Day 10: Surveying and Another Morgan State Site Visit
I start the day in the Sparks office with Steve Cumor and then we are going out to a field site so I can see what surveyors do. I'm excited to get out in the field today!
Counselor Connections:
- Surveying is good for people who like math and are precise and detail-oriented.
- Surveyors can start at around $33k and make up to $80k- all without a college degree! Many surveyors start out as rodman- carrying and transporting the surveying equipment.
- Many of our Founding Fathers were land surveyors so it is a very noble career.
- Surveying also involves working in all types of weather, climbing up ladders, harnessing, etc.- so if you like adventure and the outdoors you might like this job!
- Caissons build the foundation for any structure being build. Caisson work is another career that is in high demand and is entry-level.
- Being able to build relationships with people is important in any job you have!
Coursework at CCBC, Anne Arundel CC, and University of Maryland, College Park
16 years at KCI
Steve explains to me that surveyors are professional measurers. They are the ones that mark out the sites for the work to be done. I also hear about staking out the limits of disturbance- so property and people are not disrupted or harmed during construction. So important! Steve says that surveyors are the very first people on the job site and nothing can go in the ground until the survey is completed. They are also there on the job from beginning to end to make sure everything is staked out correctly and things are put in place to 1/4 of an inch! The precision of this job is incredible.
As I mentioned before, surveyors can start entry-level right out of high school without a college degree. Surveyors can start at around $33k a year but can work up to $80k or more as a crew chief. I learn that surveyors start out as rodman, helping to transport and set up surveying instruments and equipment. Steve also tells me that many of the Founding Fathers were the most famous and earliest land surveyors, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. How cool to hold a career that our Founding Fathers did themselves!
Steve says that today we are going to a site at Morgan State where they are in the very early stages of building a Health and Sciences building. It will be neat to see a different part of Morgan State that I haven't seen before!
I arrive to the site and there is a lot of dirt! They are at the really early stages of this project. Steve tells me that they are putting the caissons in. I have no idea what caissons are! He explains that caissons are an integral part of the foundation. It is how structures are able to stay upright! The caissons look like huge metal tubes and Steve explains that rebar (I know what this is now) is put in and concrete is poured. This is a huge part of the job and will take 2 months alone to complete on this job site! There is even one subcontractor dedicated to doing all of the caisson work and on this project- Atlantic Caisson out of Glen Rock, PA.
Now where do the surveyors come in? They are the ones marking out the site to where the caissons are put in, which involves very precise measurements and calculations. Without surveyors, the job would not even begin! When the caissons are done, the surveyors continue lining up everything floor to floor until the project is done. They are an integral part of the job from start to finish.
Next Steve shows me the Robotic Total Station, one of the many pieces of technology surveyors use to do their job. In the photo below I am standing next to a Robotic Total Station. Steve explains that surveyors used to measure everything by hand, but with technological advances, a lot can be done with these tools. This equipment is so impressive! Despite the advances, Steve says the surveyors still need to climb up on buildings, use harnesses, etc., so if you like adventure you will probably like this job. However, if you're afraid of heights, this might not be the job for you!
I also meet the head surveyor on the job and I hear he is one of the best! He has 2 young men with him. One is an entry-level surveyor and the other is a Franklin High School student working over the summer! I hear that his grandfather used to be the CEO of KCI. That is so neat that he is following in his grandfather's footsteps. He tells me his grandfather checks in with him every day about what he is doing so I know his grandfather is proud.
Steve introduces me to the Project Manager of the Contractor who is overseeing the contruction being done by the subcontractors (such as Atlantic Caisson). He explains the overall project to me and shows me construction plans, which include what the interior will look like. Parts of the building will be modeled off of a hospital setting, which I think is awesome and such a great experience for the college students who want to go into a career in the health field. It's really neat to look at all of the plans with the placement of classrooms, windows, walls, everything!
I am most impressed by the relationships that Steve builds with the contractors. Steve seems to have become good friends with this Project Manager as they talked about how they recently went fishing together! Building relationships with contractors is a huge part of Steve's job as it is how he helps bring work to KCI. It's such a valuable skill to have and Steve is so good at it!
I end my experience by talking with one of the Atlantic Caisson Project Managers (there are so many people involved in this one project). He explains to me in more detail the work they are doing and how they are in dire need of entry-level people to work in the caisson industry. Caissons are needed for any construction project, so this not a job that will ever go away.
Steve talks to me about some other projects they are working on, which include Amazon facilities. They actually have to mark out barcodes on the ground for shipments to come in and out, which I think is pretty unique! I appreciate Steve giving me the opportunity to talk with so many people on the job so I can get different perspectives and a better understanding of the work they are doing. It was a really great experience!
How would you describe your job to a high school
student in a few sentences?
“We work in the field in the cold and the heat, climbing to the top of buildings, on service ladders, cutting a clear line, and doing boundary work.” We stake points along a property line and the limits of disturbance. Our Foundation Fathers were land surveyors. It's a very noble career and you surround yourself with history and monuments. This job involves a lot of math and critical thinking.
What advice do you have
for a high school student?
“Go to school! Continue your education after high school. Do something that interests you."
After my visit with Steve, I thought I might try calling Roger, the Project Manager from Siemens that I had met last week at the meeting I went to with John Furman.While I'm at Morgan State already, I figured I'd give it a shot. I am just so curious about these projects that I had heard about at the meeting and I am such a visual learner that if I see it, I might understand better what they are working on. I give him a call, and to my surprise, Roger is available and tells me to meet him by the football stadium and he shows me around Hurt Gymnasium, which is a big building they are renovating. It was really cool to see the whole building and what they are working on. I appreciate Roger taking the time to show me around and answer all of my questions.
It was another busy day but I enjoyed getting out in the field for a change! Tomorrow I'll be back in the Sparks office to learn more...
Comments
Post a Comment