Author: Colliers Engineering & Design

Advances in Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Terrestrial laser scanning aims to capture reality at a rate of up to two million points per second. From its inception to this very moment, it has improved at lightning speed. The training time required, complexity of the technology used, accuracy, field of view, cost, and possibilities of what laser scanning can be used for…
The Role of the Utility Coordinator

Many utilities occupy public rights-of-way. While some sit above ground, others run hidden underground. These utilities may have been there for decades or recently installed unbeknownst to others. So, it should come as no surprise that it can be challenging to identify what utilities exist, where they are and who owns each one. In fact,…
A Tribute to One in a Million

Who He Is Introducing Elhosein “Sam” Baratou, a man who has shown dedication, passion, and commitment throughout his career and is about to retire. He’s brought his industry knowledge, reputation, and grit to Maser Consulting. Sam Baratou has over 25 years of experience in Geotechnical and construction quality assurance and materials testing, the last ten…
Where’s Wygant 2020

When Clay Wygant first came to Maser Consulting, it was his job to develop a Mobile LiDAR division. So, this geospatial man-on-the-move began by setting out with his crew and a RIEGL VMX 450 mobile mapper atop his truck, zig-zagging and scanning his way across the country! In fact, he traversed to so many places…
Choosing the Right Technique for Surveying Railroads

Various surveying techniques are available to provide railroads with the optimum survey results required to accommodate specific projects. Surveyors look at the project characteristics and anticipated project deliverables and recommend the appropriate surveying technique during the scoping phase of a project. Discussions focus on choosing a methodology that would enhance safety, produce the required accuracy,…
Surveying Substations with LiDAR

Surveying Substations Surveying substations is complicated. And believe it or not, conventional survey can increase the complexity. So, what are your options? Well, they all revolve around the use of LiDAR! But before we jump into how it can help, we need to touch on the challenges it has to overcome. Conventional survey requires the…
Building Information Modeling (BIM)

What is BIM, and why should you implement it into your architecture, engineering, and survey plans? BIM, or “Building Information Modeling” is a process of building highly accurate, measurable 3D models that can be very comprehensive, such that they encompass all the specific components needed to virtually build and visualize a project. Existing condition BIMs…
A Look at GIS: You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!

Discover and learn how a GIS program can help organize the management of key infrastructure assets! [vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/cftVlMekXno”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Geographic Information Systems. Think about it. GIS locates assets in the field with Global Positioning System accuracy. GPS is a satellite-based system that, in the right conditions, can hone-in on an object from space within a few…
Forming Dynamic Partnership with Colliers

We recently announced that we’ve formalized an agreement selling a controlling share of Maser Consulting to Colliers International. Colliers is a leading global commercial real estate services and investment management firm and this partnership has created some very exciting opportunities for both companies. Please continue reading to find out what it means for all of…
Frontline Workers Say “Call Before You Dig”

811, Know Before You Dig We all know that we’re surrounded by utilities. But we don’t often think about how many of them are out of sight, underground. Whether you are a contractor, developer or a homeowner, if you plan to dig on your property, you might run the risk of accidentally hitting buried electric,…
Maintaining Pipe Casing Integrity

Because gas or oil pipelines tend to be buried in soil or immersed in water, they are prone to corrosion. As such, statutes 192.467 and 195.575 from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) state, “Buried or submerged pipelines must be electrically isolated from other underground metallic structures, unless the pipeline and the other structures…
ADA Ramp Compliance

Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), our country has come a long way in creating more inclusive spaces. One such way of doing so is with Title II. It provides regulations so that anyone can access and utilize state and local government services. So, we’re here to talk about one very important feature…