00-5:00 in length. There is no fee to enter. Deadline to enter is April 28, 2023.

The winner will be awarded with a feature article and cover in Civil+Structural Engineer Magazine and a TOPODRONE Post Processing software license. The software allows to perform a highly automatic GNSS and IMU post-processing, calculate a high-precision trajectory, generate a LIDAR point cloud, automatically perform boresight calibration, strip alignment and apply SLAM-based enhancement. The software makes it possible to get up to 1-3 cm x,y,z accuracy. It contains a number of useful tools that every surveyor needs, such as the coordinate converter, editor and merging RINEX files, it supports various coordinate systems and Geoids.

The software along with TOPODRONE surveying and mapping hardware solutions will be exhibited at Geo Week 2023. Meet the team at stand #1135 in Colorado Convention Center (Denver, CO, USA) between February 13 and 15. To book a meeting with the team on site and get a promo code contact info@topodrone.com.

Enter the 2023 Engineering Drone Video of the Year (EDVY) Competition here: https://live-cs-engineer-magazine.pantheonsite.io/engineering-drone-video-contest-of-the-year-2023/

TOPODRONE synchronized LiDAR and bathymetric surveying methods to study a floating solar farm in Israel

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 16:28:47 +0000

Montreux, Switzerland – TOPODRONE, a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision surveying equipment, has synchronized airborne photogrammetry, and LiDAR and bathymetric surveying methods which was used to study a floating solar farm. The synchronization was performed upon a request from the Israeli drone service provider ERELIS to conduct a pilot project of reservoir surveying with a UAV for ETZ HADEKEL Ltd. in Northern Israel. The surface of the reservoir is covered by solar panels, which made it difficult to carry out work using standard methods of surveying from a boat.

Image 1 A survey at a reservoir in Northern Israel © TOPODRONE

ERELIS performed two-stage drone surveying to deliver a high-precision 3D model of the reservoir. First, aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR surveys were performed using a DJI M300 drone equipped with a TOPODRONE camera P61 and a LiDAR HI-RES system to

determine the location of possible obstacles. LiDAR scanning provided accurate detection of cables in the water.

Second, an underwater bathymetric survey using a TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER mounted to the same drone was conducted avoiding detected obstacles (cables, solar panels and other objects). The flight mission was planned and executed with the UgCS software by SPH Engineering.

The collected LiDAR & bathymetry data was processed by TOPODRONE Post Processing software. As a result, a georeferenced orthophoto map, a 3D model of the relief and objects, a 3D model of the bottom of the reservoir, contour lines and isobaths were generated. Such 3D models can be used for high-precision assessment of sediment volumes, general monitoring of reservoir banks and visual monitoring. In addition, surveying with a TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER made it possible to estimate sludge deposits of the reservoir.

Image 2. Orthophoto, LiDAR point cloud, bathymetry data and 3D model of the reservoir bed © TOPODRONE

“Our company has been performing drone-based bathymetric surveying services for water reservoirs/basins and coastal waters since 2021. The unique ability to use the same UAV (DJI M300) with different kinds of TOPODRONE equipment, LiDAR HI-RES systems, a high resolution camera and AQUAMAPPER, makes it possible to unify equipment use, thereby reducing costs and eliminating the need for additional tools. The aerial and echo-sounding data synchronization at the post-processing stage helps to obtain the full geo-data package that could be used for survey and data digitization, modeling, mapping, aerial photogrammetry, quantities calculation or other output products by client demand,” commented Roman Kirsanov, CEO of ERELIS. “Back in autumn 2022 we had our first AQUAMAPPER client that used the device together with TOPODRONE LiDAR ULTRA for an EU road construction project to build a highway in one of the toughest terrains with a river component in Romania, EU. We are proud to see clients developing new application areas of our equipment, including reservoir characterization and modeling,” added Maxim Baklykov, CEO of TOPODRONE.

To learn more about TOPODRONE LiDAR and bathymetric solutions to perform reservoir characterization and modeling join a free online webinar on February 2, 2023: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T43KeI2uQU-8jbI7o4N21Q

About TOPODRONE

TOPODRONE (https://topodrone.com/) is a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision surveying equipment for installation on UAVs, vehicles and backpacks. TOPODRONE’s hardware (LiDARs, high resolution cameras and PPK) are used for mapping and 3D modeling. Application areas include but are not limited to forest and agricultural monitoring, construction and urban planning, and bathymetry. TOPODRONE’s advanced post-processing software provides users with easy-to-use innovative data processing workflows for automatic data generation, georeferencing and alignment using GNSS and IMU data post processing, and SLAM algorithms.

Registration Is Open for the ISM 15th International Workshop on Micropiles

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Registration is open for The International Society for Micropiles (ISM) 15th International Workshop on Micropiles on May 31 – June 2, 2023, at The Sebastian in Vail, Colorado.

The theme of the workshop is Taking Micropiles to New Heights.

The workshop provides an opportunity for attendees to meet, present and exchange data, and share experiences and developments on a relatively informal basis. The workshop includes technical presentations covering states of practice; advancements of micropile construction, materials, research and development; and educational/promotional activities.

“The ISM Steering Committee and Workshop Organizing Committee are excited to be hosting the 15th workshop in-person in spectacular Vail, Colorado,” says Dan MacLean, P.Eng., of Keller Canada and chair of ISM. “Our last workshop was in 2019 so we are expecting an enthusiastic gathering of ISM delegates and micropile experts.”

The Workshop also features the 11th Lizzi Lecture being presented by J. Erik Loehr, Ph.D., P.E., the 9th Lizzi Scholarship and the 4th World Cup of Micropiles.

The technical program chair is Ty Jahn, P.E., Condon-Johnson Associates.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the workshop. It’s an opportunity to “heighten” the exposure for your company, products and services before, during and after the workshop — and demonstrate your leadership in the development, advancement and promotion of micropile technology.

For more information on the workshop, visit www.ismicropiles.org or contact ISM Executive Director: Mary Ellen Bruce Large, P.E., D.GE, Nicholson Construction Company at melarge@ismicropiles.org.

UES Acquires Carmichael Engineering, Expands Expertise in the Southeast Region

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Universal Engineering Sciences® (UES), a national leading engineering and consulting company specializing in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections, and environmental consulting, has acquired Carmichael Engineering, a geotechnical, environmental and construction monitoring and testing firm headquartered in Montgomery, AL. Founded in 1997 by J. Stephen Carmichael, P.E., Carmichael Engineering is dedicated to providing quality services and technical expertise to both public and private clients.

This acquisition expands UES’ growing geotechnical expertise as well as its presence nationwide. Carmichael Engineering has completed thousands of geotechnical investigations throughout the Southeast. With branch offices in Auburn and Midland City, AL, the company has completed noteworthy projects such as the Auburn University Performing Arts Center, FedEx Distribution Center in Montgomery, Troy University North Endzone Project, and the Ben E. Keith Foods Distribution Facility in New Brockton, AL.

Carmichael Engineering joins Contour Engineering, GEOServices and Dan Brown and Associates in the Southeast Region of UES, led by David Hesterlee, P.E., President of the Southeast Region. Carmichael Engineering’s leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business.

“UES is continuing to expand our reach in high-growth areas such as the Southeast, where significant infrastructure projects are increasing the demand for our services,” said UES CEO, Dave Witsken. “The acquisition of Carmichael Engineering gives us the ability to provide additional technical expertise to our clients in the region. We look forward to welcoming them to the UES team!”

“We’re very excited to join forces with UES,” said Carmichael Engineering CEO, Steve Carmichael, P.E. “This acquisition allows our company to expand upon the services we provide, as well as offer a national footprint of support to our clients.”

With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country. Beginning in 2019, UES’ acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, and now Carmichael Engineering, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

Atwell enters into a definitive agreement to acquire Dempsey Surveying Company, expanding presence in Midwest

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Atwell has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Dempsey Surveying Company, a land surveying firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. This acquisition, the third transaction announced by Atwell this quarter, will expand the company’s presence in Ohio and surveying capabilities in the Midwest. The deal is expected to close by Dec. 31, 2022.

Dempsey Surveying Company’s services include topographic surveys, construction staking, boundary services, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood elevation certificates, surface model TINs, Global Positioning System (GPS) services, aerial mapping, and drone services.

“We’re pleased to combine the knowledge, technical capabilities, and experience of these two successful companies,” said William W. Anderson, Senior Vice President of Atwell. “Our shared priorities of providing proactive solutions and excellent client service will strengthen our ability to deliver quality projects that achieve our clients’ goals.”

Dempsey Surveying Company has a wide range of clients across several markets including industrial, commercial, public utilities, and more. The company maintains more than 50 years of survey records.

“We’re excited to join the team at Atwell and look forward to being able to expand the services we offer to our existing and future clients,” said Christopher Dempsey, Chief Executive Officer of Dempsey Surveying Company. “This acquisition provides new opportunities for both our clients and team members.”

Since 1985, Christopher Dempsey has been providing surveying services throughout Ohio as a second-generation surveyor. He started Dempsey Surveying Company in 2002 with the sole focus on surveying and providing exceptional service.

This is Atwell’s third acquisition this quarter. Last month, Atwell financed the acquisition of Cross Surveying, a 28-person land surveying firm based in Florida, and acquired Ben Dyer Associates, a 55-person engineering firm based in Maryland.

Atwell, LLC is a national consulting, engineering, and construction services firm with technical professionals located across the country totaling more than 1,400 team members. Creating innovative solutions for clients in industries such as real estate and land development, power and energy, and oil and gas, Atwell provides comprehensive turnkey services including land and right-of-way support, planning, landscape architecture, engineering, land surveying, environmental compliance and permitting, and project and program management.

No Limits, No Digging, No Danger

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 22:00:00 +0000

Injecting chemicals to stabilize, lift, seal or compact weak soils and rocks is not new. Polyurethane grout material has been used for this purpose since the 1960s. However, the limitations of this process have often been frustrating, not only for asset owners but installers, as well. Historically, material injection has been limited to shallow depths of twenty feet or less, due to the technology, means, and methods of application.

As the material is injected, it begins to synthesize (cure) inside the injection tube. While the synthesis rate can be accelerated or retarded by controlling the chemical temperature, that control is short-lived. The deeper or longer the injection tube, the longer time the chemical has to cure before exiting the tube. While this is happening, the diameter of the injection tube effectively shrinks in diameter, as the cured material bonds to the tube wall. This limits the depth at which successful injection can occur, using the old technology. Another side effect is that the chemical being injected can lose its desired effect the deeper it is injected, as it cools once leaving the tube.

This frustration is being abated by Deep Horizons Injection Grouting (DHIG), a process developed by Polymer Technologies Worldwide, Inc (PTW). Their innovative system of injecting chemical grout allows the ability to inject at depths far exceeding previous limits. The following case studies describe how PTW successfully injected their product to seal a leaking effluent line, with an invert depth of approximately 35 feet and an injection depth of 45 feet, at two Florida sanitary lift stations.

Multiple Repair Attempts

Lift Station 87 was under construction to replace existing Lift Station 7 on the wastewater collections system of the City of Sarasota, Florida. It would eventually forward about a third of the City’s wastewater flows to its WWTP. While testing the 36-inch influent line, which crosses Hudson Bayou, City crews discovered significant groundwater intrusion through several holes, breaks, and joint failures. This infiltration would cause the sanitary system to unnecessarily work harder, putting more stress on the system. That would not only waste capacity but also shorten the life of WWTP equipment over time, so it had to be eliminated.

The first repair effort was a trenchless epoxy-impregnated liner installation (CIPP). While this type of largely non-disruptive repair has worked in similar circumstances, it failed to stop this water intrusion. A second effort to repair the pipe involved injection of a two-component, fast-reacting chemical grout, intended to seal the pipe from the exterior, in-situ. This historic method failed for reasons previously described, as the pipe is situated deeper than 20 feet.

Third Time’s the Charm

The method considered for a third try was traditional dig-and-replace, but that would have caused extensive disruptions to surrounding infrastructure and the local population, which was why previous attempts had been trenchless. This more traditional option was estimated to add an additional $9-12 million to an already over-budget project, along with extending completion time approximately another year for the already severely delayed project.

Highly motivated to avoid these major issues, the City took a chance on engaging the patented new DHIG system. Not only did this effort seal the pipe leaks, it also enhanced and further stabilized the foundation of the lift station structure. Best of all, because the process is trenchless and requires a small physical footprint, it not only didn’t disrupt the surrounding area, but was actually accomplished while the facility construction continued.

Another nearby lift station project at Symmes Rd. in Hillsborough County, Florida, also proved out other advantages of this new injection technology. Station well inlet pipe cracks and some other damage was found to be caused by approximately 4 inches of settling of the cover slab. Using the standard testing procedure, soils in proximity to the station—ten feet between 18.5-28.5 feet below ground surface— were found to be very loose, displaying weight-of-rod conditions, in which the boring tube drops under its own weight, without any force applied.

The wet well for the station measures 8 feet in diameter and 30 feet in depth. To excavate and repair the station would again result in a large area of disturbance that could have possibly affected an adjacent residential community, underground utilities (electric, cable, etc.), and possibly Symmes Road itself. Again, the decision was made to take a chance on the still-new DHIG system.

Post-Injection Testing

Standard ground borings (STP data) demonstrated that injected material did not expand beyond the lift station property. Injecting 2,623 gallons of polymer through four injection points, with injection depths between 1-45 feet below grade, yielded the following results:

Soils around the wet well were strengthened to the point where weight-of-rod conditions no longer exist.
Soils outside the lift station footprint were shown to have insignificant change in soil stiffness. This indicated no adverse effects to surrounding properties or structures from the injection.
The grout filled voids, stopping leaks from eroding the area around the system, and water intrusion into that system that had also caused erosion.

A post-injection analysis and report was rendered on the Symmes Rd. project by Integrity Drilling & Geophysical Services, LLC, of Groveland, Florida. During the project covered here, testing showed good control of the material, in that none of it encroached on neighboring properties. Also revealed was that soil adjacent to the grout was compacted and stabilized, despite no presence of material in those sampled soils.

Rig Operation

The DHIG rig is used, in part, to advance injection casing to the desired depth. The three-inch diameter steel casing, threaded on each end, is advanced, with new sections threaded on as needed. While skin friction is considered negligible, it takes increasing power to turn the casing as it advances more deeply. Turning power is also affected by the strength and adhesive properties of the material being advanced through the casing.

Upon reaching the desired injection depth, the rig withdraws the casing as the polymer is injected. Care must be used to advance at an appropriate rate that avoids fouling the casing with the polymer; but not so fast that the polymer is under-injected.

To inject the polymer, a special nozzle is advanced through the casing and attached to the drilling head at the tip of the casing. This is the third use of the rig, to lower the casing head and attached chemical feed lines in a careful manner, to avoid fouling the lines or damaging the injection nozzle. Upon carefully lowering the equipment by attaching a lowering/turning bar, that bar is then rotated to lock the equipment to the head. As the casing is withdrawn, the lowering bar is removed in sections, just as the casing is removed.

How It Works

The injection system for the DHIG chemical is like any other, in that pumps feeding the chemical must be powerful enough overcome the strength of the soil materials, as well as any line friction. Line friction will most likely be the controlling factor, relating to possible depth efficacy. This limiting factor can be overcome by increasing the pumping power, feed line and casing diameter, and subsequently the rig size and associated power, so it’s adaptable to the needs of many applications.

The significant advantage of the DHIG technology is that, theoretically, there is no limit to the depth at which the material can be successfully injected. This is due to the material being combined at the tip of the casing—which allows for full material strength to occur where needed at the tip—as opposed to inside the feed line, which is standard practice using most existing systems.

