GPS Technologies

Since 2002, Dennis Fehn Gravel & Excavating, Inc. has been using the Global Positioning System (GPS) for the layout and grading of projects. This relatively new advancement in technology for the construction industry allows for faster job cycles, reduced rework, and lower operating costs.

GPS is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations. GPS uses these “man-made stars” as reference points to calculate positions accurate to a matter of centimeters with the advanced forms of GPS which we are currently utilizing.

Our foreman are using a GPS Data Collector (rover system) to layout and stake projects. The rover system is mounted to an ATV giving our foreman real-time control of their position, slope, and grade everywhere on the site. This rover system allows our foreman the flexibility to stake anything on a project at anytime without depending on the schedule of a surveyor. Stakes are commonly wiped out by equipment, weather, vandals, etc. Our foreman are also less dependent on the amount of stakes given as a reference by surveyors than in the past which potentially can be a substantial savings to a client.

The GPS Machine Control Systems (automatic system), which is set up in a few of our dozers, has proven to grade projects faster and minimize regrading. It typically takes only one pass with a GPS dozer to put an area to grade. The automatic system also allows our dozer operators the same capabilities as our foreman with the same real-time control of their position, slope, and grade everywhere on the site.

Quality control is managed with ease when using GPS on a job site. The typical required tolerance for our projects vertically and horizontally is one-tenth of a foot or basically the size of a golf ball. We easily meet or exceed this tolerance with our advanced GPS mounted equipment.

Dennis Fehn Gravel & Excavating, Inc. is fully committed to the recent and future advancements in GPS and will further invest in GPS products to ensure we provide quality workmanship with competitive pricing.

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Trimble Article (PDF-Click to View)

Some minimal manipulation of an engineer’s CAD file with our GPS software is required to build a 3-D model of the site per the owner’s specifications. The 3-D model is loaded into the rover system or automatic system via a compact flash card.

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