Jobsite Personal Protective Equipment

Frequently, surveyors operate tools which, if not used correctly, could cause harm. Where there is a possibility that an eye injury could occur during the performance of assigned duties, surveyors should wear suitable face shields or goggles.

Steel-toe safety boots or high-top leather work boots should be worn.

Approved protective helmets mus be worn while working or visiting locations designated as "Hard Hat Areas". These helmets should be inspected on a regular basis and shall be replaced immediately if found to be defective. Helmets should be worn while working underneath overpasses and at any other time the foreman deems it necessary.

Wear high-visibility safety vests of approved color, or DOT yellow and orange rain coats, whenever working within the right-of-way, at any time when exposed to traffic such as
driveways, parking lots, construction sites, etc., and at any other time deemed necessary by the on-site supervisor. In addition, during night operations the safety vests should be reflectorized. If raingear or other outer garment is being worn the reflectorized vest should be worn as the outer layer.

Spectra DG511, Pipe Laser

Spectra DG511, Pipe Laser from SurveyingInstruments.com
The rugged Spectra Precision Laser DG511 Pipe Lasers are built tough for long lasting performance and reliability. The DG511 pipe lasers are completely waterproof and designed to ensure easy cleanup. Setup is fast with a full range of mounting accessories available, and easy to use with straightforward, "no-instructions-required" controls. In addition, through the Service Alert feature, they keep track of their own maintenance needs, indicating at pre-set intervals when it's time for a check-up. Featuring a very rugged design and a variety of unique technological capabilities. The DG511 Pipe Lasers stand up to corrosion from acids, chemicals, salts and other destructive underground elements as well as to the physical abuse typical in the construction industry.

Spectra DG511, Pipe Laser Applications

• installation of gravity flow sanitary and storm sewer pipelines
• pipe jacking
• tunnel boring

Spectra DG511, Pipe Laser Additional Features

• Widest automatic self-leveling range available for quick, easy setups regardless of grade.
• Line Alert feature alerts when the setup line has been disturbed, ideal for working in high-vibration or wet conditions.
• Ability to raise the beam outside of the trench for fast line setup or checking, eliminating the need to move the excavator off line during setup of the pipe laser.
• Patented Target Lens transfers the beam up at an angle for easy viewing by the pipe layer

Spectra DG511, Pipe Laser Additional Specifications

• Grade Range: -15% to +40%
• Self-Leveling Range: Complete grade range (no rough leveling required)
• Line Range: 20°
• Line Center: Yes
• Grade Zero and Quick Grade: Yes
• Grade Compensation: Yes
• Maintenance Interval Notification Selectable Intervals: 3, 6, 12, 18 or 24 Months
• Warranty Period: 1 Year
• Laser output: 4.5–5 mW (maximum allowable)
• Laser: classification 3A/3R
• Battery: pack Sealed (NiMH), 0-Ring Sealed Removable (Alkaline)
• Length: 37.5 cm (14.75 inches)
• Diameter: 14 cm (5.5 inches)
• Battery type and life NiMH / 60 Hours with Daily Setup at 20° C (68° F)
• Operating voltage: 6-16V DC
• Operating temperature: -20° to 60° C (-4° to 140° F)
• Storage temperature: -30° to 60° C (-23° to 140° F)
• Waterproof: Continuous Submersion at 3 m (10 ft.)
• Through the Pipe Range: 225 m (750 ft)
• Front / Over the Top Range: 150 m (500 ft)
• Rear Range: 10 m (30 ft)
• Battery life (normal operation): 2 Years / 24 Months

Spectra DG511, Pipe Laser Includes:

• Spectra RC501 3-Button Remote
• Spectra NiMH battery Pack
• Spectra Smart Charger
• Spectra 956 Target
• Spectra 8" invert Plate

Get started now at SurveyingInstruments.com

Domain Dominance - Ben Janssen / Nexstep Article

Journal-Sentinel Article

Ben Janssen and his Appleton-based NexStep Inc. operate on a fairly simple premise.

"You don't have to remember who we are, you just have to remember what you want to buy," Janssen said. "That's our philosophy and it seems to be working out so far."

His company is built around product-specific websites and Internet addresses. "What we did was try to focus on generic, market-branded domain names," he said.

The business, which consists of six people and 25 websites, is growing and will be moving to larger quarters in Little Chute next month.

His storefront consists of websites. There is no brick and mortar and no geographic boundaries. That allows him to sell snow blowers to people in Russia and log splitters to people in Sweden. "Our customers are all over the place," Janssen said.

The company is one of many for whom the Internet has become the center of commerce, where barriers to entry are low, customer service is paramount and having the right combination of words in a Web page address drives customer traffic.

When torrential rains fell across parts of the Midwest and South this summer, NexStep's website waterremoval.com/">waterremoval.com saw business spike.

