Welcome to this week's edition of the POB eNews ...

I rarely look out my seventh-floor window, but a few weeks ago a dangling window washer grabbed my attention. This guy--let's call him Wally--was cleaning windows on a building adjacent to the one that houses BNP Media's offices.

Wally was busy doing his job and seemed to be cranking along efficiently. I don't know if he was experiencing any fear, but I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous for him.

Even though Wally's safety rope and harness looked secure, 10+ stories is a long way to fall if his support system were to fail. Thank goodness it didn't.

Then it hit me. Wally's precarious position presented the perfect metaphor for the construction market.

Wally was hanging by a thread.

OK, it was actually a reinforced climbing rope designed for Wally-sized loads. But Wally had no safety net. No open window to climb through. Not even a flat ledge to clutch in case of an emergency. Just rope--his lifeline--supported Wally.

Unfortunately, that's the same position in which many construction pros now find themselves. Their pipeline of work is gone. Their network of friendly business contacts has shrunk. Pros that once turned down jobs are scrambling for work, week after week.

For some construction pros, the lifeline is unraveling.

Maybe this week you'll be on the receiving end of a lifeline.

You'll win a bid, get a loan, or finally receive a client's late payment.

Or possibly you'll be the one to toss out a lifeline. You'll inform someone that he or she got the job. You'll mail a check. Or maybe call someone back to work.

I've got a couple bids on some home repair work I need done. I'll look at them as more than jobs. They could be lifelines. I hope they are.

Know anyone you can throw a lifeline to today?

Tim Fausch is publishing director of BNP Media's Architecture, Engineering & Construction and Mechanical Systems Groups, a collection of more than 20 trade magazines, Web sites and e-newsletters. Just don't ask him to use any actual tools. E-mail Tim at fauscht@bnpmedia.com.

LS or LSIT. Join an established, independent land surveying business in Central Virginia. Opportunity to acquire business in due course. Send letter of interest to: super@buteobooks.com.

The August Issue is Online.

This month, POB features ...

Precarious Positioning
by Christine L. Grahl
On Oct. 3, 2009, thousands of people are expected to gather along the east and west sides of the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to celebrate the grand opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson--the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. ...

When Mountains Move
by John Stenmark, LS
It's a scene from a Hollywood movie: A mountainside in Austria begins slipping down into the picturesque lake below. Emergency teams alert nearby residents and instruct them to flee from their homes. The landslide threatens to bury neighborhoods and carry dozens of buildings into the lake. ...

Reclaiming Efficiency
by Daniel C. Brown
How many surveyors are needed to stay ahead of 75 to 100 construction workers building a $100 million wastewater treatment and reclamation plant addition? Using traditional total stations and data collectors, such a project might normally require four or five people to handle the construction survey work. ...

Precise Pipelines
by Tim Rand
Natural gas production has long been a part of the Pennsylvania economy. The state ranks third nationally for the number of active oil and gas wells with more than 79,000 wells currently producing. The end of new drilling is nowhere in sight. In fact, it may be entering a new beginning. ...

Ground Control in Baghdad
by Karen Meckel, PLS
The temperature is 130 F. The sand you're standing in is burning your feet, and you just finished your last bottle of water. You're supposed to be staking the boundary on a piece of land near Baghdad, but you've been running your total station for less than an hour and have already begun to feel the effects of heat exhaustion. ...

Avoiding Payment Problems
by Frank Musica
Surveying and mapping firms need to set appropriate fees for their services and collect those fees to stay profitable. However, that's only one part of the challenge. Collecting those fees can sometimes prove even more challenging, especially in a recession. ... 

And from our industry experts ...

The Business Side: A 10-point plan for future success.
by Milton Denny, PLS
In my most recent column, I presented some ideas on where the surveying profession is headed.

On the Level: The E-560 standard contract form.
by Robert W. Foster, PE, PLS
In my many years of writing and speaking on the subject of contracting for professional surveying services, I have often emphasized that surveyors should use written contracts for all projects. 

RTK Connection: Will GNSS networks replace GRS monuments?
by Jim Martin 
Permanent geodetic reference system (GRS) monuments have long been the standard for locating positions on, below or above the Earth's surface. 

Web Exclusives!

An Exercise in Patience
by Karen Meckel PLS
In this companion piece to this month's feature article "Ground Control in Baghdad," Karen Meckel, PLS, provides intriguing insight and additional details about the monumentation, survey plans and fieldwork that her group performed in Iraq.

Operation Firefly: Nine ways to ignite innovation and light your way out of the recession. by Kimberly Douglas SPHR
Sometimes, even the most optimistic leaders find themselves wondering, "Is there an end to this particular tunnel?" Sure there is, but you're going to have to excavate it yourself--and you're going to have to light your own way. ...

