Land Surveying

Coleman Engineering Company's two office sites in Ironwood and Iron Mountain, Michigan, have been providing professional survey services to a wide range of government (State and Federal), municipal, industrial and private clients for over thirty seven years across the Central Great Lakes region. Professionally licensed principals and managers with the support of qualified and conscientious technicians staff our survey departments.

Coleman Engineering Company surveyors have a reputation for providing excellent client service. We have earned this by using state-of-the-art surveying instruments. Our field and office staff is trained to use technology to efficiently and accurately meet our client's needs.

The fundamentals of collecting, processing, and delivering survey information are rapidly changing. Coleman Engineering Company utilizes the Topcon Global Positioning System because of its Glonass capabilities. Coleman Engineering Company is always striving to stay at the forefront of these technological changes. This equipment is said to be years ahead of the competition in Global Positioning. The Topcon System utilizes both domestic and international satellites. When project requirements dictate, numerous surveying tasks can be completed; including control networks and real time (RTK) stakeout. The system is capable of sub-centimeter accuracy in light tree cover conditions, which are very common to our region.

The construction phase of any project brings with it the most exacting surveying requirements. Here we offer our clients the advantage of enhanced project controls by providing construction layout and support services. Coleman Engineering Company surveyors have developed a combination of high production techniques and quality controls that assure cost effective and timely completion of the construction layout. Coleman Engineering Company surveyors utilize coordinate control staking, from plan or electronic data in combination with highly productive, preloaded data collectors. When matched to the Topcon GPS-RTK or total station, this provides a field system that is flexible enough to allow for changing field conditions. The data collectors also allow collection of as-staked information to provide continuous electronic quality control checks.

Our survey personnel rely upon Topcon GPS-RTK or Nikon Total Station instrumentation, and Lieca Digital Levels all of which have either on-board or hand-held electronic data collection capabilities.

At present, we have eight (8) 2-man field crews working on a regular basis. Our crews at present are educated, qualified, and experienced, but it is our policy to have on staff the best people, regardless of job classification. This permits us the flexibility to quickly respond to our client's needs and to perform on several, simultaneous field projects.

All of our survey drafting, graphic and reproduction requirements are presently satisfied in house. Our survey staff includes four (4) CADD (Computer-Aided Drafting/Design) operators. The CADD systems consist of four (4) IBM-compatible CPU’s operating the current release AutoCAD, SMI, DCA programs for earthwork, engineering, COGO, and data transfer and storage. We also use HP Inkjet plotters for printing plans and large drawings. By use of interface peripherals, field survey data can be downloaded directly from the field into the CADD computer system, providing "field to finish" computations, adjustment, and graphic output.

The Survey Department also uses standard software for survey calculations, such as; traverse adjustments (including Star Net Least Squares), closures and area calculations for normal boundary survey endeavors.

Transportation to, and access upon, proposed project sites can be accomplished by the use of any one of our ten (4WD) survey vehicles which we have found more than adequate for task completion, regardless of the season and terrain. We also utilize snowmobiles, ATV's (4 Wheelers) (4WD), Argo (8WD) and small watercraft as required by the conditions of any field project.

Survey crews utilize various ATV’s to perform at top efficiency.

Coleman Engineering Company’s survey crews have a wide variety of experience. Seven professional surveyors with multi-state licensures bring a wealth of knowledge to our survey department. This talented group is very diversified and can provide our clients with almost every type of survey disciplines.

Our surveyors are very active in their professional development through state conferences or institutes and more personalized training. The majority of the survey staff is active members in the MSPS or the WSLS. John Garske, P.S., President of Coleman Engineering, is also on the Michigan Technological University board of advisors. Zachary Stevens, P.S. is the MSPS U.P. Chapter President and Chapter Representative to the MSPS State Board of Directors. James H. Moore P.S. is a member of the MSPS U.P. Board of Directors and is the Dickinson County Remonumentation Director.

The CEC Survey Department is also active in the local high schools, teaching classes, participating in job fairs, and hiring co-op students to enlighten them about the surveying/engineering fields.

Topcon GPS RTK – right-of-way staking for
Department of Transportation.

NGS Height Modernization

Coleman Engineering Company’s Survey Department has been awarded a master contract for the National Geodetic Survey Height Modernization Program in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Coleman Engineering surveyors utilize all-terrain vehicles specifically manufactured for the Height Modernization program along with highly specialized Lieca and Trimble equipment. This program is to enhance the vertical component of the National Spatial Performance System. As this program progresses throughout the United States, Coleman Engineering will pursue opportunities to provide this specialized Second Order Class II Leveling to other states.

Height Modernization Team

Additional Information

• Key Surveying Services
• Key Surveying Staff
• Employment Opportunities