FULL AGENDA

​Friday, October 18

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7:00AM: Conference Check-In Open, Terrace Lobby

7:00AM - 8:00AM: Breakfast, Atlantic Ballroom

8:00AM - 12:00PM: Sessions​​

• Session: Boundaries, Easements & Title - Oh My! Part 2

  • Presenter: Mike Davis, Dewberry

  • Description: Nothing involves the surveyor’s workday like the concepts of Boundaries, Easements and Title. These sessions start from the beginning – Research (is there such a thing as too much?), initial inspections and site visits, thru identifying possible conflicts, gaps/gores and a whole host of other things. The newly licensed, those trying to get licensed and seasoned surveyors, thru examples, court cases and horror stories, will hopefully enjoy learning and revisiting some of these concepts. 

  • 4 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 6

  • Handout

  • *Handout is the same for Part 1 and Part 2 of this class

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• Session: Ellicott City Historic Cemetery and Lines of Agreement

  • Presenter: Jeff Elkins, VanMar Associates

  • Description: This session is a detailed review of two different Boundary Surveys: the first a boundary survey of a historic Quaker cemetery directly tied to the adjoining Ellicott family cemetery. Challenging in regards to determining title and ownership of the southern half of the cemetery; due to no actual conveyance of that portion, and thorough research conducted at the Maryland State Archives and Maryland Land Records to determine the boundary. The second a boundary survey with a small building over the property line, and an interesting situation that had the potential to become a disaster in the making; but instead, utilizing my license to protect the public welfare, provided a Lines of Agreement resolution that worked to the satisfaction of both property owners.

  • 4 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 4

  • Handout 1

  • Handout 2

  • *Speaker will be bringing extra handouts​​​​​

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• Session: Latent Ambiguities - Is it Time to Break up the Deed Geometry?

  • Presenters: Amy Hopkins, Urban Terrain LLC

  • Description: In this session we will discuss problems in resolving a boundary when the issues don't show themselves right away, and are revealed during or after the fieldwork is done. The deed description contains clear, concise language and creates a closed geometric figure. Then some extrinsic evidence comes to light and applying the deed description to the ground is no longer a simple task. Breaking up the deed geometry is usually a last resort. But sometimes it has to be done to hold the physical evidence found in the field and controlling calls in the description.

  • 4 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 3

  • Handout​​​​

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8:00AM - 10:00AM: Sessions

• Session: Lidar Quality Evaluation Considerations to Meet Project Requirements

  • Presenter: Jennifer Triana, TOPODOT

  • Description: This session aims to show a concise, efficient and intuitive process for establishing LiDAR project data requirements, incorporating them into project requirements and assessing the data against those requirements. An overview of LiDAR technology and data uncertainty provides insight into the reasoning behind point cloud and calibrated image data requirements. Methods for assessing the spatial orientation of the data yield a well-documented lineage from the data to network survey control coordinates. Additional methods are presented to assess the fundamental characteristics of point clouds and calibrated images assuring extracted features, measurements and models will meet project requirements. Examples employing TopoDOT® software tools demonstrate the execution of each process. 

  • 2 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 2

  • Handout​​​​

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• Session: Minimum Standards of Practice

  • Presenter: Steve Jones, CPJ&A

  • Description: Do you know what the Standard of Care is or what another reasonably prudent surveyor would do under like and similar circumstances? This session will review the minimum standards of practice and other pertinent sections of COMAR Title 09 Subtitle 13 that provide direction to all individuals practicing professional land surveying and property line surveying in Maryland. We will also discuss specific processes and procedures you can adopt to ensure that your surveys are compliant.

  • 2 CPC/PDH​​​​

  • This session qualifies to meet the requirements of COMAR 09.13.08.03(B) for ethics, law and standards of practice

  • Location: Seaside 5

  • No Handout

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• Session: Team Building 101: Culture Is the Differentiating Factor

  • Presenters: James Fleming, iCivil, Inc.

  • Description: Most survey organizations are using similar equipment, equally qualified staff, and are evaluating their businesses using the same metrics. So, what sets extraordinary organizations apart from the run-of-the-mill (or worse). In this session we will explore the soft skills that foster a strong and cohesive team and discuss ways to identify those individuals on your team (or potential hires) who can inherently create a sum that is greater than the parts.  This won’t be about team building activities like games, competitions, outside the office gatherings, etc.; instead, we will focus on understanding how individuals think, work, and communicate in group settings and how to those are the real metrics that lead to a profitable organization. 

