Civil CAD

Phone Numbers

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:20:00 -0400

I will be moving in the next couple of weeks, so my phone numbers will likely be changing. The area code should stay the same or be something close….there are a lot of area codes in the NYC - New Jersey area.

You can always reach me at dan@civilcad.net or Skype me at graf-dan in the meantime if there are problems. All new numbers will be posted online at www.civilcad.net as soon as I am settled.

Photo

Thu, 19 May 2011 09:15:16 -0400

Civil 3D

Thu, 19 May 2011 09:13:36 -0400

Last week I announced I would be doing some in the field videos for construction surveyors. I have posted 3 already, and plan to do plenty more. While I´m at it, I don´t see that it would take me too much extra time to do some Civil 3D tutorials as well. I will separate them into a different series. So, hopefully, starting today, you will see the beginning of the Civil 3D screen shots. Mind you, these videos are geared towards the private sector of the highway construction industry. So it is not so much design as it is simply putting the plans into digital format for survey layout in the most simplified way possible.

Some Practical Advice for Field Surveyors

Mon, 09 May 2011 18:43:00 -0400

Grafsurv is going to be focusing a little more on field work in the coming weeks on YouTube’s Grafsurv channel. The plan is to upload 3 this week. One was posted today. Then there will be two more on Wednesday and Friday.

These videos are life lessons I have learned over the years working as a surveyor helper, instrument man, party chief and eventually survey manager for various projects in the transportation construction industry.

See below for the first video.

The inspiration for these videos came from a Jason Friedman video in which he talks about the benefits of sharing your knowledge as opposed to being secretive (a more common business practice). You can see that video addressing sharing knowledge and many other unorthodox business practices at Fried Video.

Storm Sewer Layout

Mon, 09 May 2011 18:33:07 -0400

Storm Sewer Layout

This bridge was calculated by me remotely. I never saw the site...

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:16:57 -0400

This bridge was calculated by me remotely. I never saw the site from beginning to end of construction…it wasn’t necessary to be on site.

Stay Foolish

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:48:00 -0400

As a precursor to this blog, let me say that I am not a Mac fanatic. I just like to see the competition that keeps everyone on top of their game, and Mac has instilled that. In fact, I have really been enjoying the last 2 months of using Windows 7. I have even seen great advantages of playing around with Linux Ubuntu (for those of you who want to go the free route).

Okay, I got that out of the way. Because as you can see, this blog is titled “Stay Foolish”, not “A Review of Operating Systems”. “Stay Foolish” is a statement that runs contrary to conventional thinking, and therefore interesting to me. It involves a speech by Steve Jobs….again, I’m not a Mac fanatic, so bear with me.

Allow me to digress. Yesterday was a crappy day for me. I wasn’t inspired to work, and every time I tried to make myself inspired it just wasn’t happening. It never does when one tries too hard. There was a lot of laying around the house doing nothing but being depressed. There was even some TV watching (rare for me).

Surfing the internet wasn’t a lot of fun either. I wasn’t getting any FB notifications dammit! My normal routine of sites was beyond a complete bore. By late evening, it was time to look for some new ones.

Search “best new websites” and I came up with a site called 50 best websites of 2010 (as well as some previous year’s best). I found 2 that could be real winners for my life, a high percentage is my estimation.

One thing led to another, and next thing you know I am watching an old Steve Jobs’ video from 2005 at the Stanford Graduation ceremonies. It’s good stuff. It struck home for me, being an entrepreneur. I sometimes forget why I went off on my own back in November of 2009, especially when the income is not so steady, leading to depressing days like yesterday.

But this video made me remember how my regular job was back then: the mindless meetings, the lack of work, the extra responsibilities set upon me (work that didn’t interest me), the low pay, the lack of promise of a better future, the consequent lack of inspiration and finally the indifference of my superiors when there was nothing to be inspired about. “Just do your job” was a familiar quote.

Life is not supposed to be that way, right? Of course not! Therefore, the answer is to “Stay Foolish”. Quit your well paying, steady job to do something that really inspires you. Does my decision scare me these days. Hell yes! Could I go back to that well paying job? No way!

Check out the video below. Jobs is one of the best CEO’s out there at communicating. He can put it in better words than I can, so enjoy…

Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:33:00 -0400

Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

Sharing My Secrets

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:00:07 -0400

Earlier this week, I posted a video on the process of making a calculation at Grafsurv. Some might think that I’m giving my secrets away, but I think that it is important to share what I do. Sure, I may have more competition in the future, but what I do requires a lot of hard work. I figure that if I work hard (and smart), then I will get paid. If there’s a need for more people doing this type of work, then so be it. It’s a big country, and there’s a lot of work out there.