Another benefit of the DHIG system is that the material can be injected from a lateral point, to avoid interference with nearby surrounding project activity. This results in reduced time, cost and impacts to the public and the environment. For example:

A leaking cross drain can be sealed without closing down a busy highway or interstate system.
A sanitary lift station can remain in operation while a leaking influent line is sealed.
A building can remain in operation while a basement wall is sealed.
A leaking earthen dam can be sealed without lowering water levels.
Retaining walls can be sealed at depth, without excavation or injection from the face, which can further weaken the wall.
Stabilizing embankments—bridges, railroads, roadways, canal banks, etc.
EPA-related concerns such as underground oil, frack well, hazmat or radioactive leaks at any depth can be sealed, preventing catastrophic contamination of surrounding freshwater aquifers or ecosystems.
Sealing abandoned wells and mine shafts, while allowing for future material removal so that the well or shaft can be put back into service.

The suitability of this process and material has been successfully applied up to 100 feet below ground surface without foreseeable limitation.

Medaro Mining Completes Phase 1 Exploration Work on the Rapide Lithium Property in Quebec

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 21:00:00 +0000

Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA) (“Medaro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the completion of their Phase 1 exploration fieldwork program (the “Program”) on its Rapide Lithium Property (the “Property”) located near Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada. The work included airborne and ground geophysical surveys, soil and rock sampling, and diamond drilling.

Program Description
The Program was comprised of soil and rock sampling and geological mapping, aimed at sampling, mapping and identifying a group of pegmatites for their potential to host lithium mineralization. 30-line kilometres of ground magnetic and VLF geophysical surveys were also completed as part of this work program. A high-resolution helicopter borne magnetic geophysical survey was also flown on the Property, in combination with Medaro’s Darlin property, which will be reported separately in detail.

A total of thirteen diamond drill holes were drilled with a cumulative drilling of 2,805 metres NQ size core. Drilling work was contracted to Forage Hebert Inc. Drilling of Amos, Quebec. The drill holes intersected several pegmatites with varying widths and lithologies. These pegmatites were mapped during a concurrent ground prospecting and sampling program. All exploration data is being compiled and will be reported as soon as available.

2022 Drill Hole Location Map

All rock, soil and drill core samples were bagged and tagged using best practices and were delivered to Activation Laboratories (“ACTLABS”), Ancaster, Ontario for sample preparation and analyses using laboratories code Ultratrace 7. Drill core was logged and sampled at a core shack facility located in St-Dominique du Rosaire.

Michael Mulberry, CEO of Medaro states, “The Company had a promising year in 2022 and is proud of its achievements in terms of lithium and uranium property acquisitions and development. All of Medaro’s lithium properties are within close proximity to each other in Quebec after the recent, successful option of our sole Ontario asset. This enables our exploration work programs to continue seamlessly, in a cost effective manner into the new year with more developments to come. We are looking forward to building a solid lithium focused work program for 2023”.

It Takes a Village

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 10:44:00 +0000

A surveyor helps bring fresh water to a remote community in the Andes

By John Stenmark

High in the Andes mountains of Ecuador, the village of Curingue has no centralized water supply system. The lack of reliable water means villagers face hardship and increased risk of health issues. Enter Engineers Without Borders (EWB), who heard about the challenge and began work to install infrastructure that could deliver water to Curingue. The effort required accurate positioning to provide accurate data for design and construction.

Challenging location

At an elevation of roughly 3,600 m (11,800 feet), Curingue is an isolated community. There is no cellular phone service and only limited electricity for the roughly 210 people living there. When EWB proposed to provide a water supply system, they needed data about water sources and the area’s steep terrain. But they soon discovered that there were no existing large-scale maps or geographic information for the area. In order to plan the work, EWB needed to develop accurate maps and elevation information. But the remote location had no existing geodetic control points—a complication that could add time and uncertainty to the mapping effort.

Among the EWB volunteers in Curingue was John Hamilton, a U.S. surveyor who specializes in precise measurement and control over large areas. With three decades of experience on four continents, Hamilton has plenty of experience dealing with sparse control and remote locations. A long-time GNSS user, he examined possible approaches to gathering accurate data for the mapping effort. His options included conducting long-observation GNSS sessions and then post processing the data to establish reference stations for RTK. But accessing data from Ecuador’s network of continuously operating GNSS reference stations (CORS) proved problematic. In addition, Curingue’s mountainous landscape made using conventional RTK with UHF radios unfeasible.

Precise GNSS in difficult terrain

To achieve accurate and reliable positioning, Hamilton used Trimble CenterPoint RTX positioning service, which can achieve survey-grade GNSS positioning (better than 2cm horizontal and 5 cm vertical accuracy) anywhere on Earth. Hamilton had gained experience using CenterPoint RTX on projects in the U.S. and Canada and he was confident that it could provide the needed accuracy even in the remote Ecuadorian mountains.

House to house

Using a single Trimble R10 GNSS receiver, Hamilton and his volunteer colleagues captured the 3D location of water sources that would supply the village. He also collected measurements at sites selected for the water collection point and pump station, an intermediate pump station and a water storage tank located above the village. The team worked along the route of the proposed pipeline collecting GNSS data to compile critical vertical profile information for the pipe. They also located ravines and roads that would affect the construction. Finally, they visited each house in the village to collect position and elevation data. “There was absolutely no way to do this without RTX, Hamilton said. “It was very convenient; I didn’t need anything other than my GNSS receiver to do the survey.” Hamilton said they needed roughly one week to complete all the survey work.

EWB will use the information to establish a durable, sustainable water supply that will improve the lives of Curingue residents. Work is already underway on the collection point, which includes its own storage tank and pump station. Hamilton is already planning a return visit to Ecuador, where he will work on a similar project in a different village. Correction services will again be his primary tool for accurate GNSS positioning in the rugged and remote terrain.

Understanding the difference between RTK, RTN and RTX

The advent of GPS in the 1990s enabled crews to establish control in remote locations, but they still needed total stations for topography and stakeout. The big breakthrough came with RTK GPS and GNSS, which allowed for centimeter accuracy in real time. It didn’t take long for RTK to push the use of total stations aside for most oilfield surveying. Both RTX and RTK provide good accuracy, but RTK relies on a GNSS base station and radio data links to send data from the base to the rover. Although RTK is far more productive than total stations, when compared to RTX, RTK comes with lots of logistical headaches, backtracking and costs for equipment and manpower. A similar comparison can be made between RTX and real-time GNSS networks (RTN). RTN is fast and convenient, but only when you are in a specific geographic area served by the RTN – accuracy quickly degrades as soon as you move out of the coverage area. Furthermore, RTN is dependent on cellular communications, which are often nonexistent in remote areas. In the oil patch where projects extend over enormous distances, RTX eliminates both the geographic and cellular dependencies of RTN.

*This article was originally published in June 2022

All Systems Launched – Geo Week 2023 Announces Five Strategic Event Partnerships

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Organizers of Geo Week, the premier event that champions the coming together of geospatial technologies and the built world, have announced five strategic partnerships established for the 2023 event. As part of this collaboration, ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing), ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing), MAPPS (Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors), USIBD (United States Institute for Building Documentation), and WGIC (The World Geospatial Industry Council) will actively participate in Geo Week, taking place February 13-15, 2023, in Colorado, USA.

“We’re honored that these esteemed organizations have chosen to partner with Geo Week,” said Lee Corkhill, Geo Week Event Director. “From collaborating on key conference content and providing exclusive training, to showcasing the technical capabilities of our vendors, these partnerships strengthen and advance the geospatial and built world communities by providing additional expertise and industry advocacy to the event.”

ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing)

Each year, professionals working with photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS gather at the ASPRS Annual Conference for technical workshops, education sessions, awards recognizing excellence, and ASPRS committee meetings. The ASPRS Annual Conference started taking place with International Lidar Mapping Forum, now Geo Week, in 2018.

“Geo Week brings together the most important and longstanding annual conferences in the aerial survey, remote sensing, and mapping profession- that being the ASPRS Annual Conference and what was previously known as the International Lidar Mapping Forum, now Geo Week,” said Karen Schuckman, Executive Director of ASPRS. “It gathers the brain trust of sensor manufacturers, software developers, systems integrators, scientific researchers, and government agency leadership who are responsible for basically everything important happening in photogrammetry, lidar, and UAS-based mapping.”

In addition to the technical conference, these exclusive ASPRS workshops will be taking place at Geo Week:

Learn more about the ASPRS partnership here.

ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing)

“For the first time ever, Diversified Communications is collaborating with ISRPS to develop a session on Photogrammetry at Geo Week 2023,” said Lena Halounova, President of ISPRS. “ISPRS is the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, a non-governmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry, remote sensing and geospatial sciences and their applications. Its members are national societies and government agencies, regional organizations and both national and international firms involved in these topics. ISPRS is organized in five technical commissions and is heavily involved in fostering and managing leading-edge research across the globe. The Geo Week session, scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, is being finalized and will include reviews of the latest research by several ISPRS leaders.” Learn more about the ISPRS partnership here.

MAPPS (Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors)

“MAPPS is again excited to be an active supporter of Geo Week 2023,” said Robert Hanson, President of MAPPS. “Each year we are highly enthusiastic to participate in this showcase geospatial event. MAPPS is the preeminent national association of firms involved in many aspects and benefits of the geospatial field in the United States. Many MAPPS member firms are exhibitors and speakers at Geo Week 2023’s educational, technical, and collaborative activities. This year MAPPS is participating with the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) in the plenary session The Collaborative Impact and Power of Public, Private Partnerships from the Natural (climate) Environment to the “Built World, taking place Wednesday, February 15 at 9:00AM. Additionally, MAPPS will formally announce our partnership with National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) by co-exhibiting at Booth 1110. We look forward to seeing you at Geo Week 2023.” Learn more about the MAPPS partnership here.

USIBD (United States Institute for Building Documentation)

“The USIBD is excited to participate in Geo Week 2023,” said John Russo, President of USIBD. “This year we will welcome the leading scanner manufacturers to participate in our first ever LIVE event to compare normalized data from an assortment of scanners using various software developers’ solutions. You be the judge of which solutions are best for your projects.”

USIBD’s Laser Scanning Hub & Showdown is comprised of networking and knowledge-sharing and will include engaging demonstrations on the exhibit floor where conference participants will have a chance to learn about the newest tools, ask questions of vendors, and evaluate the capabilities and limitations of the technology. On Monday, February 13, leading laser scanner manufacturers will scan the Exhibit Floor allowing spectators to see reality capture tech in action. On Tuesday, February 14, manufacturers’ scanned data will be processed and visualized by leading software vendors. On Wednesday, February 15, the data, normalized by USIBD for side-by-side comparisons, will be presented in the Exhibit Hall Theater from 11:00AM – 12:30PM. USIBD will also engage participants in a fun, exciting contest with prizes. Learn more about the USIBD partnership here.

WGIC (The World Geospatial Industry Council)

Ken Mooyman, President, WGIC, said, “WGIC is delighted to partner with the Geo Week Conference. Our ability to demonstrate the value of geospatial data and solutions to climate change, sustainable infrastructure, and in many other areas, fits well into Geo Week’s program agenda. We are pleased to be participating with MAPPS in the plenary session “The Collaborative Impact and Power of Public, Private Partnerships from the Natural (climate) Environment to the “Built World” taking place Wednesday, February 15 at 9:00AM. We are excited to be at Geo Week 2023.” Learn more about the WGIC partnership here.

Geo Week Programming and Features

In addition to these partnerships, Geo Week features an extensive conference program, vendor-delivered Product Previews, Exhibit Hall Theater presentations, workshops, networking events, and more. More than 165 organizations have confirmed booths on the Exhibit Hall Floor and more than 150 associations and media have signed on as event supporters.

Geo Week provides education, technology, networking, and resources for professionals in industries including AEC, Asset & Facility Management, Disaster & Emergency Response, Earth Observation & Satellite Applications, Energy & Utilities, Infrastructure & Transportation, Land & Natural Resource Management, Mining & Aggregates, Surveying & Mapping, and Urban Planning & Smart Cities. Visit www.geo-week.com for more information on attending or exhibiting. Register now for early bird rates.

Bowman Acquires H2H Geoscience Engineering, Expands Benefit of Transportation Infrastructure Spending

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Reston, VA – Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (the “Company” or “Bowman”) (NASDAQ: BWMN), today announced the purchase of H2H Geoscience Engineering, PLLC (“H2H”), a Troy, New York based professional services firm that is focused on the aggregate, cement and industrial minerals industries. H2H also specializes in the collection of detailed 3D measurements and images using state-of-the-art aerial, marine-based, underground, and terrestrial survey mapping technologies.

Founded in 2005 by Richard Hisert, PhD PG, H2H provides mine permitting, geospatial, geologic, hydrogeologic, geotechnical, civil and mine engineering, hydrographic, and environmental services to a variety of state, federal, and private sector clients throughout the United States. Hisert, along with other senior managers of H2H, will become part of the Bowman management team.

“The acquisition of H2H will expand our mine consulting and geospatial capabilities as well as extend our service verticals to the transportation and infrastructure market,” said Gary Bowman, CEO of Bowman. “Their depth of expertise serving the aggregate, cement and industrial minerals mining industries will position us to capitalize on the backlog of transportation and infrastructure spending coming in 2023 and beyond. We were also attracted by their extensive experience in sophisticated underwater imaging, hydrographic surveying, and the unique collection of advanced marine mapping technologies they have assembled. Considering the complementary services which they provide and the skillsets they possess, we have the ingredients for an exceptionally synergistic acquisition. Having already worked together on projects prior to the acquisition, we have a head start on integrating our services which allows us to increase focus on cross selling to our clients.”

“We have gotten to know the Bowman team well and we are confident that their culture and commitment to deliberate growth will enable our team to scale our operations to a degree we could not achieve on our own,” said Richard Hisert, founder of H2H. “Our skills, experience and tools will complement Bowman’s while their national footprint and extensive professional development programs will provide our team with a new home from which to grow. We have been considering a sale for some time and feel this is the perfect match for our team.”

The Company expects the H2H acquisition to contribute approximately $3.5 million of annualized net service billing before revenue synergies and be immediately accretive. The acquisition was financed with a combination of cash and seller notes, including a convertible note. More detailed information on M&A activities, pipeline, and guidance updates will be provided in connection with scheduled quarterly and annual communications.

“H2H meets all of our operating metric objectives and the acquisition cost is within our target multiple range,” said Bruce Labovitz, Bowman’s Chief Financial Officer. “In this case, the tangible technology and geospatial assets we are acquiring as part of the acquisition will likely account for a greater than usual portion of the final purchase price allocation.”

Medaro Mining Continues Progress in Quebec with the Completion of Work Program on its Darlin Lithium Property

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA) (“Medaro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the completion of Phase 1 exploration fieldwork program (the “Program”) on its Darlin Lithium Property (the “Property”) located in Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada. The work included airborne and ground geophysical surveys, soil and rock sampling, and diamond drilling.

Program Description
The Program was comprised of soil and rock sampling and geological mapping, aimed at sampling, mapping and identifying a group of pegmatites for their potential to host lithium mineralization. 21.83-line kilometres of ground magnetic and VLF geophysical survey was also completed as part of this work program. A high-resolution helicopter borne magnetic geophysical survey was also flown on combined Darlin and Rapide properties claims which will be reported separately in detail.

A total of eight diamond drill holes were drilled with a cumulative drilling of 1,286 metres NQ size core, out which two holes were abandoned at shallow depths of 27m and 33m respectively due to difficult ground conditions. The drill holes intersected several pegmatites with varying widths and lithologies. All exploration data is being compiled and will be reported as soon as available.

Michael Mulberry, CEO of Medaro stated that, “The recent, successful option of the Superb Lake property in Ontario enables Medaro to focus its exploration efforts solely in the province of Quebec and streamlines the company’s efforts. Being able to easily move from property to property and use centralized equipment makes Medaro more efficient and assists with timely mobilization and completion of exploration work in the future. I commend efforts of our exploration team to successfully complete the work program on Darlin in a timely manner. The results will help the Company to plan 2023 work program for moving the project forward”.