  • 2 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 1

  • No Handout​​​​

 

10:00AM - 12:00PM: Sessions

• Session: Data Quality Considerations That Allow Automated Modeling of UAS Point Clouds

  • Presenter: Jennifer Triana, TOPODOT

  • Description: With the expansion of geospatial drone market in the transportation industry, we explore how to achieve a more automated feature extraction process in topography mapping. Drone based point clouds from LiDAR vary greatly from Imagery based point clouds, so this session aims to explore their differences from the point cloud processing aspect. We will examine the pros and cons of each system for practical survey and mapping applications such as topographies, bare earth, volumetrics, etc. Learn how data accuracy, density, intensity/color, and other data characteristics affect a deliverable. We’ll also show who to evaluate whether the data meets quality requirements for a certain application, and if it is suitable for automated feature extraction. Examples of automated extraction of break lines, surface models and asset identification will be demonstrated.

  • 2 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 5

  • No Handout​​​​

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• Session: Preparing to Testify: The Dos and Don’ts

  • Presenter: James J. Demma, Esq., Miles & Stockbridge P.C.

  • Description: The land surveyor has been served with a subpoena to appear in court or at a deposition concerning a boundary/easement type of case. What should the surveyor do to prepare; and conversely, what should the attorney do to prepare for the deposition and possibly the ultimate trial. Questions to ponder: How should I prepare? Can I avoid the subpoena? Do I need an attorney to represent me? What do I really know about the case? Am I actually qualified to be a witness? Do I have any conflicts of interest? Will I be compensated for my testimony? What items should I bring to the deposition or to the trial? What is the dress code? What should I not do? How does my role in this case differ from that of the attorney’s role?

  • 2 CPC/PDH​​​​

  • This session qualifies to meet the requirements of COMAR 09.13.08.03(B) for ethics, law and standards of practice.

  • Location: Seaside 1

  • Click here for handout.

 

10:00AM - 11:00AM: Session

• Session: Capturing The Loch Ness Monster and Other Laser Scanning Adventures

  • Presenter: Shaun Lewis, VHB

  • Description: Learn how VHB’s Geomatics team captured the infamous Loch Ness Monster. Armed with Reality Capture tools, VHB digitized the only interlocking loops roller coaster in North America. This is one of many laser scanning adventures Shaun has led, join him for an engaging session featuring a historic roller coaster.

  • 1 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 2

  • No Handout​​​​

 

11:00AM - 12:00PM: Session

• Session: SLAM Data - When It Works, It Works Really Well

  • Presenter: Shaun Lewis, VHB

  • Description:Simultaneous localization and mapping is all the rage in large scale laser scanning projects. Learn more about SLAM and why when used properly the efficiency gains are through the roof.

  • 1 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 2

  • No Handout​​​​

 

12:00PM - 1:30PM: Lunch, Raffle, Exhibitor Spotlight, Awards, Atlantic Ballroom

 

1:30PM - 5:30PM: Sessions

• Session: A Surveyor's Path to a Digital Twin

  • Presenter: Sam Dougherty and Matt Anderle, AECOM

  • Description: In this session, we will discuss the fundamental components needed to inform a Digital Twin. This session will discuss the role of BIM in a Digital Twin, pertinent definitions, data intelligence, and the role of the surveyor in enhanced deliveries.

  • 4 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 1

  • No Handout

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• Session: Report Writing

  • Presenter: Kevin Norris, Esq., Kevin Scott Norris Law, LLC

  • Description:This session will cover the types and uses of reports that surveyor’s should and need to prepare.  There will be a discussion centered on the contents of these reports.  There will be a focus on writing reports as an expert witness for trial testimony.

  • 4 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 4

  • Handout 1

  • Handout 2

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• Session: Walkthrough Field-To-Finish with Laser Scanning Data: Raw Data to Deliverable

  • Presenter: Adam Westfall, Leica Geosystems

  • Description: Walkthrough to see how easy it is to utilize the latest in laser scanning software to Register, Publish, Clean, Extract Data, and create a basemap deliverable from RAW laser scan data. This session with utilize Leica Cyclone Register 360+ and Leica  Cyclone 3DR.

