Land surveying can be defined as a scientific or legally sufficient method to determine the location of points on the surface of the earth, the angles formed by such points, the distance between them. According to historical records, land surveying was practiced by the ancient Egyptians even prior to the construction of the Great Pyramids. Surveyors in ancient Egypt and alta survey other people interested in civil law recognized the importance of surveying in civilized society and began keeping a registry of land surveys as early as 3000 BC.
As a scientific method of inquiry and research, land surveys incorporate elements of geometry, physics, math, engineering, and law into their determination. Land surveys satisfy important needs in many fields. For example, topographic surveys are used by geologists and cartographers in order to create elevation maps. Archaeologists refer to current and historic surveys prior to conducting excavations.
Engineers and builders will not risk beginning a new construction project without reliable surveys onsite. Real estate and mortgage professionals require knowledge of land boundaries and precisely where a building structure is located prior to closing a transaction. Title insurers, attorneys, and judges depend on the accuracy of legal descriptions provided by a land survey in order to resolve property litigation issues.
The basic legal purpose of land surveying is to determine boundaries. This can be accomplished by establishing where the metes and bounds of land begin and end. Civilized society has depended on the accuracy of land boundaries to respect the borders of sovereign states, jurisdictions, municipalities, land use planning, and private property. To this extent, different types of land surveys are used these days to recognize and respect boundaries.
As we move further into the 21st century and nearly everything becomes wireless, it becomes necessary to send more and more information across cell phone towers. Although you probably take for granted the freedom you get from the presence of cell phone towers, cell phone towers are actually very important to our daily lives. Just imagine what would happen without them. You have surely encountered an area where you just can’t get a signal on your cell phone. Although these areas are growing smaller and smaller as more cell phone towers are built, some areas simply do not have cell phone tower coverage yet.
Few people realize the work and planning that goes into the building of a new cell phone tower to increase coverage in busy areas or provide coverage in “dead zones” where calls are dropped. Though land surveying is a very old profession, it plays a crucial role in the development of communications networks. Land surveying is a critical part of the process of building and maintaining a cell tower. In fact, several different survey types may be involved with this process. Among the most common is a cell tower ALTA survey. The survey may be requested by government officials or cellular telecommunications companies.
The tower ALTA survey is generally used to survey an existing cell tower rather than the area being considered for a new tower. The ALTA survey is specifically done to meet ALTA/ACSM standards, meaning that it is a standardized survey conducted by certified land surveyors. These are among the highest standards in land surveying today, and ensure that the cell phone tower survey is done in a manner that is standardized across the nation. ALTA surveying standards are created by the American Land Title Association. After an ALTA survey is conducted on any parcel of land, title insurance companies feel comfortable insuring the land, and the cell tower owner can be sure of the boundaries and other aspects governing the ownership of the land.
A cell phone ALTA survey usually includes a boundary survey, which shows the boundaries of the tower and its associated land parcel, in addition to information on easements, or the right to cross the cell tower land. These easements may be granted to utility companies, local governments, neighboring landowners, or others with an interest in the property on which the cell tower is located. This survey examines all legal descriptions for access and utilities on the tower itself and the surrounding land associated with the tower. A cell tower ALTA survey also shows the tower itself and any adjacent improvements to the land.
With the recent changes in technology and the growing need to send even more and bigger amounts of information wirelessly, the demand and concerns over wireless telecommunication towers has also grown. As have the regulations and ordinances now surrounding getting one approved. In order to save time and money companies are best served by thoroughly researching their options and making sure to have reputable surveying companies perform the necessary surveys.