A route survey collects data on the proposed route of a road, utility tube, or railroad. Surveyors use equipment to profile the landscape and make recommendations to help engineers plan the route. The most direct and efficient route is desired, considering obstacles like hills and large rivers. Survey markers should not be moved or tampered with, and communities can object to proposed routes.
A route survey is a data collection operation to gather information about the proposed route of a road, utility tube, or railroad. Surveyors are tasked with finding the most convenient route to follow. An engineer will use the data gathered by the survey teams to plan the route in detail and create specifications for the work crews to follow. Teams can spend days or weeks in the field, depending on the nature of the project. You must have a surveyor degree or similar qualification to participate in a route survey, and sometimes internship positions are available for survey students who want to gain practical skills.
Governments or companies will order a route survey as they prepare to roll out services into a new area. Surveyors will meet with representatives to discuss plans, such as the number of lanes in a roadway or the type of utilities to be laid in a region. This information can be important for planning, as surveyors need to think about project parameters. Surveyors use a variety of equipment during route surveying to profile the landscape, making particular note of geological formations, property lines, and other features that could become a problem.
Route survey team members can make route and evaluation recommendations to help engineers prepare plans. As they work, they may think about questions such as whether it would be best to pass through or bypass various aspects of the landscape; a deep valley can be bridged cheaply, while a large mountain may be too large to tunnel through, necessitating a detour around it. Grading can be an important topic for trains, as very steep grades can be extremely hard on the engines.
Surveyors want to find the most direct and efficient route. Expenses can add up very quickly when laying out roads, railroads, and service lines, especially when faced with obstacles like hills, large rivers, and so on. They must also consider geological hazards such as faults, which could pose a threat to the integrity of the finished project. Many rely on software programs to help them organize their data, as large volumes of material go into the course of a route survey.
During the inspection, the staff can leave markers along the route. Members of the public should be aware that moving or tampering with survey markers can result in serious penalties, including fines and jail time. Communities concerned about a proposed route can usually object at various stages of the planning process.
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