I've been surveying for over 20 years, and I still don't understand why some plats are drawn with north facing down the page, (other than route surveying, with stationing going left to right).
JPH, post: 330166, member: 6636 wrote: I've been surveying for over 20 years, and I still don't understand why some plats are drawn with north facing down the page, (other than route surveying, with stationing going left to right).
I find that a lot of non-surveyors do it so that the "front" of a proposed improvement is parallel with the bottom of the sheet. Some surveyors do it so that the site will fit on 1 sheet at the largest scale possible.
I do prefer north at the top of the page...but I can't say as I've ever seen a written rule. I have, however, seen a mess of screwy projects that due to one thing or another, wind up on the page in some sort of wopperjawed fashion. Just one of those things....
There was a surveyor that operated in Mena, Arkansas, who developed the SOUTH arrow. I cannot remember his name. But, he never really figured out the difference between LEGAL north, and TECHNICAL north. (Legal north, being with the Section lines, or context) and Technical north, being a cogo product. He had a few really bizarre surveys, before he was out of the saddle.
Nate The Surveyor, post: 330195, member: 291 wrote: There was a surveyor that operated in Mena, Arkansas, who developed the SOUTH arrow. I cannot remember his name. But, he never really figured out the difference between LEGAL north, and TECHNICAL north. (Legal north, being with the Section lines, or context) and Technical north, being a cogo product. He had a few really bizarre surveys, before he was out of the saddle.
I think that the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey used South as their reference...
If I could think of his name, I'd post one of his plats..... Just one of his quirks, was to put south UP the page.
I believe that it is routine practice south of the equator.
Jim in AZ, post: 330178, member: 249 wrote: I find that a lot of non-surveyors do it so that the "front" of a proposed improvement is parallel with the bottom of the sheet. Some surveyors do it so that the site will fit on 1 sheet at the largest scale possible.
Are plats being drawn on sheets of trapeziodal paper?
Norman Oklahoma, post: 330235, member: 9981 wrote: I believe that it is routine practice south of the equator.
I don't think so... I vaguely remember someone like Richard saying that north was north down under. Maybe one of you folks down there can enlighten us?
paden cash, post: 330188, member: 20 wrote: I do prefer north at the top of the page...but I can't say as I've ever seen a written rule. I have, however, seen a mess of screwy projects that due to one thing or another, wind up on the page in some sort of wopperjawed fashion. Just one of those things....
When I worked for the Bureau of Reclamation, their standard was North at the top or left side of the sheet. Plan/Profile sheets were a different situation for the direction of north as stations were plotted in the profile from left to right and the plan was plotted to agree with the stationing, which may put North any which way.
Jim in AZ, post: 330257, member: 249 wrote: I don't think so... I vaguely remember someone like Richard saying that north was north down under. Maybe one of you folks down there can enlighten us?
Personally I blame Mercator
North is "up" down here
I believe there are some British Ordinance Survey projections which are South up
For boundary plans, I like north being generally toward the top, but for site plans (showing improvements like buildings, pavement, etc) I think it makes more sense to put the street along the bottom with the site above it. Of course this depends on the site, it's shape, size, etc.
If north should always be up, then why do we need a north arrow?
The map behind Larry Wilmore is upside down.
Gromaticus, post: 330275, member: 597 wrote: For boundary plans, I like north being generally toward the top, but for site plans (showing improvements like buildings, pavement, etc) I think it makes more sense to put the street along the bottom with the site above it. Of course this depends on the site, it's shape, size, etc.
If north should always be up, then why do we need a north arrow?
It's in our Minimum Standards... LOL!
I was told that CSX drafters did it because they believed the south would rise again. I do know a lot of highway plats have north down for proper stationing.
Jim in AZ, post: 330257, member: 249 wrote: I don't think so... I vaguely remember someone like Richard saying that north was north down under. Maybe one of you folks down there can enlighten us?
Definitely North and always up the page for survey plans.
Alignment plans go with the direction of chainage (station) and the north point could be anywhere.
I believe Africa base azimuths on the South pole.
Barry Graham
Melbourne, Australia
North is definitely up down here.
Architects with "project north" always annoy me. Two north arrows on a drawing, one project north and one that is somewhere approximately grid or magnetic north is not uncommon.
It's always nice to get a set of plans to setout that need to be rotated by some random amount.
I'm enjoying this thread. Having zero experience in the Southern Hemisphere, I would believe whatever I was told, even if it was pure balderdash. Living in the Northern Hemisphere, I am familiar with compasses pointing towards the North Pole (where Santa Claus lives) because it is the closest pole. Hence, compasses on the other side of the Equator should point towards the South Pole ( where Mrs. Claus goes when she gets tired of Santa). Following the compass with plats is the standard here, so it logically could be assumed to operate similarly elsewhere. But, that would be ignoring the attempt in past centuries by little European countries to control the entire world.
Having never used that I first learnt about such a phenomenon when I delved into survey software and bought into the American way to discover that 'weird setting' South Azimuth.
I didn't query it and just assumed it must be a common occurrence.
The closest I've come to that though was when I drew a map for the local visitors centre and they asked me to turn it upside down so they could have it correctly oriented when talking to visitors over the counter.
I asked what happened when they passed the map over and sent the visitors on their way?
They insisted and got their upside down map.
North is definitely up down here
Don't you love our English language!