South Korea’s Geoview executes Equinor’s floating offshore wind farm project in Ulsan

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 13:00:00 +0000

South Korea’s ocean exploration company Geoview successfully completed the marine geophysical exploration for the floating offshore wind farm in Ulsan.

In the first half of 2022, Geoview won an ocean exploration project from Equinor, a Norwegian national energy company, for the first time as a Korean company.

Geoview conducted and completed the project solely, earning the reputation that their technologies can compete against the global companies in Europe at a similar level.

Geoview, founded in 2005, has conducted numerous ocean exploration projects through which they acknowledge the importance of meeting the global standards. Subsequently, the company made aggressive investments in R&D and equipment.

In 2019, Geoview conducted an exploration task on the area where NGCP’s underwater cables were to be installed in the Philippines. In 2021, the company conducted geophysical and geotechnical survey on the 90km route between Wando and the Jeju Island in Korea. Recognized for its technologies in the field, the company has been receiving many inquiries for the eighty nine offshore wind farm projects that are in progress in Korea.

Geoview conducted the NGCP project in partnership with a local company MJAS. MJAS provided an exploration vessel and surveyor while Geoview dispatched exploration equipment and technical personnel. In the process, Geoview was able to pass on its high-level exploration techniques to MJAS. The two companies has been maintaining a close relationship ever since and are now preparing for the next project together.

Leveraging the joint project experience in the Philippines, Geoview is planning a “Grow Together” business model which promotes shared growths with local companies in the Southeast Asian countries from 2023.

Hyundo Kim, the CEO of Geoview, is looking for more business opportunities with interested companies with a vision to make a multinational ocean exploration group based in East Asia and Southeast Asia that can compete against the global ocean exploration companies in a few years by accumulating various technologies and experiences; and creating an industrial ecosystem to build upon seamless partnerships.

Ecobot Extends Integration With Popular GNSS Systems

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Ecobot, the only workflow-first digital platform for pre-construction environmental permitting, today announced compatibility with additional GNSS devices, further expanding integration with customers’ preferred geospatial systems. The newest additions to Ecobot’s array of compatible devices are Leica Zeno FLX100 plus, Trimble Catalyst, and Bad Elf.

Built from within the agricultural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, Ecobot has continually evolved alongside the expressed needs of thousands of customers who have used the platform to generate over 80,000 environmental regulatory reports.

“Ecobot works with the tools the industry already knows and relies on. It fits seamlessly into the workflow because it’s built around it,” says Emmet McGovern, Ecobot founding engineer and VP of engineering. “We’ve designed Ecobot to give customers the flexibility to use the system of their choice.”

Using Ecobot alongside compatible systems, customers are able to conduct maximally efficient, accurate, and geospatially-smart field data, which stakeholders can leverage in a variety of contexts in addition to pre-construction permitting. For example, with Ecobot’s Esri ArcGIS Online and Enterprise integration, customers are able to export Shapefiles to their GIS team’s Esri account from within Ecobot Manager.

Ecobot is now compatible with GNSS systems from:

Trimble Geospatial
Eos GNSS
Juniper Systems
SXblue
Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon
Bad Elf

About Ecobot: Ecobot is a cloud-based platform that supports efficiency throughout the construction lifecycle by optimizing data collection and management for environmental permits, and enables customers to utilize data in a variety of contexts. Ecobot helps customers deliver data consistency across a distributed workforce, and enables them to leverage field data for improvements to the construction lifecycle. See how Ecobot can transform your pre-construction permitting workflow at ecobot.com.

Atwell finances acquisition of Cross Surveying, deepening surveying relationships in the Southeast region, Florida, and Georgia

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 22:00:00 +0000

Atwell has provided the financing to a private investment group that has acquired Cross Surveying, LLC, a 28-person land surveying firm based in Florida. As part of the transaction, Atwell will work with Cross Surveying on expansion opportunities and all Florida surveying operations. Cross Surveying specializes in providing a comprehensive approach to surveying and mapping projects. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

This acquisition will immediately enhance the depth and breadth of Atwell’s surveying capabilities within the Real Estate and Land Development and Power and Energy teams in the Southeast region, especially in Florida and Georgia.

“Atwell and Cross Surveying share the same client-focused model for service excellence,” said Ron Waldrop, Vice President of Real Estate and Land Development for the US Southeast at Atwell. “We’ve worked with Cross Surveying for several years and are collaborating on several projects currently. Cross Surveying complements our current suite of services and helps fill important geographic gaps.”

Cross Surveying originated in 1989 when owner and founder Robert Cross formed Bob Cross Professional Land Surveying. In 1995, Cross purchased Global Surveying and expanded into seven locations across Florida.

“Teaming with Atwell allows us to unlock added value for our clients by tapping into a broader range of services backed by regional and national expertise,” said Cross. “We look forward to supporting Atwell’s growth in Florida and the Southeast Region.”

Cross Surveying is comprised of professional surveyors and mappers, CAD technicians, and office personnel. The firm’s services include boundary surveys, construction stakeout, control surveys, design surveys, residential surveys, topographic surveys, and more.

“We continue to focus our growth in ways that best support our clients,” said Matt Bissett, Vice President of Power and Energy at Atwell. “We’re well positioned for organic growth by expanding Atwell’s relationships in the Southeast region.”

Atwell, LLC is a national consulting, engineering, and construction services firm with technical professionals located across the country. Creating innovative solutions for clients in industries such as real estate and land development, power and energy, and oil and gas, Atwell provides comprehensive turnkey services including land and right-of-way support, planning, landscape architecture, engineering, land surveying, environmental compliance and permitting, and project and program management.

Presagis Teams with Kambill Systems to Provide Artificial Intelligence-Based Geospatial Services in Asia Pacific

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Presagis, a global leader in 3D advanced modelling and simulation software, has teamed with Kambill Systems of New Delhi, India, and their HelloGeo platform to offer fully automated, large-area artificial intelligence (AI) -based feature extraction services to national mapping agencies and other geospatial organizations in the Asia Pacific Region (APAC). The team’s first two contracts have been awarded by the Indian National Survey Agency/State Revenue Department of India for a massive building footprint and vegetation extraction from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data.

“Presagis is honored to team with Kambill Systems and their HelloGeo cloud platform to provide a comprehensive AI-based geospatial solution to Indian National Survey Agency/State Revenue Department of India,” said Jean-Michel Briere, President of Presagis based in Montreal, Canada. “Together, our companies plan to deliver fast and accurate large-area mapping services to civilian and defense survey organizations across the APAC Region.”

Kambill and Presagis will demonstrate their integrated geospatial mapping capabilities in booth 37 at the GeoSmart India 2022 Conference being held November 15-17 in Hyderabad. The AI-based feature extraction tools are part of the recently released Presagis VELOCITY 5D (V5D) digital twin generation platform, which will also be demonstrated at the conference.

“Kambill chose to integrate the Presagis AI building footprint and vegetation extraction tools into its HelloGeo geospatial solution after Presagis completed a nationwide 3D digital twin creation project covering 65,000 square kilometers for a European country in just three days,” said by Kamal Sharma, CEO of Kambill Systems. The automated Presagis AI algorithms succeeded in identifying 1.34 million building footprints in satellite imagery, which exceeded the results of manual footprint delineation by a staggering 55,000 structures.

“The speed and accuracy of our AI feature extraction algorithms – especially in projects covering massive geographic areas – are unmatched in the geospatial community,” said Briere. “Our automated process will deliver a significant savings in time and money for Indian National Survey Agency/ State Revenue Department of India which currently relies on manual extraction methods.”

Presagis has leveraged AI and game engine technologies to build its cloud-based V5D platform for fast and automated conversion of massive volumes of diverse 2D geospatial data into high-fidelity 3D digital twins. With no geospatial data processing expertise, V5D users can easily produce realistic and scalable digital twins that are ready immediately for use in advanced visualization and simulation to unlock the context often hidden in geospatial data and empower better decision.

To learn more about V5D, please visit www.velocity5d.com.

Trimble Introduces Innovative Rail Module for Real-Time Monitoring Software

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today Trimble® 4D Control (T4D) software version 6.4, featuring an add-on rail-specific monitoring solution. T4D is a software suite for real-time displacement monitoring and detection. The rail module simplifies the data collection process and reduces up to 95 percent of the office work required to automate movement detection.

The announcement was made today at the Trimble Dimensions+ Conference.

Monitoring rail track geometry is necessary to help identify deformations caused by activities such as tectonic movement, heatwaves and nearby construction. The real-time data captured can be used to evaluate track conditions, which can enable operators to make informed decisions regarding track maintenance. This process provides support for continuous rail traffic flow and passenger safety.

The T4D Rail software module, in combination with a Trimble total station, automates time consuming rail monitoring data collection. Conventional data collection methods, which require surveyors to manually collect each data point along the rails, often cause disruption to traffic flow and increase risk to workers. In addition, the module automates complex calculations to generate rail track geometry analysis and deliverables, reducing the amount of errors that may occur with manual calculations.

“This unique solution provides a comprehensive perspective and a great opportunity to standardize rail monitoring data and deliverables,” said Florian von Matt, geomatics engineer at Wild Ingenieure AG. “The T4D Rail module is simple to understand and will make work much easier for stakeholders that need to interpret and prepare data for analysis.”

Key features of the T4D Rail module enable surveyors and monitoring professionals to:

Seamlessly integrate accurate rail as-builts collected with the Trimble GEDO system or with the track measuring bar paired with the Trimble Access Track Gauge Survey app;
Automate calculations for track geometry parameters, generate analysis charts, and trigger alarms; and
Expand business opportunities by reducing crew field time and simplifying calculations, which minimizes the learning curve that goes along with sophisticated rail monitoring processes.

Trimble’s purpose-built T4D Rail module presents a streamlined total station-based rail monitoring workflow. Informed by current rail authority standards, the module assists professionals to meet comprehensive deliverable criteria. The automated process reduces field time, repeat site visits, rail traffic disruptions and improves worker safety. Along with this, the software module provides real-time alarming for early awareness of critical impacts and supports informed decision-making. This module allows more professionals to adopt rail monitoring as part of their business and for the work to be completed efficiently while meeting rail project standards.

“The T4D Rail module enables our customers to make more informed decisions on track assets and safety,” said Riley Smith, marketing director, Trimble Monitoring and Tunneling. “This is done by automating and simplifying complex processes so resources can be better utilized on high impact projects and other business opportunities.”

Availability

Trimble 4D Control version 6.4 is expected to be available in December 2022. To add the rail module to the T4D software, contact the Trimble Monitoring team here or a local Trimble Distributor.

About Trimble Geospatial

Trimble Geospatial provides solutions that facilitate high-quality, productive workflows and information exchange, driving value for a global and diverse customer base of surveyors, engineering and GIS service companies, governments, utilities and transportation authorities. Trimble’s innovative technologies include integrated sensors, field applications, real-time communications and office software for processing, modeling and data analytics. Using Trimble solutions, organizations can capture the most accurate spatial data and transform it into intelligence to deliver increased productivity and improved decision-making. Whether enabling more efficient use of natural resources or enhancing the performance and lifecycle of civil infrastructure, timely and reliable geospatial information is at the core of Trimble’s solutions to transform the way work is done. For more information, visit: geospatial.trimble.com.

Bowman adds Reality Capture Services Through Acquisition of Spatial Acuity

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 23:00:00 +0000

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (the “Company” or “Bowman”) (NASDAQ: BWMN), today announced a definitive agreement under which Bowman will acquire substantially all of the assets of Spatial Acuity, LLC (“Spatial Acuity”), a 3D modeling and reality capture firm headquartered in Austin, Texas. Serving both domestic and international clients, Spatial Acuity focuses on reality capture technology including high-definition scanning and 3D building information modeling (BIM) creating a geospatial ecosystem and bringing digital twins to reality. Spatial Acuity’s founder and CTO, Garett Owens, will lead Bowman’s specialty geomatics and reality capture services group.

“The ever-changing and highly technical realm of geospatial data collection and digital measurement has resulted in a crowded field of solution providers” said Gary Bowman, CEO of Bowman. “The Spatial Acuity team has set themselves apart by capturing facility data with unmatched precision and delivering project results with a level of sophistication that is rare in the field. Garett and his team will both complement and extend our platform resulting in enhanced efficiencies and substantial cross-selling opportunities. We are pleased to welcome the Spatial Acuity team to Bowman, and I especially look forward to Garett’s leadership of our continuing adoption and growth of advanced digital services.”

“Reality capture is an exciting field with unlimited growth potential.” said Garett Owens. “By partnering with Bowman, we can expand at a pace we otherwise would not have been able to achieve. Their culture and commitment to growth matches precisely what we have been pursuing in a partner. Bowman embraces advanced technologies and together we will be an industry leading player in the digital transformation of design, construction, and asset management within the built environment.”

The Company expects the Spatial Acuity acquisition to initially contribute approximately $2.5 million of annualized net service billing and be immediately accretive. The acquisition price falls within the Company’s target multiple range and conforms with operating metric objectives. The acquisition will be financed with a combination of cash, seller notes and equity and is expected to close in early November. The Company will provide more detailed information on M&A activities, pipeline, and guidance in connection with scheduled quarterly communications.

Medaro Completes Additional Earn-Ins under Joint Venture Agreement to Develop Lithium Extraction Technology

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE:MEDA) (OTC: MEDAF) (FWB: 1ZY) (“Medaro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the completion of two significant milestones under the joint venture agreement (the “JVA”) with respect to the operation of its Global Lithium Extraction Technologies Inc. (“GLET”) joint venture focused on the development and commercialization of a new, low-cost process (the “Technology”) for extracting lithium from spodumene concentrate. In particular, GLET has successfully completed test tube-scale testing and small prototype-scale testing of the Technology, achieving recovery rates of over 99%.

Pursuant to the JVA, (i) the Company has issued to its joint venture partners an aggregate of 400,000 common shares of the Company and (ii) the Company has been issued an aggregate of 2,875,000 common shares of GLET, bringing the Company’s total ownership interest in GLET to 60%.

Company President, Faizaan Lalani, advises, “This is a tremendous step forward both in the advancement of the Technology and for Medaro. It’s no secret that lithium will be in high demand for the foreseeable future. And with this progress, we move closer to being a contributor to this supply chain. We will now shift our focus to validating the Technology on a commercial level, first by planning for the development of our pilot plant.”

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Faizaan Lalani
President

About Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA) (OTC: MEDAF) (FWB: 1ZY)
Medaro Mining is a lithium exploration company based in Vancouver, BC, which holds options on the Superb Lake lithium property located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the Cyr South lithium property located in James Bay, Quebec, the Yurchison uranium property located in Northern Saskatchewan, the Lac La Motte lithium property located in Val D’Or, Quebec, and the Darlin lithium property, located in Val D’Or, Quebec. The Company is also involved in the development and commercialization of a new process to extract lithium from spodumene concentrate through its Global Lithium Extraction Technologies joint venture. Find out more at: https://medaromining.com/.

For more information, investors should review the Company’s filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Low-level flights in Arkansas and Missouri

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 19:00:00 +0000

HOLLISTER, Missouri — Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Arkansas Geological Survey and the Missouri Geological Survey are partnering to collect geology data using airborne geophysical technology as part of the USGS Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (Earth MRI). Weather permitting, the survey is slated to begin in early November and be completed in the Spring of 2023. None of the instruments carried on the aircraft pose a health risk to people or animals.

The USGS is contracting with Woolpert in collaboration with EON Geosciences who will be conducting the survey to fly over all or parts of 50 counties in central Arkansas and all or parts of 10 counties in southern Missouri. The planes and crew will be initially based out of the Branson airport in Hollister, Missouri.

An Earth MRI survey to cover central Arkansas and and southern Missouri.

The survey will collect data that will be publicly available and used by the USGS and state geological surveys to modernize our understanding of the nation’s geologic framework through new 3D models and geologic maps. These products will allow for a better understanding of the distribution of groundwater, mineral and energy resources and the potential for natural hazards. The survey will also support a national-scale effort to acquire modern, high-resolutiuon airborne magnetic and radiometric data across the nation. These efforts replace existing low-quality geophysical data that were collected mostly in the 1980s.