That brings me to another point. So far, I have seen no one who does what I do. Maybe they’re out there working alone with no internet connection directly with the clients. But it wouldn’t surprise me if I’m the first. Of course, trying to convince people of a new idea takes a lot of marketing, but I’m up to it. I love spreading the message about a great new idea.

Imagine how the internet has changed our lives in the last ten years. Sure, it has had some negative impact and a lot of jobs have been outsourced to other countries because of it. That’s why the unemployment situation never seems to get any better here in the US.

But try to look at the positive, and adjust to the changes. One change you can make is use the Grafsurv service, and in the process avoid a lot of headaches as well as save a lot of cash. My attention to detail is unequalled. Just check with my previous employers at Williams Brothers Construction and South Coast Construction.

The cost savings and ease of use are tremendous. Working for multiple clients allows the overhead to approach incredibly low percentages of what you are now paying. We’re talking 50%, 20% and even as low as 10% of what you now pay for your survey manager. Try to get out of that old mindset of having a survey manager on your payroll. It’s just no longer necessary!

Sure it’s hard to let someone go that has been meeting your needs for many years. But if your survey manager moves on to other pastures, give him or her a pat on the back for a job well done, and move over to using my service. If nothing else, use Grafsurv in the interim while interviewing for your next survey manager, simply on a test basis to see if you like the way Grafsurv does things.

I will never try to hide what I do. People pay for good work and honest communication. And that’s how I make a living.

“Behind the Scenes” look at a typical calculation at...

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:28:59 -0400

“Behind the Scenes” look at a typical calculation at Grafsurv.

Make it Simple

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:00:00 -0400

Too many construction surveyors try to make their job sound as if it is more complicated than it really is. New technologies often make things more difficult rather than easier and quicker. Today’s instruments give us a multitude of different ways to lay out for construction.

Grafsurv does not offer many different services nor customized projects for each client. Grafsurv only calculates for layout for construction highway surveyors. Grafsurv only does calculations in a points layout format. That makes it simple for everyone. This format absolutely fits every situation and cuts down on the unnecessary confusion of different types of files that may be difficult to upload and assimilate to your particular data controller.

The website and communication process is equally simple. There are only 2 buttons on the website that you will need to click. Place order and Send Plans. Grafsurv has no superfluous banners, advertisements nor bouncing icons.

In calculations, Grafsurv also strives to keep things simple. Keep at the heart of the request and supply the most amount of information accurately in a timely manner in order to keep the crews producing.

Have you ever had a survey manager come into your office and explain the problems he or she is having which is causing a delay or some kind of mistake in the field? It is easy for a surveyor to use jargon that can confuse or supposedly impress in order to cover up shoddy work.

You will not see any of that with Grafsurv. The communication is straightforward. If there is a calculation error (and that will be extremely rare), you will hear about it personally from me, always before any irreversible damage has occurred.

Start making your surveying a process that happens in the background with no problems. You have plenty of other things to worry about, such as getting your production rate as high as possible without having to deal with details such as surveying.

Visit www.grafsurv.com for more details.

Photo

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:47:38 -0500

Time Management

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:29:06 -0500

11 a.m. Eastern Time. That’s all you need to remember. That is the magical time at Grafsurv in which all important business is transacted. Grafsurv is a one man show, and there are many benefits. There are no lines of communication, just me. The costs are lower. There is less confusion. The message and intent of Grafsurv is a simple one, since it is designed by only one person.

Since there is only one person here at Grafsurv, time must be managed very carefully. And one way to do that is to check orders only once every business day. That gives me the quiet time that is needed to do your calculation without distraction.

Here’s the deal: Place your order before 11 a.m. Eastern Time. Any order placed after that hour will be delayed an additional 24 hours. Orders are reviewed sometime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. At or before 1 p.m. Eastern Time, emails are sent to those who placed orders confirming that the order has been received, and also whether or not I understand what is being requested.

Then I go to work. By 5 a.m., well before you wake in the morning, a drawing will be waiting in your email inbox. If the request is extremely large and time consuming, you will still receive a drawing. I believe in keeping crews busy, and see no point in withholding information until a task is complete. You get what is available so your crews can get to work.

