Session Tracks and Descriptions

All authors submitting an abstract will be asked to choose a track category that best fits their presentation. You may choose only one track.

Land Management
This track focuses on integrating surveying and GIS into land systems. Attendees will learn about GIS architecture, geodatabases, and how survey management (importing, analyzing, manipulating survey data, etc.), measurement management (measurement networks, workflow management, spatial and topological relationships, etc.) and parcel management (legal description fabric, tax lots, maps, planning parcels, etc.) coexist and how the data is distributed and used by the public.

GPS Technology
Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies are used daily in surveying and geographic information system (GIS) data collection. Presentations in this track will focus on GPS technology advancements, hardware and software improvements, GPS accuracies, fundamental usage of GPS, and how surveying and GIS data collection is evolving.

Geodesy & Geodetic Control
This track focuses on developing geodetic data that is compliant and provides the surveying GIS and mapping communities with access to control data derived by state, federal, tribal, and local governments, as well as private companies. Learn how geodetic control is used for a variety of public and private imagery, mapping, surveying, and construction projects; and how it supports spatial accuracy improvement in national mapping frameworks.

Integrating Surveying & Engineering Data in GIS
This track focuses on collecting, importing, converting, and storing spatial measurement and computational fabrics for agencies and private businesses of any size. Issues discussed will focus on integrating computations (COGO, least squares, etc.), pre-existing networks, import of spatial database classes and relationships, and workflow advantages.

Survey & GIS Technology Case Studies
This track focuses on research and new techniques being used in the surveying and GIS industries that offer improvements in the way surveyors and GIS professionals conduct everyday business. Presentations will include both private and government sector case studies detailing advantages and disadvantages of new approaches to typical surveying and mapping assignments.

Education Programs
This track will focus on colleges and universities that have implemented surveying and GIS courses into their curriculum. Presentations will include the future of surveying and mapping, promotional methods used to find the next generation of surveying and mapping students, and what colleges and universities are doing to meet the standards and expectations of the surveying and mapping workforce.

Lidar/Photogrammetry
This track will demonstrate lidar and photogrammetry methods used with GIS in fields such as topographic mapping, architecture, engineering, manufacturing, quality control, and geology, as well as by surveyors to produce plans of large or complex sites. Presentations in this track will offer audience members hands-on experience in working with multiple teams to complete projects using photogrammetric methods.

Engineering Design and Construction
This track will focus on issues that frame the use of GIS in engineering design and construction. This track will demonstrate presentations focused on how GIS is utilized to manage construction of buildings, roads, dams, bridges, public utilities, subdivisions, and other forms of civil infrastructure. GIS is a fast-growing technology in construction project management, be it for a single project or for multiple projects, and can be the difference between success or failure. As public projects often yield an added level of complexity in scheduling and tracking with respect to the daily project activities, GIS is being more relied on to assist in profitability and time management.

Infrastructure
Designed by civil engineers, staked out by surveyors, and managed by GIS, infrastructure is an important aspect of how cities, counties, municipalities, and federal government agencies work with private-sector companies to accomplish daily community activities that drive the economy and improve our standards of living. This track focuses on various aspects of how data moves through the infrastructure life cycle at various levels: Planning, Data Collection, Pre-Design Analysis, Preliminary Design, Design, Construction, As-Built Data Collection, and Operations/Maintenance.

Transportation
This track will focus on the projects and technologies surveyors and engineers utilize in transportation market space (departments of transportation [DOTs], airports, and railroads, etc.). GIS is used in transportation to improve data management, project planning and assessment, asset tracking, routing, and scheduling. Surveyors are using GIS in the field and office to manage daily activities like easements, rights-of-way, control networks, project management, and so on. Presentations in this track will vary from the planning phase of transportation projects to the data management and maintenance of the end result of projects.