Surveying and mapping activities of
private companies in the Netherlands*)
by ir. G. Jacobs, managing director of engineering bureau „Oranjewoud BV".
Introduction
In this lecture I will first of all try to give you an idea of
the total volume of money annually spent on surveying
and mapping in this country.
Next, I will try to define the surveying and mapping
market in the Netherlands. In doing so I am distinguish
ing between the „captive market", within which public
bodies and private companies meet their own surveying
and mapping requirements, and the „open market",
where survey contractors and their clients do mutual
business.
Within the scope of this meeting there is only room for a
rough picture of the work done by surveying and map
ping firms. Therefore, I have to restrict myself to the
most important activities, involving the services of en
gineering companies, survey bureaus, hydrographic
surveying departments of contractors and aerial survey
ing companies in the Netherlands. The following activi
ties should be noted:
precise levelling to determine subsidence caused by
the extraction of natural gas;
-tracing works and revision measurements connected
with the laying of pipe lines;
-contour survey mapping with regard to water man
agement and the contour map of the Netherlands;
-accurate large-scale mapping for designation plans
and technical plans for new building and reconstruc
tion of towns and villages, as well as for the registra
tion of pipe lines and other management of immova
bles;
- hydrographic surveying.
Finally, I am grateful for the services rendered by Dutch
companies in our field of work.
Review of the workforce in and the costs of surveying
and mapping activities in the Netherlands
At present there are an estimated 4000 to 5 000 people
concerned with surveying and mapping and related ac
tivities. Their education is described in Mr. Allen's im
portant and impressive report of the education and the
professional competence of the surveyor in the nine
countries of the EEC.
Starting from rates, in which I calculated all extra cost, I
determined the total annual amount in guilders of the
surveying and mapping activities roughly to be:
230 geodetic engineers (135.000)
350 surveying engineers (120.000)
800 surveying technicians! 90.000)
1200 draughtsmen
1000 assistant surveyors
1000 assistants
100 fotogrammetrists
4680
77.000)
60.000)
40.000)
(126.000)
D.fl.
D.fl.
D.fl.
D.fl.
D.fl.
D.fl.
D.fl.
31.050.000,-
42.000.000,-
72.000.000,-
92.400.000,-
60.000.000,-
40.000.000,-
12.600.000-
r
D.fl. 350.050.000,-
Inleiding gehouden op 23 juni 1982 tijdens de door de NVG
georganiseerde studiedag in het kader van de bijeenkomst
van het Comité Permanent van de FIG te 's-Gravenhage.
So per worker in surveying and mapping an average
amount of almost D.fl. 75.000,-
In the 1979 report of the Netherlands Cadastre an esti
mate is given of money that is yearly spent on surveying
and mapping of large-scale maps. The total amount
spent in that year was estimated to be about D.fl. 300
million.
The surveying and mapping market in the Netherlands
If we start from the principle that the surveying and
mapping market in the Netherlands is formed by the
total of surveying and mapping activities, then we
should divide it, within the context of this lecture, into a
„captive" and an „open market". To the „captive mar
ket" I reckon the surveying and mapping activities that
public bodies and private companies carry out themsel
ves, in order to meet their own requirements. To this
end, often a specialized survey department has been
formed within the organization to carry out this task.
Examples are the survey departments of the Cadastre,
the Ministry of Public Works, the Lake IJssel Polders
Development Authority, provinces, municipalities, and
companies.
At times when the amount of work exceeds the capacity
of the Survey Department, the activities are taken to the
„open market". The „open market" therefore comprises
the total offer of work assigned to third parties. It forms,
as it were, the complement of the „captive market".
As principals of surveying and mapping activities are to
be mentioned:
- Government Authorities like the Cadastre, the Survey
Department of the Ministry of Public Works, the Lake
IJssel Polders Development Authority, the Ministry of
Agriculture and the State Forestry, and the Army Engi
neers.
- Public enterprises and participations such as: Postal,
Telephone and Telegraph service, Netherlands Rail
ways, and the Netherlands Gas Union.
-Provincial authorities and companies like Provincial
Public Works and Provincial Public Utilities for electri
city, water and gas.
- Lower government bodies such as municipalities,
drainage districts, recreation boards, municipal public
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