This effort will use the latest technological developments to acquire high-resolution geophysical data that scientists will use to image the geology at the surface and below ground. Up to three Piper Navajo airplanes and one Piper Cheyenne airplane will be actively collecting data in different parts of the survey area.

Each aircraft will be mounted with passive sensors that measure variations in Earth’s natural magnetic field created by different rock types up to several miles beneath the surface. The magnetic sensor will be mounted in a tail stinger off the back of the aircraft. Each plane will also include sensors inside the aircraft that measure soil and rock chemistry at the surface. The aircraft will be flown by experienced pilots that are specially trained and approved for low-level flying. All flights are coordinated with the FAA to ensure flights are in accordance with U.S. law.

The central Arkansas-southern Missouri survey will be flown at elevations of approximately 80 to 300 meters, or about 260 to 1000 feet, above ground in a grid pattern along north-south flight lines spaced approximately 300 meters, or 1000 feet, apart. East-west flight lines will be spaced 3000 meters, or 9800 feet, apart. All survey flights will occur during daylight hours. 

The Earth MRI-funded survey is designed to merge with several other magnetic and radiometric surveys collected by the USGS since 2016. Once the central Arkansas and southern Missouri survey is complete, the compilation of the previous surveys with data from this survey will provide the public with the largest continuous swath of high-resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric data in the US.

Earth MRI is a cooperative effort between the USGS, the Association of American State Geologists, and other Federal, State, and private sector organizations to improve our knowledge of the geologic framework in the United States.

Standard Lithium Announces Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patents Covering DLE Process for Recovering Lithium From Brines

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:00:00 +0000

Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SLI) (NYSE American: SLI) (FRA: S5L), an innovative pre-commercial lithium company, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) has issued Notices of Allowance for Standard Lithium’s first two U.S. patent applications; serial no.16/410,523 and serial no. 16/224/463, both titled “Process for Recovering Lithium from Brines”, a novel and proprietary technique for continuous Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) from lithium brines.

These U.S. patent applications are two of the three pending U.S. patent applications for elements of Standard Lithium’s innovative DLE processes. A Notice of Allowance is issued by the USPTO after examination of a patent application and a determination that a patent should be granted from the application. Standard Lithium anticipates the issue of the formal registration of these patents in the coming months.

Dr. Andy Robinson, President of Standard Lithium commented, “The successful Notice of Allowance from the USPTO provides continued affirmation of the Company’s lithium extraction technology and allows Standard Lithium to continue advancing its first commercial lithium extraction project with even greater certainty of intellectual property rights.”

DFI Announces New Technical Committee Chairs

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 21:00:00 +0000

Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) announces new chairs for three of its technical committees and an industry-wide working group.

Iezzoni

Hannah Iezzoni, P.E., is the new chair of DFI’s Augered Cast-in-Place and Drilled Displacement Pile Committee succeeding Jonathan Huff of Goettle. A design engineer with Keller North America, Iezzoni has 10 years of industry experience in design and construction of deep foundations, ground improvement, grouting, dam infrastructure and earth retention projects. She is an active member of numerous industry groups and is the engineering representative for Keller’s internal Micropile and Anchor Product Team. She graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in civil engineering and from the University of Colorado with an M.S. in civil engineering. Iezzoni is a recipient of a 2021 DFI President’s Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions and service of institute members.

Conte

Matthew Conte, CPC, is the new chair of the Helical Piles and Tiebacks Committee following Mark Bryant of BHATE Geosciences. Conte is a third-generation owner of Conte Company. He has extensive experience in pile installation throughout New England performing geotechnical work for various types of applications and soil conditions. Conte earned his B.S. at the Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science and is a Certified Professional Constructor (CPC). Conte is a former president of the Guild of Professional Helical Pile Installers and has created multiple patents for the deep foundation industry and has published case studies and lectured on the use and innovations of helical pile products.

Ragy

DFI’s Seepage Control Committee and the Slurry Wall Committee is merging to form the Structural Slurry Wall and Seepage Control Committee at the start of 2023. Meeok Kim, Ph.D., P.E., Thornton Tomasetti, and Amr Ragy, Bauer Foundation, will serve as co-chairs of the new committee. They take the helm from Michael Kynett of MBK Engineers, Gregg Batchelder-Adams of USACE and Giovanni Bonita of GEI Consultants.

Kim

Kim serves as a geostructural engineer with Thornton Tomasetti, specializing in the analysis and design of complex below-grade systems such as deep excavations, unique foundations and tunnel access shafts in various regions of U.S. The common denominator of her experience is a system governed by soils and the structures interactions. Kim is an expert on the performance of deep foundation systems, has been involved in various types of slurry wall projects, and has designed dozens of slurry wall and LBE foundations. She received a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Virginia Tech.

Ragy is a vice president with Bauer Foundation Corp. based in Odessa, Florida. A geotechnical engineer by training, he has 30 years of experience in the deep foundations industry. Ragy has been involved in projects of all sizes across the U.S. and other parts of the world with various deep foundations applications including structural slurry walls, seepage cutoff walls and soil improvement.

New DFI Committee Chairs

Kalson

Richard D. Kalson, Esq., is the incoming chair of the Geo-Industry Working Group, an alliance of ADSC, DFI, Geo-Institute, Geotechnical Business Association and PDCA to provide risk-related activities and resources for the industry. An attorney with Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan and Arnoff, Kalson provides counsel to subcontractors, contractors, suppliers and project owners in litigation and business consultation matters, including many ENR 400 contractors and ENR 600 specialty contractors, on all phases of the construction process on projects throughout the U.S.

About the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI): DFI (www.dfi.org) is an international association of contractors, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, academics and owners in the deep foundations industry. Our multidisciplinary membership creates a consensus voice and a common vision for continual improvement in the planning, design and construction of deep foundations and excavations. We bring together members for networking, education, communication and collaboration. With our members, we promote the advancement of the deep foundations industry through technical committees, educational programs and conferences, publications, research, government relations and outreach. DFI has more than 4,000 members worldwide.

The Three Advantages of the Leica AP20 AutoPole That Impress Me the Most

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:44:32 +0000

Improved speed and accuracy are a given, but these other benefits spark a new level of excitement about the future of surveying.

By Jason Houle

As a professional licensed land surveyor for more than 25 years, I’ve seen a lot of technology advances in my career. Some of these innovations, like laser scanning, have been truly revolutionary because of the impact they’ve had on how surveyors approach their work. But for accuracy and simplicity, a total station, which may have laser scanning functionality, remains the primary instrument in a surveyor’s toolbox.

While the move from manual to robotic instruments has provided a significant improvement in productivity, the need to level the prism pole and measure its height has placed constraints on the overall speed and allowed for the potential of errors in a survey. So, when I learned about the new Leica AP20 AutoPole with tilt compensation, automatic pole height, and automatic target ID recognition, I was understandably intrigued.

As a surveying technology sales and support representative for Leica Geosystems, it’s my job to guide surveyors and engineers in technology adoption. With my professional reputation on the line, I will never recommend a technology that doesn’t prove its performance in the challenging real-world applications you deal with every day. My first approach with any new technology is to put it to the test, and the AutoPole was no exception.

While the AutoPole consistently delivers productivity gains, eliminates the possibility for rod height errors, and can identify a unique target ID during searches, three other advantages stand out to me as having an even bigger impact.

1. Enhanced Safety

Being able to stay alert to your surroundings rather than having your attention focused on the pole to capture a shot is a significant benefit when working around roadway traffic or on busy construction sites. Additionally, when you’re tying in a feature that’s buried or in a trench, you no longer must lean over the trench and level the rod; with the tilt capabilities of the AutoPole, you just touch the tip to the point and measure it.

2. Ability to Measure Obstructed Points on the Fly

ALTA surveys and other surveys often require tying in obscure but crucial features. This typically means setting additional control points or using more instrument occupations, which extends the field time and increases risks. With the tilt capabilities of the AutoPole, you can measure obstructed features quickly and easily.

3. Measurable Value for Everyone

The real wow factor for me is the ability of the AutoPole to deliver measurable value for everyone across the spectrum, from the small one-person boundary surveying firm to large firms delivering large-scale surveying and engineering projects. The ease of use, time savings from the tilt capabilities, accuracy gains from the automatic rod height measurements, safety benefits, ability to measure obstructed points—all these benefits add up to a more productive and reliable workflow. As firms continue to struggle to fill positions for personnel, the productivity gains provided by technologies like the AP20 can help bridge the gap and allow your company to remain competitive and profitable.

As I consider all the surveying technology advances that have occurred over the last few decades, the new AutoPole is at the top of my list. But don’t take my word for it. Check it out for yourself and put it to the test in your own applications. Let me know what you think.

About the Author

Jason Houle has 25 years of experience in surveying/geomatics and civil engineering in roles ranging from survey technician and crew chief to project manager and business owner. As a sales and support representative for Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, Jason Houle works with surveying and engineering professionals throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska to evaluate and implement game-changing innovations that have a dramatic impact on productivity, efficiency, and quality. His ability to combine creative problem solving with a pragmatic approach have made him the go-to resource for solving complex challenges. Follow Jason on LinkedIn.

Note: A version of this article was originally published on Pure Surveying Insights. For more stories on how technology improves surveying efficiency and quality, visit https://pure-surveying.com/insights.

To learn more about solutions to maximize your surveying potential, get in touch with a surveying and engineering expert at Leica Geosystems.

Exodigo Partners With Esri to Improve Underground Mapping

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Exodigo, the breakthrough non-invasive subsurface imaging platform, announced a partnership today with Esri, the world leader in Geographic Information System (GIS) software, web GIS and geodatabase management applications, that will help governments and businesses accelerate the delivery of capital projects and de-risk underground operations at scale.

While traditional methods of underground mapping draw conclusions based on one or two types of sensors and visual hints, Exodigo is the first company to employ multi-sensor fusion and process the varied signals with artificial intelligence (AI) into a single source of truth. The density and speed of data collection and processing enables Exodigo to identify more buried assets than other subsurface locating and surveying methods – finding 20-50 percent more utilities than alternatives, according to analysis from the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Technology Advancements and Gaps in Underground Safety 2022 report.

Esri ArcGIS users can now integrate Exodigo’s imaging and underlying data into existing underground utility maps to ensure that undocumented utilities are identified and even slight curves in utility paths can be visualized accurately.

Esri empowers Exodigo to create live maps that can be reprocessed and improved over time. The client portal enables secure access to its proprietary maps that are updated based on the continuous improvement of the Exodigo imaging and algorithmic capabilities.

Exodigo’s multi-sensing platform generates enormous amounts of data that are processed and delivered in easy-to-understand layers, including:

– A green corridor polygon representing a utility-free right of way for safe design

– A utility layer showing line identities with high precision and accuracy

– An above ground utility assets layer (such as manholes, hydrants, etc.)

– An underground soil layer that highlights areas of possible ground distortion

– An optional layer adding available records in digital format

This technology partnership turns existing “as-builts” into verified “as-is” digital models of the underground at the precision required for asset management and downstream planning, design, and construction.

“Exodigo solves the underground challenge with subsurface maps you can trust,” said Jeremy Suard, CEO and Co-Founder of Exodigo. “With this new partnership, ArcGIS users can access the complete picture of the underground with Exodigo on the Esri system in the exact digital format they need.”

Exodigo has developed commercial underground operations with 20+ leading owners of large capital projects across the energy, utilities, and transportation sectors in the United States, Europe, and Israel.

About Exodigo

Exodigo is the new gold standard for non-intrusive discovery. Its subsurface mapping solutions combine advanced sensors, 3D imaging, and AI technologies to provide a clear picture of the underground for customers across energy, utilities, transportation, and more. Exodigo solves the challenge of underground mapping by locating pipes, cables, soil layers, rocks, minerals, and even groundwater – so that customers can decide where to design and build safely, with confidence.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California and Tel Aviv, Israel, the team brings unparalleled experience in Artificial Intelligence and signal processing from elite Israeli intelligence units and is backed by top industry partners. Learn more at www.exodigo.com.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com.

ENGEO received two ASCE San Francisco Section 2022 Project Awards

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0000

ENGEO is proud to announce that not one but TWO of our projects have received ASCE San Francisco Section 2022 Project Awards. ENGEO is honored to receive the awards of Outstanding Geotechnical Award for 1450 Bayhill Drive (YouTube) Shoring, San Bruno, California, and Outstanding Seismic Retrofit Award for Riverside Elementary – Lateral Spreading Resistance Element in San Pablo, California. The 2022 Award recipients will be recognized at the annual Section Meeting taking place on September 28^th in the Historic Green Room at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center.

“It’s the highest honor to be recognized by our peers for our technical accomplishments on these two projects. Congratulations to our teams for these well-deserved achievements,” says ENGEO President, Uri Eliahu.

Outstanding Geotechnical Award – 1450 Bayhill Drive (YouTube) Shoring, San Bruno, California

YouTube’s new office structure, Building 3, located at 1450 Bayhill Drive, San Bruno, California includes up to four levels of below-grade parking facilities. Construction of the garage required installation of a hybrid soil nail, tie-back, and cantilevered soldier pile shoring system up to 70 feet deep. The excavation is located between a Caltrans embankment and two San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) water transmission lines that are the main source of water to San Mateo County and the city of San Francisco. Due to proximity to sensitive infrastructure, ENGEO created a monitoring instrumentation plan, analyzed expected deformations using numerical modeling, and calibrated the models to measured deflections. ENGEO led weekly meetings with SFPUC to present the measurements and predictions of future movements. ENGEO provided engineering/geology observation throughout construction. The project was successfully completed between December 2020 and June 2021. Throughout construction, the SFPUC pipelines remained fully serviceable, and the Caltrans embankment was unaffected.

Prior to the ASCE award, ENGEO received the 2022 CalGeo Outstanding Project Award – Large Category.


1450 Bayhill Drive (YouTube) Shoring, San Bruno, California – Rendering	1450 Bayhill Drive (YouTube) Shoring, San Bruno, California – Excavation Progress

Outstanding Seismic Retrofit Award – Riverside Elementary School – Lateral Spreading Resistance Element, San Pablo, California

ENGEO performed design services for the design-build construction of a mitigation of liquefaction-induced lateral spreading adjacent to the Bay Area elementary school. Overlapping deep soil mix (DSM) columns were constructed to create shear panels in the ground parallel to the direction of possible soil movement. ENGEO performed analyses to design the DSM panels as well as preparing the construction drawings and specifications in-house. The project schedule allowed for slightly more than five months to perform the design, achieve concurrence by the School District’s Geotechnical Engineer, and gain approval by the State of California in order to start construction in the School District’s required timeline.

During construction, ENGEO performed part-time observations supporting the contractor’s Quality Control team and the Quality Assurance observations and testing by the School District’s team. The project was constructed in the summer of 2021, meeting the project’s tight schedule. ENGEO prepared as-built plans to assist in achieving project closeout by the State of California.

ENGEO also received the 2022 CalGeo Outstanding Private-Large Category Honorable Mention for the restraint element design work.

Riverside Elementary School – Lateral Spreading Resistance Element, San Pablo, California

TRIMBLE AND ABI GMBH OFFER TRIMBLE READY OPTION FOR PILING AND DRILLING MACHINES

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 21:00:48 +0000

Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) and ABI Maschinenfabrik und Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH announced today the introduction of a Trimble Ready^® factory option for new ABI MOBILRAM-Systems and DELMAG Drill Rigs. ABI piling and drilling machines shipped from the factory will be ready for the installation of the Trimble^® Groundworks Machine Control System, which can significantly reduce the cost and complexity of the installation for the contractor.

When an ABI MOBILRAM-System or DELMAG Drill Rig is purchased, the option to install a Trimble Groundworks base kit is now available. This base kit provides mounting hardware, brackets and an integrated wiring harness allowing a more seamless installation of Trimble Groundworks.

