Saskatchewan, Canada, (December 4, 2014) — Across the vast remote prairies and boreal forests of Saskatchewan lie numerous bridges, large and small, traversing the drainage basins of this huge landlocked province. Building and repairing bridges is a continuing important task for Canada Bridge, a division of Minty’s Moving. In the often isolated regions that Scott Gullacher, engineer and project manager, works, the survey methods have until recently relied on rudimentary devices, including tape measure, string line, plumb bob, laser level and rod.
Saskatchewan Bridges in Better Shape with Aid of FOCUS 30 Robotic Total Stations
Now with the acquisition of the Spectra Precision FOCUS 30 total station, a fully motorized robotic solution, bridge positioning and elevations are achieved with a new level of accuracy and efficiency. According to Gullacher, the result is fewer problems: better bridge alignments and elevations for smoother rides, and lower longer-term maintenance costs.
In typical short span projects, according to Gullacher, “We use the FOCUS 30 for preliminary surveys to establish road alignments, profiles and embankments. During bridge construction, we use the FOCUS 30 to layout piles and caps and then to establish a paving profile for the bridges.” In one large project this past winter, on the 1000-foot wide South Saskatchewan River covered in five feet of ice, the FOCUS 30 was employed to help position 160-ft long 45-ton steel girders erected off the ice.
Gullacher is acquiring a second FOCUS 30 from Cansel, his Spectra Precision distributor in Saskatchewan. “We are so busy working on multiple projects, we now need a second FOCUS 30 so that we don’t have to pull the first one off a job before completion just to move it to a new project and then move it back.” said Gullacher.
About Canada Bridge
Canada Bridge, a division of Minty’s Moving Ltd., has more than 20 years experience in new bridge construction, removal and repair. Minty’s Moving specializes in the moving of larger structures, including multi-family dwelling units, apartment buildings, pre-fabricated truss bridges, single-span railway and highway bridges, and grain elevators.
About Cansel
Cansel, the largest distributor of land-based positioning systems in North America with 18 locations across Canada and more than 350 employees, helps organizations in the engineering, surveying, construction, mining, architecture, manufacturing, utilities, forestry, and government sectors measure, analyze, design, and build more efficiently and profitably.
About Spectra Precision Robotic Total Stations
The FOCUS 30 solutions in Robotic, LockNGo and StepDrive models are all available in 2”, 3” or 5” accuracies and are controlled by the Spectra Precision Survey Pro field software using an onboard Windows CE touch screen interface. Spectra Precision data collectors can also control the FOCUS 30 externally and remotely. The company has just launched the new FOCUS 35 Series solutions in Robotic, LockNGo and StepDrive models and all are available in 1”, 2”, 3” and 5” accuracies.
About the Spectra Precision Brand
Spectra Precision is an established brand known for delivering quality products to the construction market. Focusing on the specific needs of the conventional surveying market, the Spectra Precision brand offers a complete product portfolio including Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), optical total stations, data collection hardware, field and office software, as well as a wide range of construction tools.
Spectra Precision surveying equipment is an economical choice that utilizes technologies for optimal efficiency. With convenience and reliability as the foundation of the Spectra Precision brand, it is an ideal choice for value. The Spectra Precision brand is backed with the strong technical support that users have come to expect from a quality name in surveying and construction.