Surveying Archives | Draper Aden

September 22, 2020

in Blog, Imaging, Infrastructure, Surveying, Utilities Engineering, Water/Wastewater

Going Underground to Upgrade Aging Infrastructure

A historic seaport, Olde Towne in Portsmouth, Virginia is bursting with history. You can experience the history before your eyes as you walk past towering 200-year-old-trees, cobblestone driveways and streets, and historic buildings dating back to the 19th century. History is also lurking beneath your feet. As with many historic places, the City of Portsmouth faced the daunting challenge of evaluating and updating its aging infrastructure, particularly in the city’s oldest areas. ...

September 5, 2020

in Blog, Imaging, Structural Engineering, Surveying

by Draper Aden Associates

Scanning and Structural Innovations Yield Significant Savings

At Draper Aden Associates, leaving a lasting, positive impact isn’t just about improving the communities we serve. We also reach that enduring goal by helping clients achieve their vision using cost effective solutions. When we can help clients deliver their project on time and on budget or under budget, we’re making future investments in their communities more likely to happen. ...

April 12, 2017

in Blog, Imaging, Surveying

by Draper Aden Associates

First in Flight: Unmanned Aircraft Conducts Aerial Survey at Airport

[caption id="attachment_6306" align="aligncenter" width="770"] DAA and Altavian team preparing for flight[/caption] It is all about synchronization! For the first time in Virginia, an unmanned aircraft conducted an aerial survey, launching and recovering from an airfield, in a remarkably coordinated effort by the airport staff, flight crew, and Draper Aden Associates. DAA and Altavian collaborated to conduct an aerial survey for Faulconer Construction utilizing a fixed wing small un-manned aircraft system (sUAS) at the Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport in Blacksburg, VA. Coordinated efforts between flight operations crew and the airport manager played an important role in maintaining safe operations. [caption id="attachment_6305" align="aligncenter" width="770"] aUAS in flight over the airport[/caption] The process included filing a notice with the Federal Aviation Authority’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). A NOTAM is a notice filed, 72 hours in advance, with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a...

December 8, 2016

in Blog, DAA News, Imaging, Surveying

by Draper Aden Associates

Sky-High Service: Drones for Commercial Use

Would it be confusing to say we’re in on the ground floor for a sky-high service? It may sound a little complicated but that is just where Draper Aden Associates’ Darren Goodbar has placed the firm. Director of DAA’s Aerial Services and Piedmont Virginia Community College’s (PVCC) co-instructor of the schools unmanned aerial systems program, Darren is bridging the gap between academic research and direct application. PVCC is the first college in the US to conduct research and development using small unmanned aerial systems (UAV) for public safety purposes. In June, the Virginia Unmanned Systems (UMS) Commission approved its recommendations to the Governor to increase business opportunities for the use of unmanned systems in the Commonwealth. These recommendations include funding the continued expansion of UAV to be used by first responders in life-saving applications in Virginia. The PVCC course is promoting usage of drones for public safety but the practice is taking off...

October 20, 2016

in Blog, Surveying

by Draper Aden Associates

Over the Edge: Construction Surveying Safety

When you think of a prism, a rainbow easily comes to mind. Water droplets form a type of prism to reflect, refract, and disperse light that results a multi-colored arc. Surveyors think of something else. A surveying prism sets a control point for the rest of the points located at a project site and is an important surveying tool that has a major impact on the quality of your measurements. Conventional prisms are tripod mounted and placed on the ground in an advantageous spot. In most cases, they have to be moved numerous times over the course of a project. In one of our current projects, DAA come up with a solution that added a safety bonus. [caption id="attachment_5808" align="aligncenter" width="725"] A 360 degree prism[/caption] Surveyors Dereck Perry and Johnathan Vaughan, from our Charlottesville office, set 360-degree prisms on rooftops of four adjacent buildings for the UVA Hospital Expansion Project. The prism, put...

August 1, 2016

in Construction Materials Testing, Environmental Services, Site Development and Infrastructure, Surveying, Uncategorized

by Draper Aden Associates

VCU Walter L. Rice Building

[metaslider id=4565] Highlights Location Charles City County, VA Project Manager(s) Charlie Kreye, PE Services Provided Site Development and Infrastructure Surveying/Scanning Environmental Engineering Construction Materials Testing Completion Date 2009 Draper Aden Associates provided civil engineering design, surveying, environmental, and construction administration services for the VCU Rice Center. The project, located on 473 acres of environmentally sensitive land on the James River, is one of the finest examples of sustainable design and was the first project in Virginia to receive a LEED Platinum certification. Services included survey, wetlands delineation, Environmental Impact Report (EIR), site design and permitting, and geotechnical engineering for the 6,000 square-foot main building and small open pavilion, approximately one mile of access road, access improvements from the State road, well-based water supply system, septic disposal system, boathouse and pier, grading and drainage. [wpbgallery id=4570] ...