“Trimble enables our customers to map the entire construction process from planning to quality management. On construction sites, for example, the pile grid does not have to be measured in place,” said Tobias Schmidt, head of control engineering electrics at ABI. “A significant advantage of the Trimble Ready solution is the direct communication with the ABI control system, so that the sensor technology available on the machines can be integrated. The necessary mounting options on the machine are already prepared. This significantly reduces the costs required to equip a system from Trimble.”

“Both Trimble and ABI are committed to providing innovative solutions for drilling and piling operations,” said Kevin Garcia, general manager, Trimble Civil Construction. “Trimble Groundworks technology on ABI foundation machines can deliver outstanding quality while increasing productivity and keeping our customers safer in the field. Improving the efficiency of the drilling and piling workflow is always the goal for both companies.”

Trimble Groundworks is a reliable and streamlined machine control solution that enables contractors to perform drilling and piling operations quickly, safely and accurately. Trimble Groundworks is part of the Trimble Connected Site® portfolio of solutions that provide a high-level of workflow and process integration from the design phase through to the finished project. The integration of Trimble software in the office and Trimble Groundworks in the field can increase the efficiency and productivity of drilling and piling operations, wirelessly syncing data to reduce site visits and provide a single source of truth.

Local Support

SITECH^® dealers, Trimble’s global distribution network, provide installation services, personalized training and local technical support for Trimble Groundworks installed on ABI drilling and piling machines. SITECH dealers understand how to apply Trimble Connected Site® solutions to effectively improve on- and off-machine productivity.

Availability

The Trimble Ready option for ABI MOBILRAM-Systems and DELMAG Drill Rigs will be available in November 2022.

About ABI Maschinenfabrik und Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH (ABI GmbH)

ABI is an internationally active machine manufacturer and offers a comprehensive range of machines, tools and accessories for special foundation engineering in piling and drilling technology. An important pillar of the company concept is reliable service with the aim of achieving high machine reliability. With developments such as the

Efficiency Drive, Docking-System, and various machine automated features, ABI makes a major contribution to protecting resources and the harmonisation of work on construction sites.

With the ABI MOBILRAM-System and DELMAG drill rigs, ABI offers its customers the best possible solutions for the realization of their special civil engineering projects whilst accompanying them as a reliable partner throughout the machine’s entire service life.

For more information, visit: www.abi-gmbh.com.

About Trimble Construction

Trimble is developing technology, software and services that drive the digital transformation of construction with solutions that span the entire architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Empowering teams across the construction lifecycle, Trimble’s innovative approach improves coordination and collaboration between stakeholders, teams, phases and processes. Trimble’s Connected Construction strategy gives users control of their operations with best-in-class solutions and a common data environment. By automating work and transforming workflows, Trimble is enabling construction professionals to improve productivity, quality, transparency, safety, sustainability and deliver each project with confidence. For more information, visit: construction.trimble.com.

About Trimble

Trimble is an industrial technology company transforming the way the world works by delivering solutions that enable our customers to thrive. Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve productivity, quality, safety, transparency and sustainability. From purpose-built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble is transforming industries such as agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation. For more information about Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), visit: www.trimble.com.

JUNTTAN OY TO OFFER TRIMBLE GROUNDWORKS MACHINE CONTROL FOR PILING MACHINES FROM THE FACTORY

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 20:00:33 +0000

Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) and Junttan Oy announced today the availability of Trimble^® Groundworks Machine Control System for Piling Machines as a factory option on Junttan Oy foundation machines.

Trimble Groundworks is a 3D machine control system that improves efficiency and reduces downtime with stakeless navigation, productivity and quality monitoring, and office-to-field connectivity. The system helps optimize productivity by enabling operations day and night and under almost any conditions. Using 2D or 3D guidance, Trimble Groundworks provides accurate piling depth and direction. The system reduces driving time per pile for piling machines, decreasing fuel usage to improve jobsite sustainability.

“Junttan strongly believes in the benefits of digitalization in the piling construction field and we are excited to include a GPS machine control system in our product offering,” said Karoliina Pesola, head of Digital and Measuring Solutions, Junttan. “Trimble Groundworks connected to Junttan’s machine control system PCD will provide a new dimension to our customers’ piling experience.”

“Both Trimble and Junttan have a long history of providing innovative solutions for piling operations,” said Kevin Garcia, general manager for Trimble Civil Specialty Solutions. “Trimble Groundworks technology on Junttan foundation machines will enable our customers to maximize piling productivity and safety, with a reliable and accurate workflow.”

More Efficient and Safer Workflows

Trimble Groundworks is part of the Trimble Connected Site^® portfolio of solutions that provide a high-level of workflow and process integration from the design phase through to the finished project. The integration of Trimble software in the office and Trimble Groundworks in the field can increase the efficiency and productivity of piling operations, wirelessly syncing data to reduce site visits and provide a single source of truth.

Trimble Groundworks allows operators to create an in-field design for piling and create piling reports. To reduce blind spots, administrators can set avoidance zones in the design file. With these stakeless workflows, Trimble Groundworks reduces the need for surveyors and other personnel to be near the machine, making job sites safer.

Availability

Trimble Groundworks is expected to be available for order in the first quarter 2023 as a factory-fit option from Junttan Oy. To learn more about Trimble Groundworks, go to: trimble.com/groundworks.

About Junttan Oy

Junttan Oy is a family-owned company with nearly 250 professionals worldwide and more than 45 years of experience in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of hydraulic piling equipment. With a factory in Kuopio, Finland, it manufactures pile driving rigs, multipurpose piling rigs, hydraulic impact hammers, and power packs.

Junttan supports its customers around the world with a wide range of services, such as spare parts, maintenance services, modernization and digital services, owning a service center in Hyvinkää, Finland, and subsidiaries in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States. With a strong experience of demanding deep foundation projects Junttan is able to provide solutions for various pile foundations and soil improvements needs. For more information, visit: junttan.com.

About Trimble Construction

About Trimble

First HCME Customised Solutions Zaxis-7 excavator with factory-fitted Leica Geosystems 3D machine control solution arrives in France

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:00:08 +0000

Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) and Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, today announced the latest advancement of their cooperation for factory-fit 2D and 3D machine control solutions by delivering the first factory-fitted excavator in France.

A French contractor, Kerleroux, has invested in a new ZX250LCN-7 medium excavator, which is the first machine of its kind to be supplied through Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV’s (HCME) Customised Solutions facility. The latest addition to Kerleroux’s fleet has been fitted with Leica Geosystems’ 3D machine control solution at HCME’s factory in Amsterdam as one of the optional extras available direct to customers; empowering operators to work more independently, productively and precisely.

One-stop shop

“We started working with machine guidance systems seven years ago,” says Matthieu Leon, Kerleroux’s Managing Director. “This technology is precise and reliable, and we don’t have the ‘burden’ of the former surveying system with hundreds of rods being used on a landscaping project. Today, we are more independent, and even if the topography of the project changes, we can simply amend this in the GPS system – without having to change the layout of rods.”

Kerleroux’s local Hitachi dealer in Britanny, Cobemat, had proposed the opportunity to have the Leica Geosystems 3D machine control system fitted to the new Zaxis-7 excavator by HCME Customised Solutions. This offer was immediately of interest to Kerleroux: “With the system installed directly by Hitachi, we are allowing for a higher level of reliability over time,” adds Matthieu.

“This means that we are avoiding any potential issues with the location of the cabling and antennae, as well as any damage to the sensors. In addition, we use Cobemat as a one-stop shop, and therefore don’t have the problem of contacting a second supplier – Hitachi and Leica Geosystems have already formed a partnership that is in place for us to use as an option when buying a new machine.”

An integrated solution

The ZX250LCN-7’s operator, Thierry Le Brun, has had the benefit of using machine control at Kerleroux for the past seven years – and even has experience of the previous system from Leica Geosystems. “3D machine control is advantageous as I can work alone – without the need for a site manager and/or surveyor,” he explains. “This means that I can complete tasks faster and am therefore more productive.”

When Thierry arrived on the 6,949m2 new housing development site in the village of Plouguin, near the city of Brest, a surveyor gave him a USB stick for one of the machine’s first assignments. After he had downloaded a file to prepare the utilities for 16 plots, he was able to easily keep track of his position in real time, and precisely follow the correct plan for the excavation and levelling work.

“The best things about the Leica Geosystems system are the ease of use for placing the monitor into position at the start of every day and the clarity of the screen graphics, with more and better views and aspects of the site. The precision of my work with the machine is also excellent, in that I can operate it with confidence to the nearest centimetre,” says Thierry. “I also prefer the larger and more user-friendly monitor that comes with the new Leica Geosystems machine control system. And finally, I can tell that it has been factory fitted by Hitachi, because it looks like part of the machine and all the cables have been well integrated within the cab.”

Recommended by Kerleroux

“If the first HCME Customised Solutions Zaxis-7 excavator with Leica Geosystems 3D machine control is anything to go by, then the partnership between the two companies and the Hitachi dealer network will be hugely successful,” says Matthieu.

“In conjunction with Cobemat, we will keep the door open for any other companies who would like to try our latest machine. It is working very well and there’s every reason for us to recommend this new solution,” concludes Kerleroux’s Managing Director.

Learn more about the factory-fit solution here.

About HCME

Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) is a subsidiary of Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (HCM) and was established in 1972 in Oosterhout, The Netherlands. It is responsible for the manufacture, sales and marketing of Hitachi construction equipment throughout Europe, parts of Africa, and Israel.

Hitachi produces the widest range of hydraulic excavators in the world, ranging from one-tonne minis to 800-tonne mining excavators. Every single model delivers a smooth and productive performance, and is comfortable, safe and reliable. In addition to excavators, HCME also supplies wheel loaders, rigid dump trucks and other construction equipment for special applications.

Successful operations at its European factory are allowing HCME to fulfil its business strategy and increase market share in each of its key markets. The company’s mission to ‘think global, act local’ is reflected in its focus on customer needs and the Hitachi brand values associated with innovation and technology.

GSSI Showcases StructureScan™ Mini XT at World of Concrete 2023

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 16:00:29 +0000

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc, (GSSI) the world’s leading manufacturer of ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment, will be showcasing its StructureScan Mini XT all-in-one concrete inspection GPR system at World of Concrete. Visit booth N1838 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada January 17-19, 2023 to see demonstrations of the capabilities of the Mini XT.

The StructureScan Mini XT is ideal for concrete inspection and evaluation. Easily and accurately locate the position and depth of metallic and non-metallic objects in concrete structures, including rebar, conduit, post-tension cables, pan decking, voids and service utilities. Reduce safety risks, financial exposure, and costly delays and provide the full-range of services to your customers by adding this concrete scanner to your toolbox.

The StructureScan Mini XT features a rugged compact design, IP 65-rated to withstand a jobsite’s toughest conditions. Users get first-in-class data visualization with a state-of-the-art 6.5 inch HD touchscreen user interface and different operation modes tailored for beginner to advanced use. Use the Simple mode to collect data with the push of one button or select ScanMax and Scan3D app-based data collection options for advanced data interpretation. The StructureScan Mini XT also makes it easy to customize the data display with a variety of color adjustments. Real-time migrated data, onscreen reference markers and real-time signal floor indicator are also available.

For more information on StructureScan Mini XT, please visit: https://www.geophysical.com/products/structurescan-mini-xt.

TOPODRONE advances airborne bathymetric surveying with AQUAMAPPER launch at INTERGEO 2022

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 22:00:16 +0000

Montreux, Switzerland – TOPODRONE, a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision LiDAR equipment for installation on drones, vehicles and backpacks, launches AQUAMAPPER, a UAV-based solution for bathymetric surveying and marine construction. The new multitasking data collecting device and TOPODRONE LiDAR ULTRA equipment have been successfully used together for airborne surveying at a highway construction project in Romania, EU to deliver a full digital twin of a studied area.

AQUAMAPPER is a brand new hardware developed in-house by TOPODRONE and contributes to a complete set of photogrammetry, LiDAR and bathymetry surveying solutions. This new product mounted on a UAV provides a combination of high speed efficiency (up to 14 km/h) and accuracy. It is a PPK ready solution, compatible with DJI Matrice 300 RTK. The application areas include but are not limited to an open sea bathymetric survey up to 100m depth, quantity survey and calculation of sediments, periodic maintenance survey of storage pools.

TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER and LIDAR ULTRA have been used for airborne surveying at “Autostrada Sibiu – Pitești, Secțiunea 2: Boița – Cornetu”, a European road construction project. It aims at building a highway in one of the toughest terrain in Romania and includes 7 tunnels, 24 bridges and 18 viaducts. The drone LiDAR corridor and bathymetric survey was performed by Romanian GRAPHEIN TOPO SA company to provide accurate maps and up-to-date information about terrain level, buildings, roads, power line networks, cadastral boundaries etc as well as rivers. TOPODRPONE LIDAR ULTRA on board DJI M300 drone was used to capture laser scanning data from 100 – 120 meters altitude over rugged terrain forest area to cover 32 km long and 400 meters width corridor within 14 flights while AQUAMAPPER connected to the same DJI M300 drone performed bathymetry survey over 6 river crossing.

“The key advantage of the new bathymetric equipment from TOPODRONE is the ability to capture a riverbed with centimeters level accuracy with high speed in fully automatic mode and without using any boat. It allows us to work in hard to access and shallow water areas. The same drone carrier can be used for both LiDAR & bathymetry surveys. The combination of an echosounder, GNSS and Inertial measurement system helps to get accurate results after data post processing,” Andrei Sueran, GRAPHEIN TOPO SA, explains.

AQUAMAPPER is showcased at INTERGEO 2022. To learn more about the solution visit stand #F2.029 in Hall 2, October, 18-20, Essen or visit the website https://topodrone.com/product/bathymetry/213/

About TOPODRONE

TOPODRONE (topodrone.com) is a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision lidar equipment for installation on drones, vehicles and backpacks. TOPODRONE’s lidar solutions are used for mapping and 3D modeling as well as forest and agricultural monitoring. Their advanced post-processing software provides users with easy-to-use innovative data processing workflows for automatic data generation, georeferencing and alignment using GNSS and IMU data post processing, and SLAM algorithms.

Hexagon and LocLab announce strategic partnership to accelerate the adoption of Smart Digital Realities in transportation, construction and urban planning

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 18:00:15 +0000

The strategic partnership is focused on increasing the automation of 3D digital twin creation by leveraging reality capture solutions and making digital twins seamlessly accessible to customers by connecting them with HxDR, Hexagon’s cloud-based storage, visualisation, and collaboration platform for reality capture and geospatial data.

LocLab, based in Germany, specialises in the creation of 3D digital twins. Their proprietary technology, enabled by a high degree of automation using proven workflows and artificial intelligence, allows the cost- and time-efficient creation of object-based digital twins of existing machines, plants, buildings, infrastructure, geographic spaces or any other assets.

“The combination of Hexagon’s leading reality capture and software portfolio and LocLab’s automated 3D digital twin creation workflow make Digital Realities more accessible to existing and many new customers,” says Thomas Harring, President Geosystems division at Hexagon. “In addition, the integration of LocLab’s 3D digital content with HxDR technology provides an unprecedented solution, connecting digital twins with existing ERP, IoT or other business process solutions. Open and standardised interfaces allow asset owners and operators as well as their stakeholders to share asset insights and collaborate through digital 3D models, efficiently and accurately.”

“We are excited to integrate our 3D digital content with the HxDR cloud-based platform to help our joint customers to share digital twin content to improve daily operations and maintenance efficiency,” says LocLab’s CEO, Dr. Ilka May. “Furthermore, the joint digital twin solution can be used for various applications, from public relations consultation and visualisation, training applications in virtual spaces and simulation and much more.”

Concurrent Technologies Corporation Developing Process to Extract Rare Earth Elements from Coal Byproducts

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 22:00:13 +0000

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) has received funding from a Pennsylvania state grant for the development of key technologies. The $1.9 million Department of Community and Economic Development grant will provide funding to support three technical areas.

