(March 20-26, 2022) was created by the National Society of Professional Surveyors to celebrate the surveying profession, which often goes unrecognized. This week, Dawood is shining a spotlight on some of our surveyors to highlight the breadth of knowledge and experience among our staff. Today, we speak with Mike Anthony, III, PLS, Senior Project Manager in our King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, office.
Hi Mike! Please tell us a little bit about how you got into the surveying field and what your current position at Dawood is like.
I was always interested in math and the outdoors, and surveying combines my interest in those two areas. I got into the field because the father of one of my high school friends owned a small surveying company, where I worked summers while still in school, went full-time after graduation, and stayed onboard for 16 years. I joined Dawood almost 3 years ago after working with several other surveying companies. In King of Prussia I oversee two field crews. I make certain that our teams perform work that meets or exceeds the standards that I set for myself as a surveyor, because ultimately I sign off on all their work.
What’s so special about surveying and how does it motivate you?
With more than 40 years of experience in the land surveying profession, I’ve performed pretty much every aspect of the job—from being originally trained on mountain surveying with a compass and tape, to now using the X7 scanner and mobile LiDAR for projects. Although every surveying project is different, I’m able to use most of the same skills sets, practices, and ideas. As a result, I provide people with something that benefits them, which motivates me to do my job well.
From my experience, surveyors are born, not made. You can’t make someone enjoy working out in 100-degree heat, or in a snowstorm. You really have to love this work—which I do.
Tell us about one or two of your favorite Dawood projects and what makes them stand out to you.
The most challenging project I am working on right now is ongoing with the I-76 corridor, better known as the Schuylkill Expressway—the most intense highway data project of my career. We collected 1.2 terabytes of data, which is the largest data set I’ve ever worked with at one time. This large amount of data has made the project well worthwhile.
For I-76, we’re using innovative technologies like the Trimble MX-9 mobile LiDAR unit, scanning the entire project area to improve safety and data collection, and minimizing traffic restrictions. It’s also unusual for one company to survey such a large section of roadway at one time, which is both a challenge and an amazing opportunity.
Another significant project is the Market Street Bridge survey work underway right now. That bridge has a lot of odd structures underneath it that makes our assignment unique. We used the Trimble X7 to locate and scan all the structural steel supports under the bridge and used 108 scanning setups and scanned on a ¼-inch grid to create project maps. The goal is to remove and replace this bridge, but because of its high traffic volume, the plan is to take apart the bridge in sections and replace each section over a weekend. This requires the bridge to be structurally secure enough to take apart in pieces.
What’s something that people might not know about you?
I’m like an information sponge, reading everything that gets near me. Ask me a question, and I just might have an answer! I use that information to mentor my crew, which is what you should be doing anyway. This focuses on more than just what they are working on, but also the background and history of surveying – where it started to how it got to where it is today.
What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
In the little free time I have, I enjoy hiking. If money were no object, I would love to do a hiking tour of Scotland, where my wife and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. In general, I love traveling and getting outdoors. I once hiked 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maine, only to be stopped by 15 feet of snow there in June! I enjoy being in nature because it changes constantly, and you will always find something new to see and experience.