Pennsylvania Land Surveying Institute
The Pennsylvania Land Surveying Institute (PLS Institute) is a hub for recorded webinars on essential topics to the surveying profession.
All PLS Institute recorded webinars are eligible for credit/Professional Development Hours (PDHs) in Pennsylvania. We hope this allows you to learn and earn credit/PDHs when it is most convenient, to help further your professional development at your own pace. The PLS Institute will consistently be adding new archived webinars to the hub so check back in regularly.
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How it works: Once you have purchased a webinar, we will need to verify that payment has been made in full. Once payment is confirmed, the recording and a completion form will be emailed within 48 hours. After watching the webinar, please fill out the completion form and send it back to psls@psls.org to receive your certificate. Please allow 7-10 business days to receive the certificate. Also, please note that the only person who will receive credit for the webinar is the one whose PSLS profile the webinar was purchased under. If you have any questions, please email the PSLS office at psls@psls.org or call 717-412-1946.
Description: This webinar presents methods to estimate preliminary detention pond volumes necessary for land development projects. The following topics are described and applied: (1) NOAA Atlas 14 rainfall design storms, (2) NRCS Curve Number Method for runoff depths, (3) NRCS Velocity Method for time of concentration, (4) NRCS peak flow estimation method, and (5) preliminary detention storage volumes. Participants should download the webinar notes from the PSLS website and have them available for use during the webinar. Participants should also have a calculator and a small straight edge for reading charts.
Description: Applying the Rules of Construction requires the surveyor to properly identify and apply evidence, logic, and presumptions when locating boundaries. This presentation will review common rules of construction and typical information surveyors have at their disposal when locating boundaries. The presentation will cover how presumptions and logic help determine the use and usefulness of the evidence as applied to the Rules of Construction.
Description: A surveyor is often required to evaluate information in determining a boundary location. Some information may be useful but cannot be used at trial. Other information suffers from some deficiency that requires the surveyor evaluate and use the information cautiously. This workshop will focus on the types, admissibility, scope, and practical use of evidence in determining boundaries.
Description: Join Topcon Solutions and PSLS for an overview of new features in Bluebeam Revu 20. In this webinar, we will dive into the features that are new or improved in the newest version of Bluebeam Revu!
Description: In the session, we will discuss the process by which eminent domain is employed, the manner in which damages owed to the owners of taken lands are calculated, the means by which a landowner can challenge a taking, as well as the role that land surveyors play in the eminent domain process.
Description: As a consequence of boundary surveying services, the surveyor will often discover gaps or overlaps. This workshop will discuss how to deal with gaps and overlaps. The workshop will focus on junior/senior rights involving overlaps in the record title. The workshop will also cover associated issues that have an impact on the location of boundaries and junior/senior rights.
Description: This webinar will cover the Mobile LiDAR process from establishing adequate control, proper MLS collection techniques, PPK processing of trajectories using Applanix PosPac, adding control in RiProcess, and the use of processed LiDAR and 360 Imagery in TopoDOT software for feature extraction.
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Description: An introduction to professional ethics for land surveyors in Pennsylvania. The Code of Ethics included within the Engineer, Surveyor, and Geologist Registration Law will be reviewed, as well as ethical codes from other surveying and engineering professional organizations.
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*Note: This webinar is mostly audio only and does not have slides.
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Description: As a consequence of boundary surveying services, the surveyor will often discover gaps or overlaps. This workshop will discuss how to deal with gaps and overlaps. The workshop will focus on junior/senior rights involving overlaps in the record title. The workshop will also cover associated issues that have an impact on the location of boundaries and junior/senior rights.
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Description: Surveyors need to understand the Clean and Green Act regulations and the implications of violations. Failure to understand the regulations governing the transfer of property enrolled in Clean and Green could result in significant roll-back penalties. This program will present information on the sale and subdivision of property enrolled in Clean and Green and how to avoid unexpected penalty costs. The consequences of an unintended violation could be significant and may be considered malpractice.
The Pennsylvanian Agricultural Easement Purchase Program enables the state and county governments to purchase conservation easements. The program has criteria to determine if a boundary retracement survey is required for easement and provides specific survey and plat requirements. There are also very specific subdivision requirements for preserved properties. This program will discuss survey and subdivision requirements.
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Description: A review of the PSLS "Standards of Practice" document.
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Description: A discussion regarding the Engineer, Land Surveyor & Geologist Registration Law – Act 367. The interconnection between ethics and professionalism will be explored including the use of the standards of practice within the profession including some overview of case history of the PA Registration Board.
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Description: Will cover the reasons for regulations, a short history of the regulations pertaining to UAS operation, transition into the current regulatory environment, critical aspects of flight planning in light of the regulations, and a short look into the future.
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Description: A review of the regulations set forth in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), as adopted by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. This webinar reviews traffic statistics and study cases of incidents on the roadways. This will remind us of the seriousness of roadway hazards. We often become desensitized to the traffic conditions, which makes working on the roadways even more dangerous. Creating a safe work environment should be everyone’s top priority.
Description: Explains boundary retracement principles and procedures known as the Rules of Construction. The seminar will review the rules of construction as they apply to surveying practice. Priority of evidence, analysis of evidence, and reporting of a defensible opinion will be explained.