Through the grant, CTC will continue to develop and implement advanced manufacturing technologies in support of next-generation small modular nuclear reactors and legacy systems associated with operational nuclear power plants. The grant also will enable CTC’s continued work to provide small- to medium-sized Pennsylvania businesses with assistance in developing processes and procedures associated with achieving and maintaining compliance with cybersecurity standards.

In a new initiative, CTC will work to prove the feasibility of applying a patented high-temperature technology to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from coal-based sources.

REEs are critical to the production of national defense weapons systems, electronics, advanced motors, power generation equipment, automobiles and more. This technology, if successful in this application, could lead to the development of a domestic supply chain of REEs and create quality jobs in Pennsylvania, as private investors would potentially fund production facilities that would utilize this process on a large scale. In creating a domestic supply of REEs, our nation would not be reliant upon foreign providers of REEs, thereby strengthening the nation’s economic potential and enhancing its national security. In addition, this process would aid in eliminating some of the spent coal residuals which can be environmentally hazardous.

“We are pleased to conduct this important and relevant research and development that could create rewards for our Commonwealth and the nation if this technology solution is proven to be feasible,” said Edward J. Sheehan, Jr., CTC President and CEO. “CTC is based in Pennsylvania, where spent coal resources are abundant for this technology. We have already been collaborating with some of the larger power plants in western Pennsylvania who possess some of the spent coal byproducts. And our experienced and knowledgeable engineers are leading the effort to leverage patented technology to extract a very valuable constituent from otherwise unusable industrial byproducts.”

Pennsylvania Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr., (R-35), added, “I am pleased to help secure funds for a technology leader such as CTC to develop what could be a significant benefit to our state economy and our nation’s military readiness and national security. CTC’s 35-year track record of success and strong leadership in technology transition, along with this region’s natural resources, create the perfect opportunity to develop this innovative capability.”

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) is an independent, nonprofit, applied scientific research and development professional services organization. CTC collaborates with its technology transition affiliate, Enterprise Ventures Corporation, to provide transformative, full lifecycle solutions through research, development, test, and evaluation work. To best serve our clients’ needs, we offer the complete ability to fully design, develop, test, prototype and build. We deliver robust, technical, and innovative solutions that safeguard our national security, retain U.S. technological advantage, and ensure the primacy of American manufacturing. For more information about CTC, visit www.ctc.com.

Medaro Mining Identifies More Lithium Exploration Targets From Soil Sampling at the Superb Lake Lithium Property in NW Ontario

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 13:00:01 +0000

VANCOUVER, British Columbia– Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE:MEDA)(OTCBB:MEDAF)(FRANKFURT:1ZY) (“Medaro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has received results of soil sampling from Phase 2 exploration fieldwork program (the “Program”) on its Superb Lake Lithium Property (the “Property”) located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The soil geochemical survey was conducted along three separate lines (Line 1-3 on the maps below) and a total of 161 soil samples were collected in June 2022.

Results Highlights (See maps below for details)

The Line 1 is oriented in a north-south direction with approximate length of 1500 meters. There are six lithium anomalies (magenta circles on maps) out of which two anomalies are single point, three are 2-3 point, while the third which is a wider anomaly is located in the lower half of the line.
The Line 2 is oriented in an east-west direction and is approximately 2,500 m long. There are three single point anomalies on this line.
The Line 3 is the longest one oriented in northeast-southwest direction with approximate length of 4,000 meters. There is only one single point anomaly located on this line.
There are several second priority anomalies which will also be explored further if the follow up work on the first priority anomalies is successful.
The results show that the north-south orientation of the soil survey is the best representation of the Property geology and structures with a dominant east-west direction. This observation also coincides with the Phase 1 soil sampling results which indicated a trend of lithium anomalies along Superb Lake pegmatites in a roughly northwest-southeast direction (see press release March 28, 2022).
These anomalies show a potential for discovery of more pegmatites on the Property through stripping, trenching and shallow test holes.

Sampling Procedure

Soil sampling was carried out by establishing soil grids along three separate lines and collecting a total of 161 soil samples. The samples were taken every 50 metres or more depending upon the surface conditions. Soil samples were collected at predetermined station IDs using a Garmin GPS to obtain ~ 3-meter accuracy where >500 grams of material were selected when a B-soil horizon was present, using a soil auger. The soil samples were dried at room temperature prior to shipping to the labs for analysis.

Trenching and Shallow Drilling Update

The Company has started a program of trenching and shallow drilling with Winkie Drill. The field crew is currently working on the access trails to the Superb Lake pegmatite and the Phase 1 soil anomalies locations. The Trenching and shallow drilling will commence as soon as the trails are completed.

Sample location and lithium assay maps

Sample Preparation and Analysis

The soil samples were prepared and analyzed at ACTLABS Ancaster, Ontario using laboratories code 7- Mobile Ion Geochemistry which is summarized below. ACTLABS is an independent commercial, accredited ISO 17025 Certified Laboratory.

Mobile Ion Geochemistry – isolates the chemically active metal ions which were loosely adsorbed to soil particles. This is a weak leach that uses a solution of organic and inorganic compounds to extract target elements. The solutions are analyzed on an ICP-MS. One matrix blank is analyzed per 49 samples. Two controls are run at the beginning and end of the group of 49 samples. Duplicate samples are leached and run every 10 samples. Code 7 Mobile Ion Geochemistry (MIG) Elements and Detection Limits are in parts per billion (ppb).

Drone Analytics Market worth $6.5 billion by 2027 – Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets™

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 21:00:48 +0000

Drone Analytics Market is estimated to be valued at USD 2.1 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 6.5 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 25.5%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. This growth can be attributed to the rising demand for agricultural drones, increasing use of drones in defense, and new application areas like thermal detection being carried out using drones, among others. The manufacturers of drones are focusing on expanding their business to meet the increasing demand for drone analytics.

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Players in the Drone Analytics Market such as AgEagle (US), AeroVironment (US), Skydio (US), ESRI (US) are some of the leading companies in this market. Other key players in the market are Draganfly (Canada), and Delta Drone (France). The report covers various industry trends and new technological innovations in the drone analytics Market for the period, 2018-2027.

Drone data created with point cloud

Point clouds are like natural clouds made of millions of condensed water droplets. Point clouds contain millions of geospatially connected points, producing a three-dimensional virtual mass. From the images created during a drone survey, distinct features are detected that can be observed in several images. Utilizing the location of the camera sensor, the location of each distinct feature can be calculated with triangulation. To establish a coordinate for a distinct point from drone imagery, the point must be taken in two images with known positions.

AI inspection

Utility companies manage massive infrastructure networks, including poles, conductors (wind power and telecom towers), and substations. Taking a thorough snapshot of these assets requires utilizing a variety of different sensors for powerline inspections. These sensors consist of light detection and ranging (LiDAR), color (RGB), hyperspectral, and thermal imagery. This permits the drone mapping software to seize everything such as the vicinity of vegetation, infrastructure assets, and hot spots indicating potential fire risks. That is a lot of data to secure, catalog, and process. There are a lot of specific elements within that data, even in just one image, to pinpoint and categorize, let alone do so precisely. Sorting billions of data points across all those sensors is an impossibly time-exhausting task to do manually.

SaaS segment projected to lead the Drone Analytics Market by type, during the forecast period

Based on type, the software as a service (SaaS) segment is estimated to account for the largest share of 78% of the drone analytics market in 2022. This segment is projected to grow from USD 2.3 billion in 2022 to USD 8.4 billion by 2027.

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North America region accounts for largest market share in drone analytics market

North America led the drone analytics market in 2022, with the US accounting for the largest share of the regional market. . The analytics market in the US is continuously growing due to ongoing technological developments in drones and autonomous ground vehicles. North America has always been a center for free trade. It supports the growth of different industries and businesses.

Major drone analytics Market players present in North America include Skydio (US), ESRI (US), AeroVironment (US) and AgEagle (US).

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Browse Adjacent Market: Aerospace and Defence Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Drone Logistics and Transportation Market by Solution (System, Software and Infrastructure), Platform (Freight Drone, Passenger Drone and Air Ambulance Drone), Application (Logistics and Transportation), Range, User – Global Forecast to 2030

Drone Software Market by Solution (Application, System), Platform (Defense & Government, Commercial, Consumer) Architecture (Open Source, Closed Source), Deployment (Onboard Drone, Ground-Based, Region – Global Forecast to 2027

Leica Geosystems launches the Leica iCON site excavator, bringing machine control to compact excavators

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 18:00:33 +0000

Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, today announced the launch of the new Leica iCON site excavator, a machine-control solution that enables compact excavators to carry out designs easily and accurately.

When space is limited, compact excavators are required to get the job done right the first time. To increase the efficiency and accuracy of trenching, grading or moving material on a smaller scale, Leica Geosystems further expands its portfolio by offering machine guidance for small excavators.

The iCON site excavator solution introduces three new components: a new software application, a new dual GNSS receiver and an optional communication device. The iCON site excavator application is available as stand-alone software or as an add-on within the existing and well-established iCON site platform. When used as an add-on, it enables a new workflow for on- and off-machine tasks, empowering construction workers to execute a variety of jobs, leveraging the same tools.

For instance, operators can use the controller unit with a Smart Antenna to stake out or create a design, then immediately mount it in the cab to start grading according to the design. As soon as the excavation or grading to the correct design has been completed, the operator can use the same system to perform as-built checks. This new solution is not only optimising earthmoving tasks for compact excavators, but thanks to the iCON site platform’s unique versatility, operators can use it for both on- and off-machine applications, resulting in efficient equipment and personnel deployment.

Software versatility enables contractors to utilise their equipment for both on- and off-machine applications

The iCON site excavator application will be available for a range of iCON field controllers in various sizes. The new GNSS receiver and communication device are designed specifically for compact machines, allowing more flexibility to adjust to different sites and project requirements.

“The Leica iCON site excavator is a very flexible and easy-to-use machine control solution which opens the door to digital construction for small- and medium-sized heavy construction companies,” says Magnus Thibblin, President Machine Control at Leica Geosystems. “Now, compact excavators can contribute to small or large projects with efficiency powered by Leica Geosystems’ machine control functionality. This sets contractors on a path toward autonomy, enabling them to do earthmoving and detailed grading tasks more efficiently and sustainably.”

For further information on the iCON site excavator visit: https://leica-geosystems.com/products/machine-control-systems/excavator/icon-site-excavator-3d

Visit Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, at bauma in Hall A2, Booth #137 and explore the latest innovations and hands-on demonstrations with experts ready to answer any questions.

Virtual Surveyor Unveils Innovative Method of Generating Topographic Surfaces from Drone Survey Data

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 13:00:18 +0000

Demos at DJI AirWorks and InterGEO

Virtual Surveyor has unveiled newly developed Auto-Flip Edges functionality that generates more accurate terrain surfaces from drone survey data. This innovative triangulation process is included in Version 8.7 of the popular Virtual Surveyor software package, along with upgrades in overall ease of use.

Virtual Surveyor is a robust surveying software that bridges the gap between drone photogrammetric processing applications and engineering design packages, enabling surveyors to derive topographic information from drone data needed by engineers for construction, mining, and excavation projects. The software combines drone orthophotos, digital surface models (DSMs), and/or LiDAR point clouds to create an interactive virtual environment where users generate CAD models, create cut-and-fill maps and calculations, or calculate volume reports.

The new Auto-Flip Edges algorithm is a significant improvement on the traditional method of generating triangular irregular networks (TINs) from elevation points extracted from drone surveys. The new process uses the same elevation points, but it also leverages terrain information between the points to optimize the placement of triangles by automatically flipping edges when needed. This results in a TIN that represents the actual terrain surface more accurately than traditional triangulation.

“Auto-Flip Edges enables Virtual Surveyor users to generate more meaningful and accurate CAD models from either drone imagery or LiDAR point clouds,” said Tom Op ‘t Eyndt, Virtual Surveyor CEO. “More accurate terrain surfaces will benefit surveyors working in any 3D mapping project, especially where soil volumes are important, such as excavation, construction, surface mining, and landfills.”

Virtual Surveyor found its new triangulation method generates a terrain match that is more accurate than traditional TIN creation methods. Even though the same elevation points are used, the accuracy of the created CAD model is enhanced because the Virtual Surveyor algorithm creates the triangles in a more precise representation of the topography.

This new technique also highlights the advantage of drone surveying over field surveys with GPS equipment or total stations, Op ‘t Eyndt explained, because field data sets do not contain the information between the elevation points making it impossible to find a better TIN edge fit than traditional TIN creation tools.

Virtual Surveyor will be demonstrating Version 8.7 at DJI AirWorks 2022 being held Oct. 10-12 in Las Vegas and at InterGEO 2022 on October 18-20 in Essen, Germany.

“Version 8.7 includes several other new enhancements designed for improved ease of use and a better overall user experience,” said Op ‘t Eyndt.

These features include the following:

Faster File Navigation – The addition of a Search Box and Scroll Bar, and Favorites Star enable users to find specific files and directories more quickly and then mark them for repeated fast access.
Simplify Tool – Users can now reduce the number of vertices in their 2D lines, such as contours and their 3D boundaries. This deletes extraneous vertex points for easier handling of the CAD model.
Material Editor – Stockpile reports are easier to read thanks to new Materials editing functionality, most notably the removal of fill colors so the material inside a stockpile is still visible while the colorized border remains.
Graticule Lens – To facilitate eyeball measurement of distances in projects, users can overlay a grid with measurements of their choosing, i.e., 10×10 meters, 50×50 meters, etc.
Two Factor Authentication – To improve security, Virtual Surveyor now includes an enhanced identification protocol for the user to access the software.

Current subscribers to Virtual Surveyor will see their software updated to Version 8.7 automatically. To start a free 14-day trial of Virtual Surveyor and to view details of the Valley, Ridge, and Peak pricing plans, visit www.virtual-surveyor.com.

About Virtual Surveyor

Virtual Surveyor software enables professional surveyors to generate accurate topographic end products from drone imagery five times faster than traditional field work. Now used in 83 countries, Virtual Surveyor allows surveyors to create topographic information from drone data in very short timeframes. In a typical application, the suite takes the orthophotos and digital surface models (DSM) extracted from UAV imagery with photogrammetric software and generates an interactive virtual environment onscreen where surveyors can select the survey points and breaklines that define topography. Standard topographic outputs from the Virtual Surveyor software are Surfaces or TINs (Triangular Irregular Network), Contours, Line Surveys, Stockpile Reports and Cut-and-Fill Maps. As such, Virtual Surveyor bridges the gap between UAV photogrammetric processing software and engineering design packages.

GeoCue Makes European Debut of LP360 Point Cloud Software and the New TrueView 655/660 3D Imaging Sensor at Intergeo 2022

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 15:00:51 +0000

The TrueView product line and LP360 software are now available in Europe. See them at Intergeo 2022.

Making its European debut, LP360 and the all-new TrueView 655/660 will be exhibiting at Intergeo 2022, Europe’s largest geospatial conference. The TrueView 655/660 is GeoCue’s third generation RIEGL integration built with the miniVUX-3UAV and triple mapping cameras (right, left, nadir) for high accuracy mapping with excellent vegetation penetration and wire detection in a lightweight payload package. GeoCue is owned by mdGroup, and is a sister company to Microdrones.

TrueView 3D Imaging Systems are known for their dual oblique cameras that help maximize mapping and coverage. The new TrueView 655/660 adds a third Nadir camera, allowing for imagery directly below the sensor to be captured.

Frank Darmayan, CEO of GeoCue explains the added coverage of the third camera. “With our newly released 655/660 the third RGB nadir camera provides a direct view of the ground below. This maximizes data collection for time flown, while improving the quality of photogrammetry and colorized point clouds our customers can provide.

LP360, an advanced geospatial data processing software, is also now available for European GIS professionals to post-process raw geospatial data into 3D colorized point clouds. LP360 has been updated and now offers two product lines, for all of your LiDAR and photogrammetry data processing needs.

