Survey & Mapping Civil Engineering Services

Overview

Throughout our history, Land Surveying has been an intrinsic part of our services. JBA has completed large, challenging survey projects throughout the west, including the complete survey of the Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles (the home of the L.A. Dodgers Stadium), a 110-mile boundary retracement survey of Edwards Air Force Base, design and construction surveying for 70 miles of water transmission main lines in the City of Phelan in the High Desert, a hydrographic survey of Los Angeles Harbor for the Department of the Navy, and a two-year surveying contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for various projects in California, Nevada, and Arizona.

Recently, JBA’s survey personnel have completed a handful of unique projects, including a GPS survey of a U.S. Marine Corps base in the High Desert of California, project management for the surveying of two airports in Canada, and surveys of various crossing points along the California Aqueduct. Many of these recent projects have also been assisted with relatively new technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) spatial data analysis and cataloging.

JBA is also contracted to provide on-call surveying services for various municipalities, including the City of San Bernardino, the City of Loma Linda, and the San Bernardino Unified School District (SBUSD). These contracts have helped solidify the excellent working relationships JBA already enjoys with these municipalities and have established JBA’s reputation as operating some of the most well-respected and competent survey crews in Southern California. This reputation is reflected in our extensive list of repeat residential, industrial/commercial, and public works clients who call upon JBA to provide surveying services for all of their projects.

Our President, Edward J. Bonadiman, P.L.S., is a Licensed California Surveyor and is a Corporate Member and Past President of the California Land Surveyor’s Association (San Bernardino/Riverside Chapter). Mr. Bonadiman is the Manager of our Survey Department.

Technical Capabilities & Equipment

• Our Survey Department’s extensive technical capabilities and equipment include:
• Two full-time field survey crews with the
  ability to use up to six as-needed
•  Three fully-stocked full-time survey rigs
•  One full-time dedicated Field Supporter
•  Trimble GPS 4700 Base Receiver with 5800 Rover & Trimark III 25-Watt Base Radio
• Sokkia Radian GPS Static & RTK System
  with Pac-Crest Radios
• Two Nikon 531 Total Stations
• Leica 600-Series Total Station
• Wild Electronic Level
• MSHA Certification
• Trimble GPS 4700 Base Receiver with 5800 Rover & Trimark III 25-Watt Base Radio

MSHA Certification

JBA’s survey personnel are certified with the Mining Safety Hazard Association (MSHA), Number A952. Three eight-hour classes are required to become MSHA Certified. Classes are designed to educate the individuals in job site safety, CPR, and specific mine hazard training. 

Primary Services

Survey Control Networks

Sophisticated control networks are established by JBA to “tie-down” a property and provide the backbone for all subsequent survey activities.

Topographic Surveys

JBA uses conventional equipment and GPS to construct topographic maps illustrating the existing characteristics of a site, including topographic contours, natural features, vegetation and trees, buildings, roadways, utilities, and associated elevation and attribute data. These topographic surveys provide the basis for all subsequent project site design and engineering.

Boundary Surveys & Records of Survey

A Boundary Survey is developed to physically locate a client’s deed on the ground. If the property has been previously surveyed, JBA retraces the survey, finds existing monuments (property corners) and/or replaces missing monuments, and provides a map of the survey. If the property has not been surveyed previously, JBA establishes property corners and prepares/files a Record of Survey with the appropriate county.

Design Surveys

Design Surveys are prepared to provide a base drawing for use by engineers and architects. They illustrate the physical features and constraints affecting the development of a site. Design Surveys generally include boundary re-establishment, easement locations, man-made and natural features, elevations, contours, and utility locations.

Specific items can be omitted or added as appropriate for each individual project.

Construction Surveys

JBA has extensive construction survey experience. We provide rough and finish grade staking for all phases of construction and as-builts of completed work. We frequently deploy teams using GPS and total stations for large-scale mass grading and detailed concrete slabs.

Hydrographic Surveys

JBA utilizes GPS with sophisticated sonar-sounding equipment to measure the bottom of water bodies. Mining quarries that have been excavated below the water table are also surveyed using this method.

ALTA/ACSM Surveys

The ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey Standards have been jointly adopted by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). These standards were developed as a collective effort in order to create an accepted and recognized legal document that presents particular information in detail and exactness for acceptance by title insurance companies. ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys are recommended for commercial transactions in which extended coverage is required and/or where extremely detailed information is needed.

Tract & Parcel Maps

Various methods are used for the subdivision of real property, including Tract Maps, Parcel Maps, Parcel Map
Waivers, Lot Line Adjustments, and Gift Deeds. JBA provides surveys to locate existing improvements for the
preparation of these subdivisions and associated documentation.

Mining Surveys

Mining Surveys are used to establish the surface locations and boundaries of mining claims. During mining or tunneling operations, the Mining Survey helps to establish the location of underground operations horizontally and vertically, layout shaft connections, and guide tunneling. This is three-dimensional traversing, not essentially different from surface surveying.

Mine Limit Monuments (MLMs)

JBA has developed a monumentation process to assist plant managers in controlling the mining limits of their respective plant sites:

1. The plant boundary is established in the field and drawn in AutoCAD. Once the boundary is completed, the project mining limit is calculated and inserted into the AutoCAD drawing. Major angle points and specific instances along the curves and straight lines are then monumented.

2. Temporary points are set and “tied out”, and the final monuments are set.

3. Once the concrete has dried, the survey crew will return and locate the final positions. These positions are read electronically into a custom database that provides the client with a detailed report on their particular mining operation.

Stockpile Quantities

Stockpile quantities in the mining industry equate to significant bottom-line dollars. JBA relies on proven methods for obtaining necessary field measurements and building complicated detained digital terrain models (DTMs) to assist in quantifying and managing stockpiles.

Aerial Surveys

A significant amount of topographic mapping is done by means of aerial photogrammetry, which uses stereoscopic pairs of photographs taken from aircraft and, more recently, from artificial earth satellites. Horizontal and vertical ground surveys must appear in the photographs. These photos are then reconstituted into stereo models for drafting true-scale maps. Precise cameras are required, and precision-mapping equipment is used to depict natural and artificial objects in true position and to show true elevations for all points in the mapped area.

JBA incorporates sophisticated network designs to ensure accurate aerial target positions for aerial survey projects.

References

Experience