TxDOT Committee Report


Texas Society of Professional Surveyors

DIVISION: Liaison     DIV #: 3        DIVISION OFFICER: Bud Thompson

COMMITTEE: TxDOT       CHAIRMAN REPORTING: John Pierce

BOARD MEETING DATE: October 7, 2004    
 

COMMITTEE ACTIVITY REPORT
 

From the February 07, 2004 Board Report.

The Standing Committee on Surveying (SCOS) met on November 06, 2003 in Austin.

The final program plan for the March 23 & 24, 2004 Survey Conference was approved.

Revisions to the TxDOT Survey Guide were discussed with ongoing work effort by the subcommittee. Mark Caldwell, RPLS of the Atlanta District was selected to fill the unexpired term of Russell Rivers, RPLS from Wichita Falls, who has gone into private practice in Vernon.  Jon Cox, RPLS from the Dallas District was selected to take Mike Szurgot, RPLS from Fort Worth place when his 5 year term expires in March of 2004.

The members of SCOS are as follows

 

Judy Skeen, P.E., Director of Information System Division as Sponsor

Jesse Cooper, RPLS representative from the Right of Way Division

Steve Schmitz., SET representative from the Information System Division

Joe Breaux, RPLS from the Beaumont District

James Woods, RPLS from the Corpus Christi District

John Wallis, RPLS from the Odessa District

Mike Caldwell, RPLS from the Atlanta District

Mike Szurgot, RPLS from the Fort Worth District (term expires in March 2004)

Jon Cox, RPLS from the Dallas District (term will start in March 2004)

 

From the June 19, 2004 Board Report

The Standing Committee on Surveying (SCOS) met on May 27, 2004 in Austin.

The program from the March 23 & 24, 2004 Survey Conference was reviewed. The evaluation sheets provided some interesting commits. There were 100 plus in attendance.

Revisions to the TxDOT Survey Guide were discussed with ongoing work effort by the subcommittee. The TxDOT GPS Manual should go onto the TxDOT intranet the last week of June.  Attachment B of the Survey Contract is being revised.  There some discussion on purchasing of new equipment.  TxDOT has three different methods that equipment can be purchased.  Cost comes into play as to which method can be used.

There was some discussion of the use of SDMS, CACIE and GeoPak. A letter from an engineer in the San Angelo District concerning the requirement for an RPLS to be used in category 15.2.1 Design and Construction Surveys was discussed.  Some Surveying issues will be presented at the Transportation Conference in October.  The date for the 2005 Survey Conference was set for March 29 & 30, 2005.

 

From the August 14, 2004 Board Meeting

There has been no activity since our last board meeting; the next Standing Committee on Surveying is going to be August 26, 2004. There will be a detailed report for the convention.

 

From the August 26, 2004 SCOS meeting.

Dean Wilkerson, ISD Director of Engineering and Survey Systems, reported that TxDOT will soon move to the new version of MircoStation, new feature codes is a possibility.  Discussion as to showing utilities on ROW sheets. ROW data should be able to bring into the GIS data base.  Geo-referencing similar to what Fred Crawford is doing at the LCRA.   Some contract surveyors do not understand Control of Access and the affect on ROW acquisition. Revised chapters of Survey Guide was presented to the committee for review.  Management oversight of Surveying Contracts is going to get a lot more attention. Surveying contracts becomes effective on the date the last person signs it. Pre-certification of Professional Land Surveyors is being taken over by SCOS.

 

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