POB's 2009 Laser Rangefinder Survey
If you plan on investing in a laser rangefinder this year, be sure to check out our 2009 Laser Rangefinder Survey first. Our searchable, user-friendly format allows you to compare products so that you can make an informed purchasing decision.

What is the most challenging issue facing your firm?

• Lack of available work
• Keeping up with technology
• High labor costs
• Lack of skilled employees
• Competition from other firms

Take a moment to vote at www.pobonline.com. 

DeLorme Releases its Latest Topographic Dataset for Use with XMap GIS Software Suite

This unique dataset offers users of DeLorme's three-tiered XMap GIS suite a highly detailed and customizable base map with coverage for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico on a single DVD.

Jim Jacquin Passes Away
Jim Jacquin, 63, of Pacific Crest in Sunnyvale, CA, died July 22 following a short illness. Jim was the "Voice of Pacific Crest" for over 10 years as he deftly handled all support calls from around the world. His dedication and patience, coupled with his depth of knowledge, established Jim as an essential resource for Pacific Crest customers and partners. No problem was unsolvable.

Ovans Named First Provisional Certified Photogrammetrist by ASPRS
Nathaniel J. Ovans is the first to be granted the designation of Provisional Certified Photogrammetrist by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Congressional Hearing Highlights Need for "Bold, Decisive Action" to Improve Federal Geospatial Coordination
The hearing was called to evaluate the federal government's current coordination and management structure for geospatial activities.

CLICK for more Industry News.

Local surveyor gets award ceremony unlike any other
Almost all of the people who came into the hospice house Monday afternoon for an award ceremony had a sunburn. Work out in the sun your whole life, like Ed Woodward did and all these other surveyors do, your skin turns to leather.

Homeowners feel wrongly soaked on flood insurance
Donna Kroll has lived at the same Zukey Lake home for the past 16 years and has never been required to purchase flood insurance. That all changed when she received a letter in the mail telling her she would need insurance and that it would cost her $1,200. That letter was followed by another charging her $2,100. However, a local land surveyor claims many homes or parts of homes were erroneously put into the updated flood plain.

Teacher wants evidence tossed
When hunters find a box of child pornography in the Vermont woods, the courts call on a land surveyor to determine if the property belongs to a high school teacher.

Surveyors paved the way for things to come
Alberta land surveyor John Lehners talks about how surveying has dramatically changed over the last 100 years and why it's still important today.

To read the latest Surveying in the Headlines, click here.

Joke of the Week: The Hotshot

A young businessman had just started his own firm.

He rented a beautiful office and had it furnished with antiques.

Sitting there, he saw a man come in to the outer office. Wishing to appear the hotshot, the businessman ...

Problem of the Week: Plats and Mapping: Map Types and Symbols

Which of the following statements does NOT correctly describe a difference between a map and a plat?

A) A plat may function as a legal description of the land it represents in lieu of a written description. A map rarely fulfills such a function.
B) A plat is more likely to show property boundaries than is a map. A map's emphasis is more often on physical features.
C) A map may contain omissions or generalizations of particular physical features. A plat generally shows all data necessary to accurately represent the land it delineates.
D) A map is more likely to show dimensional data than is a plat. A plat usually is intended for uses where distances and quantities are determined by scaling.

Follow this link to access the rest of this week's Fun & Games.

Check out the ONLY TWO Surveying DVDs the AEC Store offers!   

Basic Level and Transit Operation - DVD
Retail Price: $79.95

How to set up a transit, read the circle arc and vernier, use a leveling rod and target, perform basic stadia surveying, execute right-angle layouts, level a pad on a hillside or slope, figure elevations, layout a building, square corners using the diagonal and 3-4-5 rules. 25 minutes FOLLOW THIS LINK to purchase or call Stephanie at 248-244-1275 to place your order by phone!

Surveying & Layout Fundamentals for Construction DVD
Retail Price: $71.95

Developed for the "Surveyor's Boot Camp" at Auburn University. Presenting content impossible to replicate in a printed book format, this video allows the user to see the techniques actually applied in-field, see the equipment used and adjusted in real time, experience the survey and layout as though the user was on site, watch the author work through exam exercises before trying the problems themselves, and test themselves with free, self-grading online exams. 2-1/2 hours.  FOLLOW THIS LINK to purchase or call Stephanie at 248-244-1275 to place your order by phone!

The 2008 Surveying & Mapping Industry Software and Equipment CLEAReports indicate fewer plans to purchase CAD and data collector software, data collector controllers, tripods, and robotic total stations in 2009.

Learn more about future purchase intentions, highly desired brands, and software/equipment trends by contacting Sima Patel at patels@clearseasresearch.com or 248.786.1626.