5 a.m. may seem like a strange time to have your drawing ready, but there is a reason. Scientific studies have shown that people solve problems while they are asleep. Although I have a thorough 7 check (minimum) system to avoid any kind of calculation error, I also get some sleep before sending off the drawing I have calculated for you. That clears my brain of any nagging doubts I may have about a particular calculation.

Receiving the coordinate file to be uploaded to the data collector requires a payment on your part. So as well as receiving the drawing file before 5 a.m., you will also receive an invoice from Paypal at or before the same hour.

Again, 11 a.m. is the magic hour, so you have 6 hours to make your payment. If I receive your payment before 11 a.m., you will receive the coordinate file that accompanies your drawing before 1 p.m. All times Eastern.

So it’s that easy. Just remember, 11 a.m., 11 a.m., 11 a.m.

Grafsurv website screen shot with new link.

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:49:50 -0500

Grafsurv website screen shot with new link.

7 Checks System

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:49:38 -0500

A link has recently been inserted for the 7 Checks System for calculating your layout. Above is a screen shot of the Grafsurv site with the link. The idea is not a new one. Back in the early nineties, I recall project managers asking, “Did you double check your work?” I imagine that they thought a surveyor manager would do the same calculation 2 times to make sure it was correct.

But that doesn’t really make sense. It would be too easy to make the same mistake twice. It would be infinitely better look at the work from many different angles. That not only makes the errors of the person doing the calculation apparent, but also those of the designer.

When doing calculations on paper, it’s better go in circles. Always end up at a known place on paper and never backtrack on the same route (the same circular method that should be used in the field).

Grafsurv uses the following procedures, each calculation with a minimum of 7 checks:

When calculating horizontal alignments, the bearings, radii and distances are checked with the coordinates and stationing to make sure they are working together. When calculating Profile Grade Lines, a similar method is used. PGL slopes are checked against PI elevations. PVC’s and PVT’s are checked forward and backward. When either of these alignments or PGL’s are finished, it is apparent if the designer has done the job correctly.

It doesn’t stop there. Elevations on bridge caps are checked against the roadway cross slope. Bearing seats are checked for proper height when requested. Bent bearings are checked against roadline bearings. Beams are checked for proper fit. Special attention is paid to abutments in which the centerline of cap is not the begin or end of bridge. Abutments elevations are checked against begin and end bridge top of pavement elevations.

Existing pavement points on Grafsurv drawings are blue so the field surveyor can check vertical and horizontal. Intersection grades on topographic maps in the plans are checked with the PGL. Ramps that tie to other roadways are checked to make sure the surfaces match.

Shop drawings for retaining walls are compared to the plans to make sure the panel fabricator has done well on the calculations. Special attention is paid to coping width and station offsets. Horizontal station control is analyzed at the abutment of any bridge. If top of wall grades are requested, they are checked against pavement grades.

Storm is reviewed to make sure the water is flowing. Any surface (top of pavement grades) requested after a storm layout request will be checked to make sure the water drains off the roadway correctly. Inlets within roadways receive special attention for correct horizontal placement. And even more time is spent on storm within a retaining wall.

There is absolutely no one like Grafsurv who takes the time and care to make sure your project is built with no problems and headaches.

Wikispaces

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:36:33 -0500

Back in the nineties, a drill shaft superintendent at our company had a company cell phone, and said I should request one as well. At the time, I felt as if I couldn’t justify such a request. We had company radios. Besides, everyone requested their survey layout work in the morning before we started each day. But, greed got the better of me, and to my surprise, my request was quickly granted.

Of course, now, that seems like a no brainer. But, at the time, it was incredibly exciting to have a cell phone and all of the benefits of that type of communication.

In the last five years, there has been a virtual explosion of ways we can communicate. These new forms of communication are going to affect how we work profoundly. Sure, 99 percent of what’s out there is crap, but that doesn’t mean we can stop paying attention. I look for the mediums that are simple and effective.

My website is a form of communication. With it, my clients place orders and send me plans. Also, I use it to spread my message to other potential clients. It is a portal to many other sites and mediums that I use. It is my main form of communication.

Other ways to communicate are email, texting, Skype, Facebook, tumblr, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The list goes on. At first glance, some of these mediums may not seem like ways to communicate. But, once you start to use them, you wonder how you got along without for so long.

So along has come another favorite of mine. I just found it this morning in fact, but from what I have seen, it has a lot of potential. I was searching around for different types of wikis in order to spread my Grafsurv message, and found Wikispaces.

