Photo By Staff Sgt. Francis Horton | Sgt. Vinicio Reyes, engineer, 605th Engineer Detachment finishes setting up at Fort...... read more read more
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. – Standing among overgrown brambles jutting up between burned-out cars, survey engineers from the 372nd Engineer Brigade and 605th Engineer Detachment were setting up shop.
The team worked creating topographical surveys around Fort Hunter Liggett , Calif., in support of Castle Installation Related Construction for their annual training.
“We’re getting the lay of the land,” said Sgt. Joseph Donald, survey non-commissioned officer-in-charge, 372nd En. Bde.
Surveying is important to the engineering process because miscalculations can cause problems in all structures, said Sgt. Vinicio Reyes, engineer, 605th En. Det. Surveyors calculate everything from the amount of water a dam can hold back to the pressure water pipes can withstand.
The survey team moved throughout Fort Hunter Liggett creating topographical surveys for future soldier engineering projects. During this annual training exercise, the team worked on placements for roads, buildings and a helicopter landing pad, Donald said.
The soldiers use four main pieces of equipment to find the needed points and elevations. First, there is a base, which creates a fixed point using global positioning system satellites. Then two rovers, which are tall, mobile stakes with GPS trackers attached, are moved around the area in a grid pattern to acquire precise elevation points. Finally, a radio transmitter and receiver keeps the equipment in precise communication. These tools allow the survey team to acquire an accurate topographical map of land elevations and landmarks such as trees, buildings and other structures.
When equipment captures the coordinates, the information is brought to the design team.
“Once the (topographical data) is taken, the data is exported to a text file and loaded into a (terrain) model,” said Sgt. Marc Kane, survey non-commissioned officer, 372nd En. Bde.
The terrain model builds a three-dimensional visualization of the points shot by the field team and allows for changes to be made to the data. With this software, the team can plan drainage culverts around trees and buildings or the best placement for buildings.
The information is passed on to project coordinators and planning can be started for construction.
“(The project designers) decide where the road goes, we decide how to make it,” Kane said.
The soldiers are eager to have a chance to work in the field using their skills.
“It gives us a chance to do our military jobs,” said Spc. Andrew Braun, survey specialist, 372nd Eng. Bde. from Minneapolis. “These are real life missions and it’s more than just training.
| Date Taken: | 08.06.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.11.2011 15:44 |
| Story ID: | 75201 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 193 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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