For drone users, LP360 Drone is the core product for drone geospatial data workflow. It can transform LiDAR and imagery data into survey grade deliverables including: visualization, quality checks, classification, 3D editing, and analysis capabilities.

For larger dataset users, LP360 Geospatial can process captured LiDAR data or images from any aircraft or mobile sensor of your choice and analyze and extract value for large LiDAR datasets.

Vivien Heriard Dubreuil, CEO of GeoCue parent company mdGroup, knows that having the right software is key to getting the most out of your LiDAR data. “We are excited to bring LP360 to Europe. This software brings many additional features and resources for our users to produce the right deliverables without having to use any secondary processing software. We’ll be demonstrating the workflow and geospatial tools available in LP360 at our Intergeo booth. We look forward to users of ALL survey equipment, including the DJI L1 to visit us with their system-specific questions and challenges. We are confident our software can help improve their deliverables.”

GeoCue will be exhibiting the new TrueView 655/660 at booth F3.128 in Hall 3, near the Hall 2 entrance and LP360 demonstrations will take place at booth A3.017 in Hall 3, near the West entrance at Intergeo 2022, in Essen Germany.

For those who can’t attend Intergeo, a 2-day LP360 training course will take place in Siegen, Germany, November 9-10. The course will cover a broad range of LiDAR mapping workflows and help you become more efficient with LP360 software and drone mapping tools as well as industry best practices and procedures. Register online.

About GeoCue

GeoCue is a U.S. LiDAR data technology company offering software, hardware, training, support, and consulting services for high accuracy LiDAR and imaging drone mapping to help civil engineering and surveying professionals achieve successful data collection, processing, and management.

With its TrueView drone LiDAR/Imaging sensors and LP360 point cloud data processing software, GeoCue is the leader in LiDAR mapping processing in North America.

To learn more about GeoCue, visit www.geocue.com

About mdGroup

mdGroup is an aerial digital twin maker for industrial applications. It operates its digital twin making business through its portfolio companies Microdrones and GeoCue.

To learn more about mdGroup, visit www.group-md.com

Stantec awarded US$16 million feasibility study for Resolution Copper

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 17:00:18 +0000

The project will supply up to 25% of US copper needs, helping to secure a clean energy future

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has been selected by Resolution Copper Mining LLC (Resolution Copper) to deliver a US$16 million feasibility study providing engineering and technical services for the Resolution Copper mine in Superior, Arizona. The proposed underground mine has the potential to be one of the largest producers of copper in North America—supplying up to 25% of US copper demand each year. Copper from the mine will be used in products that are vital to the energy transition, such as electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and more.

Resolution Copper is a limited liability company that is owned by Rio Tinto (55%) and BHP (45%). Stantec has been a lead underground mining and infrastructure consultant on the project since early 2019. Stantec will assist Resolution Copper by providing engineering and execution planning services for the mine.

“Resolution Copper is mining a critical resource needed for the energy transition,” says Mario Finis, executive vice president for Stantec’s Energy & Resources business. “We are proud to support our client in this important endeavor with a strong commitment to sustainable mining throughout the entire life cycle of the project.”

Stantec’s engineering services on this project include power distribution, material handling, shafts and hoisting systems, dewatering/pumping, communications, and more. Additionally, Stantec is evaluating the use of battery electric vehicles to help the mine meet its goal of zero carbon emissions.

Stantec’s Mining, Minerals, and Metals team is helping clients achieve net zero mining—through its holistic service offering, Sustainable Mining by Design, which aids companies to meet their environmental, social, and governance obligations by finding ways to reduce energy demand and utilize clean sources of energy. The mining industry must be the starting point for any discussion about our energy future. To learn more about Stantec’s Mining, Minerals, and Metals team, click here.

A Radical Approach to the Talent Shortage in Surveying

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 09:44:34 +0000

The Get Kids Into Survey program is inspiring the next generation of geospatial experts. Learn more and become an advocate at www.getkidsintosurvey.com.

A shortage of surveyors is causing delays and disruptions in civil engineering and construction projects. The solution, says NSPS Executive Director Tim Burch, is a grassroots movement focused on advocacy.

Imagine if someone 25 years ago had started a fun, engaging outreach program into elementary schools that would inspire kids and their parents to see the opportunities in a surveying career. How would that have influenced the ability to complete today’s engineering and construction projects?

We can’t change history, but we can rewrite the future. That’s exactly what Timothy W. Burch, PLS, executive director of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, endeavors to do through his advocacy of the Get Kids Into Survey program.

“In the fall of 2017, [I noticed] this incredible poster that had been published by a young lady out of England by the name of Elaine Ball, who has a background in surveying. … She saw the need to be able to explain to not just students but to parents and to other interested parties what a surveyor truly does.”

Tim was so impressed by the posters and Elaine’s initiative that he reached out to her to find out how to get the surveying community and educational systems in the United States involved. In 2018, the NSPS became the North American distributor for Get Kids Into Survey.

Just five years after its inception, the program has almost 20 posters as well as coloring pages, lesson plans, quizzes and a comic book with six episodes and growing. Surveyors in North America have gone all in. “Most of the state affiliates are constantly ordering posters for distribution at their state conferences,” Tim says. “To date, I think we’re just short of having distributed 70,000 posters nationwide. So, I’d like to think that it’s been a pretty successful initiative.”

But – Is It Working?

The global talent shortage has exacerbated a challenge that has faced surveying for decades: There haven’t been enough young people entering the profession to replace those who are aging out and retiring.

“It’s holding up projects; it’s holding up progress on getting things done, whether it’s public infrastructure, private development—anything that requires engineering, planning, and the initial work that the surveyor does on the ground, construction staking, as-builts, all of that,” Tim says. “When there’s not someone in the field and in the office to create these surveys and plans, it’s not getting done.”

Advocacy matters, he says. “We’re still going to have labor shortages. But I’m hoping to see that it’s going to be a less of a shortage because we’re going to make that connection with the younger generations.”

Five years of reaching out to elementary and middle schools isn’t quite long enough to see a track record of success. And yet, as an awareness initiative, there are clear signs of progress.

“We are getting more and more requests for participation in career fairs,” Tim says. “The posters and this whole program are filtering into the school counselors. … It’s opening the doors for surveyors nationwide to help generate buzz about who we are and what we do and the technology and everything that’s based upon the profession itself. So, it has really been a big help.”

The Role of Technology

For the current generation of professionals who have already chosen other careers, the posters, comic books and lesson plans might have come too late. But here, a different form of outreach is having an impact. With the increasing technology innovation and autonomy in the surveying profession comes an opportunity to attract new talent from unexpected sources.

“I’m a second-generation surveyor,” Tim says. “So the idea of the stereotypical surveyor, that’s what I grew up with. That was the man on the side of the road, with a tripod, taking pictures. … Now in the 21st century, it is so much more than that. It is all geospatial. [There’s so] much 3D technology in what we’re doing now. … It’s laser scanning an entire room or building, or site … and basically creating what the industry calls a digital twin of that space. Making that connection, I think, is very important.

“Even that younger generation that maybe has already gone through college, maybe they’ve gotten their degree … we come across the 25- to 35-year-olds that are still looking for an identity,” he adds. “So, it’s not just chasing down the junior high, high school, college kids. It’s also a generation of young adults that are still maybe looking for something, that like a challenge. … It’s not just going out and finding property lines. There’s so much to the measurement, to the data.”

A Dynamic, Exciting Career

All this is small consolation to surveying and engineering firms that are turning down work because they lack the staff. But while there is no quick-fix solution to the talent shortage in surveying, a solid future is being built on the groundwork being laid by Elaine Ball, Tim Burch and many others.

Sharing the story that surveying is a dynamic, exciting career with tremendous growth potential is a clear way to accelerate that progress.

“I am optimistic that we’re going to make a difference simply because I know even early in my career what fascinated me about surveying and the technology that kept me in surveying for a long time,” says Tim. “I know there are more like-minded people out there like me, who like a challenge, who like the history, who like being able to work with people, work with data, work with things. There’s a lot more out there. And I think we just need to find those bright, young minds and challenge them.”

Note: This story is based on a podcast episode recorded for HxGN Radio, which is available on iTunes, Spotify or SoundCloud.

Listen to the full podcast episode here >

Note: A version of this article was originally published on Pure Surveying Insights. For more stories on how technology improves surveying efficiency and quality, visit https://pure-surveying.com/insights.

To learn more about solutions to maximize your surveying potential, get in touch with a surveying and engineering expert at Leica Geosystems.

Terracon Names Tim Cleary National Manager of In Situ Services

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 15:00:13 +0000

RALEIGH, N.C. – Terracon, a leading provider of environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services, has named Tim Cleary national manager of in situ services. Cleary will lead the company’s in situ and direct push-site investigation services and lead a practice resource group to develop standards for advanced site characterization services.

“Terracon is making significant operational and financial commitments to be a national leader in in situ testing,” Cleary said. “Developing our people and giving them the best resources is critical to our success. I am excited to work with our exploration and engineering staff to lead innovation and serve our clients.”

Cleary has more than 30 years of experience leading exploration operations serving consulting engineers and geologists. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego and studied geotechnical engineering at North Carolina State University. He is based in Terracon’s Raleigh office.

Terracon is an employee-owned, multidiscipline consulting firm comprised of more than 5,500 curious minds focused on solving engineering and technical challenges from more than 175 locations nationwide. Explore with us by visiting terracon.com.

Applications Being Accepted for ISM’s 9th Lizzi Scholarship Applications Due Friday, December 30

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 21:00:34 +0000

The International Society for Micropiles (ISM) is accepting applications through December 30 for the 9th Lizzi Scholarship from graduate students studying in the field of micropiles. The scholarship award includes travel and accommodations expenses for attendance at the 15th International Workshop on Micropiles in Vail, Colorado, from May 31-June 2, 2023; complimentary workshop registration; and a selection of micropile publications.

The scholarship is named for Dr. Fernando Lizzi (1913-2003), the visionary leader of ISM and the inventor of the “pali radice” or original “root pile” foundation system.

Applicants must reside in the United States, be enrolled in graduate studies, and be either proposing to conduct or currently conducting research on micropiles.

Applications can be submitted at: https://tinyurl.com/9thLizziScholarshipApp. More information is available at www.ISMicropiles.org.

The scholarship recipient will be selected by the ISM International Workshop on Micropiles organizing committee and the workshop host company, TEI Rock Drills. The scholarship recipient will be required to make a brief presentation outlining their proposed or current micropile research at the 2023 workshop.

ISM’s 15th International Workshop on Micropiles includes lectures, discussions and panel sessions on all aspects of micropile technology, the 11th Lizzi Lecture, the 4th World Cup of Micropiles competition, and several social events.

About ISM
The International Society for Micropiles (ISM) is a consortium of international representatives involved in the design, construction, research/development and instruction/promotion of micropile technology. ISM provides an international forum for debate, advice, problem-solving and support to micropile specialists and nonspecialists throughout the world. Members of the Society can actively seek advice and experience from other members within this international group. ISM aims to be respected internationally as the preeminent center of knowledge for the development, advancement and promotion of micropile technology.

Carlson Partners With Autel Robotics to Offer Full UAS to CAD Workflow

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 22:00:03 +0000

Leading geospatial firm Carlson Software and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) manufacturer, Autel Robotics, today announced a partnership that will allow UAS teams to utilize the full suite of Carlson’s software and hardware solutions with their Autel EVO II Pro Series aircraft.

“Autel produces excellent RTK drones with the accuracy that surveyors need, and adding them to Carlson’s strong lineup of tools for land development professionals really helps complete the solution that we can provide for our customers,” says Derek Roché, Carlson Regional Manager. “We can take you through the entire project lifecycle from setting your ground control points with a BRx7 GNSS receiver and RT4 data collector with SurvPC field software to the actual drone flight to the photo processing on your computer or in the cloud, all the way through to processing that data, creating linework, surfaces, and finished plans in CAD with our powerful, industry-standard office software.”

The Autel EVO II Pro RTK UAS

Carlson’s tools for UAS professionals include Carlson PhotoCapture, a standalone or cloud-based photogrammetry software to create point clouds, orthoimages, surfaces, and more from drone photo data; Carlson Point Cloud office software which provides powerful tools such as bare-earth and automated feature extraction for point clouds, Carlson’s suite of CAD office software, such as the industry-standard Carlson Survey program to create finished CAD files and plans, and the Carlson BRx7 GNSS receiver, which can be used both to accurately place ground control points and as a base to provide corrections to an Autel EVO II Pro RTK drone through Carlson’s Listen-Listen network.

“The workflow capabilities Carlson already has in place present an excellent choice for land development professionals, and now with the addition of the Autel EVO II series to handle the aerial data collection, we’re proud to offer the most comprehensive option in the industry today.”

In 2015, Autel Robotics released its first-generation UAS product: the X-STAR. The success of the X-STAR and the subsequent EVO II series allowed Autel Robotics to quickly build a reputation in US markets. With the introduction of the EVO II series and platform in 2020, Autel Robotics will push its folding UAS to new heights in performance and application.

Carlson specializes in land surveying, construction, engineering, mining, machine control, and CSI solutions for professionals worldwide. In business since 1983, Carlson’s approach has always been to provide their customers with the most efficient, specialized, and powerful tools possible, backed by the best free, unlimited support in the industry.

Trimble Ventures Invests in Civ Robotics—A Construction Tech Startup Focused on Autonomous Surveying Solutions

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 22:00:40 +0000

Trimble Ventures, Trimble’s (NASDAQ: TRMB) corporate venture capital fund, announced today its investment in Civ Robotics, a San Francisco-based construction tech startup focusing on transforming surveying layout for civil engineering and infrastructure projects. This investment supports Trimble Ventures’ mission to invest in early and growth-stage companies that are accelerating innovation, digital transformation and sustainability in the industries Trimble serves—such as agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation. The investment terms were not disclosed.

The construction industry faces a variety of challenges including shortage of skilled workers, safety and productivity. Civ Robotics addresses these challenges with CivDot, a new autonomous surveying solution that empowers efficiency, productivity and safety on the job. CivDot is an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) designed for civil engineering and infrastructure projects such as solar farms, roadways, data centers, power plants and more. Augmenting the surveyors work, CivDot marks thousands of coordinates per day precisely and efficiently, while delivering layouts faster than traditional methods.

“We are focused on investing in companies that are seeking to address important challenges in markets that align with Trimble’s mission of transforming the way the world works. Civ Robotics technology supports surveyors and field workers and helps remove the burden of repetitive and risky work,” said Aviad Almagor, vice president, technology innovation at Trimble and technology advisor for Trimble Ventures. “Civ Robotics uses Trimble’s high-precision GNSS positioning technology and surveying software to improve productivity and increase safety. This is an exciting opportunity to help accelerate innovation in autonomy, surveying and construction.”

“Trimble and our vision are in lockstep towards construction automation with a sharp focus on the highest standards of safety and quality,” said Tom Yeshurun, co-founder and CEO, Civ Robotics, which announced its $5 million seed funding round this morning. “Through Trimble’s latest GNSS technology in our autonomous surveying products, our customers can benefit from an end-to-end workflow.”

Civ Robotics will be showcased during the Trimble Dimensions+ User Conference held November 7-9 in Las Vegas.

About Civ Robotics

Civ Robotics is an autonomous surveying solution for civil engineering and infrastructure projects. The company’s flagship product, CivDot, is an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) which marks thousands of coordinates per day precisely and efficiently for large construction projects, while empowering workforces faced with labor shortages and subsequent delays. Through the press of a button and in a fraction of the time, Civ Robotics autonomous systems are revolutionizing projects, including solar farms, roadways, data centers, power plants, industrial development and large infrastructure. Learn more at: www.civrobotics.com.

About Trimble Ventures

Launched in 2021, Trimble Ventures is a corporate venture capital fund focused on investing in early and growth-stage companies that align with Trimble’s mission of transforming work in the agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation industries. The fund deploys strategic capital to accelerate the growth of innovative companies and partners that complement Trimble’s products, technology platforms and support its customer’s work. Trimble Ventures targets investing in companies with technologies and solutions related to hardware and software applications; artificial intelligence; augmented, virtual and mixed reality; autonomy and robotics; blockchain; the Internet of Things (IoT) and analytics; and sustainability.

