Surveying Archives | Draper Aden

April 29, 2020

Dam Safety in North Carolina

North Carolina is home to more than 5,700 dams, many of which are aging and unable to contain excess stormwater runoff from increased development and more frequent severe storms. As part of North Carolina’s recovery and resiliency efforts following recent hurricanes, which includes the governor’s flood control initiative, Draper Aden Associates evaluated more than 50 high-hazard dams in the Neuse and Lumber River Basins. These evaluations will help emergency management officials prioritize responses both before and after extreme storms by providing a clearer picture of the dam’s hydraulic capacity. Specifically, we were tasked with developing hydrologic and hydraulic computer model applications for each dam....

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...

Surveying Tag

Dam Safety in North Carolina

Sky-High Service: Drones for Commercial Use

Over the Edge: Construction Surveying Safety