Wikispaces is a Wikipedia type program which can be edited by anyone (if it is set up in such a way). But, playing around with it this morning, it seems like much more than that. It almost could be one’s own personal website as well. The interface is incredibly clean. It is simple to post videos, photos, text and headlines. Things can be moved around easily to enhance appearance. And, best of all, there don’t seem to be any advertisements. Anyone can post comments on a wiki in Wikispaces as well.

I have been a website builder for five years now. Building websites was not easy for me to learn, but I have really gotten the hang of it lately. I am a programmer type, and like messing around with such things. But, most of us don’t want to learn HTML, PHP and MySQL. It’s too confusing.

That’s why the future lies in sites just like Wikispaces. If you can run a word processor like Microsoft Word, then you can probably manage Wikispaces. So far, I have created a wiki for Grafsurv. It was so fun and easy, that I think I will do a couple more on some of my personal projects as well.

Overview of my services at www.grafsurv.com.

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:20:26 -0500

Overview of my services at www.grafsurv.com.

Some new videos added to www.grafsurv.com

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:18:58 -0500

For those of you who aren’t big on reading, I’ve added 5 videos to www.grafsurv.com. A couple are brand new, and the other three were produced in the last 2 weeks or so. Look for the blue buttons on the main page. There is another on the Samples link. I hope it doesn’t make the site too cluttered. I am big on working hard to make things as simple and clear as possible. But, in this case, I think that the buttons are small enough and that the information provided on the videos is very worthwhile.

Some work I did back in the 90’s.

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:17:00 -0500

Some work I did back in the 90’s.

A New Way to Survey

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:09:29 -0500

As the sole person working at Grafsurv, it is impossible to do many things well. Therefore, I don’t even attempt it. Grafsurv does only one thing and does it well. It provides calculations for layout for surveyors in heavy highway construction. There is no side work for estimators. There are no calculations of quantities. There is no reviewing shop drawings to make sure someone else has done their job correctly.

Grafsurv can’t afford to do any of these things, because doing calculations for layout is already complicated as it is. Why accept a multitude of responsibilities just to mess up what is the most important.

Let me provide and analogy. If you had a serious heart problem, and were looking for a doctor to treat you, would you look for someone who was also a brain surgeon? Would you find a well rounded doctor who treated heart conditions, fractured bones, and also was able to do a little dentistry work on the side? Of course not.

You would look for the best surgeon who specialized only in heart conditions. You would settle for nothing less than someone who has spent their whole life dedicated to the life threatening condition that you had.

That’s the way Grafsurv operates, by doing only calculations for layout. After all, what is the main responsibility of the field surveyor in construction? Make sure things are built in the right place. All it takes is one little distraction, and your $100,000 structure may have to be demolished and rebuilt.

These other responsibilities can easily be placed where they belong. Quantities, for example, can be configured using many different methods, and should be.

Let’s take one example. Pavement. Before paving, the superintendent must know how much concrete s/he is going to have to pour to be able to place the order. Right off the bat, before the concrete mixer even shows up to the site, there is a very good idea of the quantity.

Once the pour is done, you will know how many yards (trucks) showed up. That’s another check. Think the concrete provider is messing with you? You may be right. That is why you should always wheel off what you poured the following day, without exceptions. The owner of the project should do the same, to avoid any kind of problems with payment in the future.

There you already have four different forms of measurement. And many different people were involved in the process to make sure there were no mistakes. The superintendent calculated the amount of concrete before placing the order. The number of trucks that show up is a very good indicator… lot’s of people involved in that process. The superintendent measures again the next day to check himself. And the project inspector checks the superintendent.

There is no reason to pull the field surveyor from his work to do an additional (5th) check, putting his work in jeopardy. I suspect that the superintendent is a big fan of surveyor calculated quantities though. Sitting in the truck is a lot easier than working.

And here’s the kicker. Besides avoiding added risk and the associated costs, you can save a ton of money in labor costs if you follow this advice. Grafsurv charges between 10% and 50% of what you would normally pay for a survey manager. Let your field surveyors focus on the important layout, and they will be able to handle many more millions of dollars worth of work. It is truly staggering the amount of money you will be able to save.

As with the motto at Apple, think different. You don’t have to suffer through more tortuous mistakes and problems from your survey crews. You don’t have to accept the way things are done today. You can’t afford to! As the materials costs continue to rise, you must search to find ways to save your money and lower your costs. And surveying is a money pit that virtually no contractor has tapped into yet. Use www.grafsurv.com today, and you can take advantage of the savings at your bid letting next month.