When tornadoes marched across parts of the South and Midwest this spring and summer - toppling trees like they were toothpicks - NexStep's logsplitter.com/">logsplitter.com saw traffic pick up.

And when heavy snowstorms shut down huge portions of the East Coast last winter, Janssen's snow-blower.com/">snow-blower.com sold out of its inventory.

"We're a distributor of a bunch of different lines of products and we have been for years," Janssen said.

His sites include chippershredders.com; gardentillers.com; hedgetrimmers.com; zeroturnmowers.com and lawntrimmers.com.

The brands he sells include Troy-Bilt, Earthquake and Mantis.

Doing business online

The company represents a continuing trend toward doing business online.

As sure as there was a dot-com bust a few years back, there are also business models that survived and are being embraced by consumers.

"There is much less reticence to purchase online," said Sandra Bradley, director of the University of Wisconsin E-Business Consortium's Web and multichannel marketing area. "As a matter of fact, there is the expectation of being able to purchase online."

Competition is everywhere. Then again, so are Janssen's websites.

"It's all competitive," he said. "The thing is, we don't have to be competitive in just one market. We don't have to rely on one geographic marketplace and we don't have to rely on one product line, per se.

"We're open for business to the entire world."

Convenience and customer service are crucial to a successful online business, Bradley said.

"Specialty or niche items are clearly a growing area for Internet sales in particular, driven by ease of being found," she said. "Consumers want convenience. They don't want to search hard. They want easy to use, easy to find."

Doing business on the Internet has become accepted practice, she said.

"We're the e-business consortium and we're in our 13th year. Every year we talk about dropping the 'e' because it really is just business. And it's not 'Web marketing.' It's just marketing."

Customer support

Janssen, 31, and a business partner started the company in 2003. He bought out the partner's share soon after that, he said.

"We were primarily into building websites for other people," Janssen said. Then, he said, he realized he could build his own websites and use domain names that he already owned as part of the business.

He currently owns about 680 domain names.

In building the company, he says he has learned a few things.

"The best thing to do is answer the phone," he said. "Customer support is the biggest thing in this industry.

"When they call, they want someone to answer the phone."

Day to day, "It's about getting the correct lines of products and working with the manufacturers and getting relationships going before you can actually launch a web site," he said. "That relationship between you and the manufacturer is really important, especially in this industry because it's so fast-paced.

"A customer orders, they want their product, they want shipping information right away and you get the order to them as soon as you can."

Business continues to evolve, he said.

"We're still growing. Every year we get a little bit bigger, " Janssen said.

"The real action, I think, is yet to be seen," he added.

Different Types of Surveying Instruments

Surveying equipment has been around since the times of the Egyptians, and only in recent years has the use of lasers been introduced to make the process of measuring things that much easier and simpler to achieve. There are many options available:

Laser Levels

The biggest benefit to be gained from using a self level laser over a manual device is that it can find its own level without the person having to make adjustments.

Single and Dual Grade Lasers

This kind of laser surveying equipment is used in order to measure as well as define the gradient of a slope. However the disadvantage of the single grade version is that it can only calculate what the gradient is on one particular plane whilst the dual version can do so using two different planes at once.

Rotating and Straight Line Lasers

The rotating laser produces a beam of laser light from a beacon which is able to rotate and so can produce a level plane right across 360 degrees. The straight line laser when used in surveying puts out either one or more laser beams and is able to perform the function which allows the surveyor to produce a cross or plumb line.

Pipe Lasers

This particular piece of surveying equipment is most often used when new pipes, drains or sewers are being laid (installed). Once one section of the pipe has been laid the laser will be placed inside it so the next pipe can be aligned and graded in line with the one already in place. Using this helps to ensure that the pipes being installed are done so with a great deal more accuracy.

Laser Receivers

This particular piece of equipment is often used with the laser level (which we have mentioned above) and is able to cover a much wider area of land that needs measuring. Also it enables the user to use the laser level both outside and when the sun is bright. The receiver works by being able to pick up the beam from the laser level and will adjust its height until such time as the right level has been found. As soon as this is achieved the receiver will emit a constant sound.

More Info About Surveying Instruments

Digital Theodolite 10 Sec Arc DT10SA

The Digital Theodolite 10 Sec. Arc from SurveyingInstruments.com Features:

• Reliable measurement, easy and fast operation.
• Big LCD plate to offer clear display, built-in illumination for LCD display, automatic power off.
• Coaxial tangent and clamp screws.
• Combined with various model of EDM to form total station system.
• Sealed structure for use in various weather conditions.