  • 4 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 3

  • No Handout

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1:30PM - 3:30PM: Sessions

• Session: Government Contracting for Small and Minority Business

  • Presenters: Wanda Dade, SHA/MDOT; Tamika Gray, USACE

  • Description: Officials from the State Highway Administration (SHA)/Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will present tips and information to educate, inform,  and assist principals, owners, partners, and those responsible for marketing, contracting, and business development in small and minority businesses, including small business, veteran owned business, woman owned businesses, and other small, minority, and disadvantaged business, in surveying and engineering to qualify for and participate in procurement assistance programs that enable and empower such firms to be part of government contracts.

  • 2 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 2

  • Speaker will be providing handouts.

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• Session: Skills of Modern Surveyor And How they Have Evolved

  • Presenter: James Shaw, JMT

  • Description: From the ancient Egyptian rope stretchers of four thousand years ago to the LiDAR-enabled drones today, surveying has a long and storied history. The modern surveyor has one foot firmly planted in the past and one foot shakily and tentatively planted in the future. While important, the skills that led to our grandfathers’ successes must make way for new talents (and the jargon that comes with it). This course will briefly explore the history of land surveying and the innovations that led to where we are now. We will dive deeper into the modern concepts, tools, and standards - including case studies on best practices with the current technology. Lastly, using the past as a guide, we will speculate on the future and how best to prepare our young staff for a long and fruitful surveying career.

  • 2 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 5

  • No Handout

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• Session: Surveying Measurement Adjustment and Analysis

  • Presenter: Dr. Dimitrios Bolkas, Penn State University

  • Description:  In this technical session, we will explore the components of a Least Squares Adjustment and talk about what is a covariance matrix, building the covariance matrix for surveying observations, performing the adjustment, and then post-adjustment statistical analysis (chi^2 test, F test, and data snooping). We will also explore error propagation about terrestrial laser scanning data and UAS lidar data, and multiplatform combination of point clouds for estimating parametric models with a case study on digital elevation models.

  • 2 CPC/PDH

  • Location: Seaside 6

  • No Handout

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​3:30PM - 5:30PM: Sessions

• Session: 8 Key Contract Provisions and How to Make Them Work for Your Firm

  • Presenter: Kyle J. Damalouji, Klein Agency, LLC

  • Description: This session provides a summary of the importance of clear and effective contracts and how poor contract terms can negatively impact a claim. The session continues with an analysis of the rules for creating effective contracts and general principles for contract interpretation, and how onerous contract terms can exceed the protections of professional liability insurance coverage, creating contractual liabilities for firms. We will explore eight key contract terms by utilizing a uniform approach that explains the contractual concept, provides an example of the proper language to use, analyzes how deviations in the contract language can create risks, and concludes with negotiation talking points for firms to use to support their position during contract negotiations.

  • 2 CPC/PDH ​

  • Location: Seaside 2

  • Speaker will be providing handouts

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• Session: Tracking Movement in a Fast Paced World

  • Presenter: William Derry, Leica Geosystems

  • Description: Session will include an overview of sensors, software and applications, as well as solution development strategies, including opportunity analysis, considerations for a project, common pitfalls, and how to deliver data and reports on a schedule that enables you to minimize effort and maximize results with manual, semi-automated or fully automated solutions. The end of the session will include review of data from an active, operating system employing the sensors discussed.

  • 2 CPC/PDH 

  • Location: Seaside 5

  • No Handout

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• Session: Increasing Profits with Drone Surveying

  • Presenter: James Shaw, JMT

  • Description: Surveying 250 acres and producing 1-foot contours in a single day? Sure! Mapping power lines and wire sags across a swamp without getting your feet wet? Absolutely! ALTA surveys without planimetrics? Yep! Surveying a highway? Certainly, but not without special considerations. Unmanned aerial systems (more commonly known as drones) can be a boon to any surveying business, but they are not without risks. This session will examine the specialized knowledge and challenges one must consider before providing drone-based surveying services. Using real-world data, we will explore what is possible and how to succeed when surveying by drone.

  • 2 CPC/PDH 

  • Location: Seaside 6

  • No Handout

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​6:00PM - 9:30PM: Dinner & Trivia, Atlantic Ballroom