Topographic Survey, Atherton

The Project

As part of an on-call surveying agreement with the Town of Atherton, MTCo was tasked to provide detailed topographic surveys of four streets scheduled for reconstruction. The survey located and obtained elevations of street cross-sections, utilities, improvements, trees, gravity utility inverts, fences and walls.

The Town of Atherton selected MTCo as an innovator in the data-collection field. Specifically, the Town desired a consultant using a Real Time Network (RTN) survey with Positioning System (GPS) equipment. This method takes advantage of GPS and communication technology making survey-grade accuracy available in a high-production capacity.

The Challenges

In the interest of delivering a topo within a limited budget and schedule, the Town requested that MTCo use RTN techniques to complete the topographic survey.

Investigation of the project area, revealed streets with heavy tree cover, limiting the use of GPS data collection techniques.

The Results

MTCo integrated digital leveling, total station surveys along with RTN surveys as necessary to complete the project. We then adjusted data from all three instruments (GPS, total station and digital level) in the native adjustment software. This ensured integral data collection, rather than data that is handled separately and only pieced together for the final product. The information collected by these three means was put together seamlessly in a Topographic Exhibit.

With RTN and conventional survey methods combined, MTCo produced a combined approach to this design topographic project. Accurate, high-production data is collected with RTN GPS technology under an open sky together with conventional survey instrumentation under canopy completed the topo under budget and on time.