Item No.	80TR05	80TR10	80TR20
Telescope	erect image
Length	156mm
Objective aperture	45mm
Magnification	30X
Field of view	1°30'
Resolving power	3.5'
Shortest focus distance	1.3m
Electronic angle measurement	360'
Minimum reading	5''	10''	20''
Accuracy	5''	10''	20''
Display	LCD
Display panel	one side, two side, for option.
Illumination	provided
Optical plummet
Magnification	3X
Field of view	5°
Focusing range	05m ~ infinity
Level sensitivity
Plate level	30'' / 2mm
Circular via	8' / 2mm
Power supply	N-Mh battery or AA battery
Date input/output	RS-232C
Weigh	4.8kg
Standard outfit	Main unit, Plumb bob, Adjusting pin, Soft brush, Wooden cloth wrench, Rechargeable adaptor, Operation manual, Plastic carrying case

Spectra Precision Laser LL100

A new standard in affordable professional laser tools from SurveyingInstruments.com. Durable, accurate laser level withstands the toughest job site. The fully automatic, self-leveling spectra precision laser LL100 sets a new standard in rugged reliability, handling a wide variety of general construction applications. Even in the toughest job site conditions, the LL100 consistently delivers reliable, accurate performance to increase your overall productivity and cost-savings.

The LL100 laser mounts on a tripod and sends a 360-Degree plane of laser light over the entire work area, allowing one person to take accurate, self-leveled elevation measurements up to 500-Feet (150-Meter) away with the HR320 laser receiver. The LL100 is designed to be durable and reliable, day in and day out, and features superior drop and weather protection. The tough LL100 laser can withstand drops of up to 3-Feet (1-Meter) onto concrete and tripod tip-over's up to 5-Feet (1.5-Meter). This ruggedness results in reduced downtime and lower repair costs. A leveling crew in a case. A tripod and grade rod is included with the laser and HR320 receiver in one hard-shelled, portable, system carrying case. It's easy to transport, easy to carry, easy to store, and especially easy to use.

HR320 receiver, the spectra precision laser HR320 can be used as a handheld or rod mounted receiver. The easy to use receiver is totally waterproof and dustproof and can stand up to tough job site conditions. It is designed to withstand a 5-Feet (1.5-Meter) drop onto concrete. Front and rear LCD's graphically display information and are easy to read from a variety of angles. Loud beeper outputs can be heard on noisy job sites. A slide on clamp quickly attaches to the receiver. LL100 applications are general elevation control, checking and setting elevations for smaller job sites, leveling forms and footers, estimating cut and fills ideal for decks, terraces, pools, septic systems, basic slopes for driveways and ramps.

The Spectra Precision Laser LL100 is a complete one man leveling crew in a case. A complete system is contained in a single hard-shelled, portable carrying case - the laser, receiver, clamp, tripod, and grade rod - for easy transportation, storage, and use. Automatic, self-leveling ensures fast, accurate setups. Easy, one-button operation requires minimal training.

The LL100 laser is capable of handling a wide variety of elevation control applications. Versatility is added with single-axis manual slope capability for setting out driveways, ramps, and residential drainage lines. It is rugged enough for the toughest jobsite and designed to survive a 3 foot (1 m) drop onto concrete. The LL100 is backed by a 3-year instant over the counter exchange warranty.

Automatic self-leveling increases productivity with fast setups and minimal training. One person elevation control up to 500 ft (150 m) away increases productivity. Durable construction can withstand tough jobsite conditions. Height of Instrument alert stops laser rotation if elevation changes occur to avoid erroneous readings. HR320 receiver offers 2 accuracies and has grade displays front and rear. Exclusive 3-year limited warranty with instant "over the counter" exchange policy eliminates downtime.

Available Now at SurveyingInstruments.com

Spectra Precision Laser DG711 Pipe Laser

The rugged Spectra Precision® Laser DG711 Pipe Laser from SruveyingInstruments.com is built tough for long lasting performance and reliability. The DG711 Pipe Laser is completely waterproof and designed to ensure easy cleanup. Setup is fast with a full range of mounting accessories available, and easy to use with straightforward, "no-instructions-required" controls. In addition, through the Service Alert feature, it keeps track of its own maintenance needs, indicating at pre-set intervals when it's time for a check-up.

Featuring a very rugged design and a variety of unique technological capabilities, this Pipe Laser stands up to corrosion from acids, chemicals, salts and other destructive underground elements as well as to the physical abuse typical in the construction industry.

Applications:

• Installation of gravity flow sanitary and storm sewer pipelines
• Pipe jacking
• Tunnel boring

Features:

• Widest automatic self-leveling range available for quick, easy setups regardless of grade
• Line Alert feature alerts when the setup line has been disturbed, ideal for working in high-vibration or wet conditions
• Ability to raise the beam outside of the trench for fast line setup or checking, eliminating the need to move the excavator off line during setup of the pipe laser
• Patented Target Lens transfers the beam up at an angle for easy viewing by the pipe layer
• Get one now at SurveyingInstruments.com