August 1, 2016

in Surveying, Virtual Construction

by Draper Aden Associates

Theodore Roosevelt High School

[metaslider id=4518] Highlights Location Washington, DC Project Manager(s) Bob Bonk, LS Services Provided DA Virtual Surveying/Scanning Completion Date 2013 Through the use of survey scanning technologies and BIM software, Draper Aden Associates provided the general contractor and project architect a 3D model of existing conditions for a 156,000 SF, three-story high school. The design and construction team was interested in a detailed model that included the location of walls (including any recesses and alcoves), doors and windows (including the extent of trim), and the extent of any wainscot tile in the building. A total of 380 scans were collected in the field and processed to form a complete point butt representation of the existing building. Once the point butt was created, the building was modeled using Autodesk Revit software, creating a comprehensive 3D representation of the entire existing high school. [wpbgallery id=4514] ...

August 1, 2016

in Construction Materials Testing, Environmental Services, Site Development and Infrastructure, Surveying

by Draper Aden Associates

VCU Academic Learning Commons

[metaslider id=4971] Highlights Location Richmond, VA Project Manager(s) Charlie Kreye, PE Services Provided Site Development and Infrastructure Environmental Engineering Construction Materials Testing Surveying/Scanning Completion Date 2014 Draper Aden teamed with BCWH Architects to provide site planning, environmental services, engineering design, and construction administration and stakeout services for a 4-story, 102,000 SF academic classroom building located at Floyd Avenue and North Linden Street. Our specific scope of services for this project included grading, drainage, utility design (for water, fire, and sewer), environmental impact reporting, erosion and sediment control, and construction phase services. The site design portion of this project was fast-tracked and involved a site demolition/design plans. The constructed building contains an auditorium, a lecture hall, nine classrooms, and serves as office space for the School of Social Work and the Department of English. The Academic Learning Commons was awarded a LEED Gold certification for innovation in design, energy performance, and materials quality. [wpbgallery id=4967] ...

August 1, 2016

in Subsurface Utility Engineering, Surveying, Underground

by Draper Aden Associates

UVA Grounds-Wide Utility Marking

[metaslider id=4792] Highlights Location Charlottesville, VA Project Manager(s) John Robertson, PE Services Provided Subsurface Utility Engineering Surveying/Scanning DA Underground Completion Date Ongoing Starting in April of 2012, Draper Aden Associates began marking all of the existing utilities associated with Miss Utility marking tickets (roughly 10-20/week). DAA monitors the on-call system, marks underground utilities as needed, and codes the ticket for the positive response. We also document our marking by collecting our designations using sub-foot handheld GPS which UVA utilizes to check and update their GIS. Through the use of surface geophysical tools, including electromagnetic radio frequency, ground penetrating radar, and RFID marker balls combined with sub-foot handheld GPS, we are able to provide University of Virginia with valuable information to numerous departments across UVA including Facilities Management; Energy & Utilities; Facilities Planning & Construction; the Office of the Architect; and Space & Real Estate Management for planning, operational, and budgeting purposes. With the subsurface utility information collected, through...

August 1, 2016

in Site Development and Infrastructure, Structural Engineering, Surveying

by Draper Aden Associates

Collegiate Academic Commons

[metaslider id=4184] Highlights Location Richmond, VA Project Manager(s) Dave Spriggs, PE Services Provided Structural Engineering Site Development and Infrastructure Surveying/Scanning Completion Date 2013 Draper Aden Associates provided structural engineering for Collegiate Academic Commons, a one-story, multi-use educational building, approximately 27,000 SF. It is located to the east of the existing Hershey Auditorium and to the north of the existing Science Classroom building. The building is steel-framed, with tube-framed trusses, steel tube columns, beams and open web steel joists. It has an 8-sided tower element and sloped roof surfaces using over-framed light-gauge trusses. Walls feature steel stud wall framing with masonry veneer, and aluminum framed storefront assemblies. Interior functions include a Media Center, Café, Classrooms, Meeting Rooms and support spaces. Design was developed as a Building Information Model (BIM) using Revit software. This is a LEED Silver Building. [wpbgallery id=4189] ...