For more information on Trimble Ventures, visit: ventures.trimble.com.

About Trimble

Announcing a new Trimble BuildingPoint dealer for the UK and Ireland

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 13:00:23 +0000

KOREC Group is delighted to announce the establishment of BuildingPoint UK and Ireland as it becomes the newest partner to join Trimble’s BuildingPoint distribution network. KOREC Group is an existing, established Trimble distribution geospatial partner with over 50 years of experience working with the construction industry.

Over 70% of UK and Ireland construction projects run over time and over budget due to a number of factors including rework, barriers to stakeholder collaboration and challenges to onsite efficiency and productivity. Through this new Trimble partnership, those that work within the construction industry, including users of Trimble Tekla, Viewpoint and MEP software, can now access a full Trimble digital construction portfolio backed up by regional expertise .

This will be delivered through a BuildingPoint team dedicated to bringing tried and tested workflows to the UK and Irish markets. These workflows have been developed to deliver increased productivity, schedule adherence and cost discipline through tighter coordination, improved project transparency and collaboration.

The offering will include assistance with the adoption of digital workflows through a range of task specific software and hardware solutions from general setting out tools to Augmented and Mixed Reality technology and Robotics.

This dedicated and experienced team will be looked after by Sam Hough (UK) and Kevin Colwell (Ireland) whilst a new BuildingPoint construction focused website for the UK and Ireland has been launched at www.buildingpointukandireland.com.

The dates and locations of regional BuildingPoint launch events will be announced shortly.

COWI in the UK named Consulting Firm of the Year at Ground Engineering Awards

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 12:00:32 +0000

COWI in UK has won the prestigious Ground Engineering award for Consulting
Firm of the Year. COWI’s specialist geotechnical division was recognised for
demonstrating outstanding achievement of clear business milestones between
January 2021 and March 2022.

Andy Sloan, Managing Director, COWI in the UK, said: “We are delighted to have
won this award which celebrates firms that have continually delivered
innovation, quality and value, while growing in terms of revenue, profits and staff. We have a fantastic geotechnical team which has increased by 20% year-
on-year for the past two years and we continue to attract the finest talent. Our technical expertise extends from complex foundations and retaining structures
and deep shafts to caverns in soil and rock and from utilities micro tunnelling to
the UK’s largest TBM tunnels.”

COWI’s success has been built on sustained technical excellence and a
willingness to take on challenging projects, providing expertise across ground
engineering and hydrogeology for projects in the UK and worldwide. A front
runner in the race to achieve Net Zero COWI unveiled a pioneering green
business model to drive decarbonisation of global construction by deriving 100%
of its revenue from sustainability-related projects within five years. To support this, COWI combined its construction data to power a digital carbon calculator
which optimises ground engineering methods, materials, and project sequences
to reduce the global carbon footprint linked to construction.

This has helped reduce embodied carbon in construction by up to 50% across
over a third of COWI’s live UK infrastructure projects from tunnels to railways.
COWI is now integrating its renewable energy and infrastructure divisions and
data to build a green engineering ecosystem, sharing sustainable construction
components, methods, and fuel sources across sectors, helping multiple
industries collectively decarbonise by sharing sustainable suppliers, engineering
techniques, material sources, manufacturing sites and resources to achieve
combined economies of scale.

Following a record year for entries, and after review by a panel of more than
70 expert judges, the winners of the 2022 GE Awards were announced
on Tuesday 6 September 2022 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

Aurecon deepens underground engineering expertise with experienced geotechnical hire in Singapore

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 19:00:52 +0000

Singapore – International design, engineering and advisory company Aurecon has
appointed Marcus Tong as its new Technical Director, Geotechnical for Singapore to deepen
its expertise in underground engineering.

Singapore has made steady progress in developing underground spaces, which range from
utility lines to rail lines and roads, to meet the various and growing needs of its urban
environment. With limited land available, Singapore’s underground space continues to be a
valuable resource and holds immense potential to further optimise land use and provide
capacity for future needs. The appointment of Marcus is in line with the company’s Asia
growth strategy and positions Aurecon well to pursue opportunities in the infrastructure
space.

Jean-Marc Girard, Chief Operations Officer, Asia who is currently leading Aurecon’s
Singapore business said, “We are delighted to have Marcus on board. As an industry
veteran, especially in underground engineering, his depth of experience, technical
knowledge and business acumen will strengthen our value proposition and differentiate
Aurecon in a highly competitive market. He will help us to raise the bar and to tailor a unique offering for our clients.”

Based in Singapore, Marcus will report directly to Keith Leung, Director, Major Projects and
Pursuits, Asia who is currently leading Aurecon’s Transport, Land and Water operations in
Singapore.

About Marcus Tong

As a highly regarded civil engineer, Marcus has over 20 years of Singaporean and
international experience in large-scale underground-related works. Throughout his career,
he has been extensively involved in numerous major infrastructure projects including
Singapore’s Cross Island Line, Thomson-East Coast Line, Downtown Line, Circle Line,
Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway, Changi Airport Inter-Terminals and Intra-Terminals
(Megaspine) Tunnels, PUB Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase 2 Tunnels and Sewer
Projects, JTC Bulim Phase 1 Dedicated Logistics Network Tunnel, Singapore Power Cable
Tunnels, Klang Valley MRT Line 1 and 2 in Malaysia, Shatin-Central Link Diamond Hill
Station in Hong Kong, as well as the Delhi Metro and Kolkata Metro projects in India.

Marcus also brings to Aurecon a distinctive skillset given his specialist experience in tunnel
segmental lining design and mined tunnel design, especially in soft ground and under both
normal and seismic conditions. He will be responsible for enhancing the firm’s underground
engineering capabilities, delivering innovative solutions for major and complex projects, and new business growth.

“I am excited to join the Aurecon team in Singapore. The opportunity to work with diverse
and talented colleagues in a business with innovation as its DNA is something I really
appreciate. Geotechnical engineering is an important and growing discipline, especially in
this dynamic region, and I look forward to bringing my passion and expertise to develop
customised and cost-effective solutions for our clients,” Marcus shared.

Prior to joining Aurecon, Marcus was Director (Underground Development) at Surbana
Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd, and also served in a leadership role at Amberg & TTI
Engineering Pte Ltd. Marcus holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (First Class Honours),
with a minor in Business from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a
Master of Science (Civil Engineering) from the National University of Singapore where he
was the top graduate of his cohort in geotechnical modules. Marcus is a registered
Professional Engineer in both Civil and Geotechnical Engineering in Singapore.

Are You Paying Too Much for Your Mobile Mapping Imagery?

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 09:44:47 +0000

If you’re assessing your mobile mapping capabilities in terms of megapixels and image quality instead of image value, you’re wasting money. Here’s how to change it.

How much does a single pixel weigh?

In physical terms, a 64-bit pixel is roughly 0.012200703125 kilobytes, and 50 kilobytes weigh about 8,000,000,000 electrons, which is somewhere around two ten-thousandths of a quadrillion of an ounce, thus 0.012200703125*8,000,000,000\50 equals … oh, never mind. The point is: pixels are pretty insignificant … that is, in terms of physical weight.

But how much does a single pixel weigh down your business?

Likely, a single pixel has no bearing on your business. But we don’t work in terms of single pixels; we work in terms of MEGApixels. Thousands of color pixels all lined up to present an image. In mobile mapping, we are collecting a lot of images with a lot of pixels. During collections, the data footprint grows quickly.

For context, I recently collected a 5-mile project, one pass east, one west. It took about 30 minutes, and the image data footprint was 80GB. That’s a lot of pixels.

So, knowing that mobile mapping produces a lot of pixels, shouldn’t we scrutinize the quality of those pixels? Of course we should. But let’s scrutinize their quality not in terms of image quality, but image value. How much value does each pixel you produce in the field actually bring to your organization?

It’s a rhetorical question. I ask because regardless of the value they bring, you are paying for all of them.

You are paying for them in terms of flat cost per pixel. Image sensor cost per pixel. Processing time per pixel. Storage cost per pixel. Transfer cost per pixel.

Maybe it would be easier to consider in terms of overhead. How large are your raw datasets in the field? How long does it take to process them? When you store them on a server or share them with a collaborator, how long does the transfer take? How much does storage cost? Backups? What is the impact on your workstation specs for your production fleet (definitely some cost there).

The High Cost of Useless Information

In mobile mapping, we are usually working with data that is in the realm of “wow that’s a lot of data” – gigabytes or even terabytes of data collected in a short amount of time. But if we are working with that much data, should it not be rich in value? I am talking about focused data. Not focus as in the sharpness of imagery, but focus as in showing us what we want to see and omitting as much useless information as possible.

If someone told you that their mobile mapping system had a 100-megapixel panoramic camera on it, would you be impressed? Probably – that’s a lot of pixels. But if they told you that 90 percent of the pixels in any panoramic image they gave you were useless in terms of value, then how would you feel? If you were paying for 100 percent of that data, 100 percent of the processing overhead, 100 percent of the storage, and 100 percent of the transfer times, you would probably be unimpressed to learn that only 10 percent of the data brings value to your operations.

In many cases, the vast majority of pixels in a panoramic image are for reference and only small, concentrated areas of the image have any value to us. Why do we need high resolution images of vapor clouds, the sun, trees, the top of our collection vehicle (over and over again) lawns, etc., when all we really wanted to see are connection points at the top of a pole? Now, this is just an example, but perhaps you get the point – we’re likely overpaying for mobile imagery in many different ways.

A Smarter Approach to Imagery

Enter the Leica Pegasus TRK. This system introduces the concept of SmartFusion Imagery. What this means is it delivers the highest resolution information in the areas you actually care about, saving time and money in your capture and analysis.

The new binocular “butterfly” cameras can be configured in horizontal or vertical configurations, giving a more deliberate and focused configuration as opposed to capturing absolutely everything within sight every time the cameras trigger.

The horizontal configuration of these cameras is able to cover things immediately adjacent to the roadway in terms of signage, storefronts, guardrail and utility features.

The vertical configuration covers bridge components, overhead utilities, tunnel details, building facades, etc. It is also possible to run one set horizontal and the other set vertical. The Pegasus TRK facilitates smart collection of assets in a very deliberate manner, allowing for a more cost-effective approach to mobile mapping.

The “halo” or “sweep” of high-resolution images it produces provides a focused capture equivalent to what is captured on a 156MP panoramic camera, all due to concentrating on what is important and omitting everything else.

Here is an example from the new Leica Cyclone Pegasus Office software and how it uses a 24MP panoramic camera for reference and colorization of the LiDAR, but then focuses in on important features in high resolution with the binocular “butterfly” cameras.

This is a whole new approach to imagery in mobile mapping. One that is well thought out and brilliantly implemented, and not just for the sake of being different, but for the sake of being better. Better for the cost of ownership, better for collection and processing overhead, better for analysis… better for your business.

About the Author:

For over 20 years Jason Ellis has been an agent of change by way of technology and a passionate advocate of all things geospatial. Every day he works to help organizations transform their potential by exploring and implementing mobile reality capture solutions. As the North American mobile mapping sales and technical consultant for Leica Geosystems, he works closely with collaborators who are driving reality capture and helping to shape the landscape of the industry. Follow Jason on LinkedIn.

For more stories on how technology improves surveying efficiency and quality, visit https://pure-surveying.com/insights.

To learn more about solutions to maximize your surveying potential, get in touch with a surveying and engineering expert at Leica Geosystems.

GZA’s Ken Johnston Elected Member of Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) Council of Fellows

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:00:33 +0000

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA), a leading multi-disciplinary firm providing geotechnical, environmental, ecological, water, and construction management services, is pleased to announce that Senior Principal Ken Johnston has been elected as a member of the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) Council of Fellows. Johnston was on the GBA Board of Directors from 2015-2021 and was the organization’s president from 2020-2021.

Celebrating its 53rd anniversary this year, the GBA serves geotechnical, environmental, and other geoprofessionals in the United States, Canada, and worldwide with resources, tools, and information-sharing opportunities to help them optimize performance, manage risk, and achieve business success. The non-profit association serves 260 member firms and is headquartered in Rockville, Md.

Johnston will join the Council of Fellows beginning with the next GBA semi-annual meeting this October. He is GZA’s Chief Administrative Officer and he also serves as a senior vice president and senior principal.

GZA Chief Executive Officer Patrick Sheehan said: “With over 40 years of business experience and leadership skills, Ken has been an excellent asset to both GZA and GBA. All of us at GZA are proud to see Ken’s career-long commitment to advancing professionals in the geotechnical and environmental consulting field is being recognized as he assists GBA in their continuing mission.”

Johnston, a resident of Salem, New Hampshire, holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Science from Norwich University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from New Hampshire College.

Leica Geosystems launches new safety awareness module in Leica ConX cloud solution

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:00:02 +0000

Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, today announced the launch of the new safety awareness module in the cloud-based collaboration platform Leica ConX. The integration of Leica Geosystems’ safety awareness solutions with ConX increases safety on construction sites by collecting and visualising data that enhances awareness, speeds up hazard response and provides better insights.

Leica Geosystems previously introduced the safety awareness solution portfolio, including Leica iCON PA10, iCON PA80 and iCON CAS, which addressed the need to immediately warn on- and off-machine field personnel of potential machine-to-people, machine-to-machine and machine-to-object and collisions.

The next step announced today, integrates the field-generated safety data into the cloud-based collaboration platform Leica ConX, allowing decision makers to review incidents and assess the entire operation over time and space. These insights support important safety initiatives by providing visualisation, analysis, monitoring, reporting and data management functions, and address communication and integration needs.

“Our ConX cloud platform leverages machine and site-specific data and has become an integrated site management solution for many contractors,” says Kris Maas, Director Product Management at Leica Geosystems. “For a comprehensive approach to operations, it is essential to include people and safety functions. With the new safety awareness module in ConX, contractors can improve communication, interaction and safety for all workers operating with and around equipment on a job site.”

For maximum accident prevention, the new safety awareness module allows site managers to send real-time alerts to specific machine operators in case of potential incidents, such as blasting, demolitions or storms. They can also send SOS alerts, such as evacuation orders to all machines on site at the click of a button. System-generated alerts and user responses are saved, providing traceability and clarity. An API provides access to the safety awareness data in ConX so that it can be used in safety systems from other providers.

“Construction sites hold numerous safety hazards, which is why we strive to increase safety on-site. With the new Leica ConX safety awareness module, Leica Geosystems has closed the gap between existing solutions and a cloud platform that allows our customers to makemore data-driven decisions,” says Neil Williams, UK Business Director, Heavy Construction at Hexagon’s Geosystems division. “The new safety awareness module in ConX provides crucial insights that enable acute focus on safety-optimised environments.”

The best geocell connection device on the market just got better

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 18:00:11 +0000

Presto Geosystems, the leader in geocell technology, unveils the new and improved design of the patented ATRA® Key Connection Device for the GEOWEB® Soil Stabilization System (Geocells).

The innovative ATRA Key design includes a structurally reinforced handle and frictional barbs for improved interlock with the GEOWEB surface texture. Together, these features provide added protection against the three primary modes of mechanical junction failure: shearing, splitting, and peeling.

Engineered for installation speed and connection strength, the ATRA Key is a low-cost, highly effective option for establishing mechanical connections between GEOWEB sections with one quick and easy turn. The ATRA Keys are three times faster to install and three times stronger than more rudimentary connection methods, such as staples or zip ties, providing a more secure and permanent load-transfer connection at mechanical junctions.

ABOUT PRESTO GEOSYSTEMS

Presto Geosystems is the original inventor and global leader in geocell technology. Our patented GEOWEB® Soil Stabilization System been installed on thousands of projects in every geographic region in the world, and is the only geocell technology that has stood the test of time for over forty years.