This year’s annual Utah Council of Land Surveyors (UCLS) Conference, was held February 8-10, 2023 at the Dixie Center in St. George Utah. The conference theme was “Being an All-Star Surveyor” which was widely attended and included several professionals from Meridian Engineering. The conference is organized for Survey professionals to stay current with best practices, the latest laws, and preview the newest technology for the profession.
Meridian’s right of way and survey teams were happy to be involved throughout the conference, comprised of break-out sessions of key industry topics such as standards and ethics, eminent domain, business practices for surveyors, understanding utility easements, public roads and private lands legal discussion, and discussion on the future of surveying and mentoring the next generation.
Some of the big highlights and accolades that occurred at the conference impacting our firm:
Meridian’s QA/QC Manager Brad Mortensen, PE, PLS was honored with the 2022 UCLS Lifetime Achievement award. Brad received the award based on his volume of service to the Land Surveying Profession over his lifetime in the profession, including past-chairman of the Utah Council of Land Surveyors, current UCLS ad hoc Committee Chairman, developing the 2022 State Plane Coordinate System into existence for Utah with the NGS, was instrumental in developing the 2015 and the 2017 update of the UDOT Surveying and Geomatics Standards Manual, and is the current Treasurer to the Executive Board of the Utah Council of Land Surveyors. Brad is also an adjunct instructor in the Salt Lake Community College Surveying Program where he teaches Control Surveys to the future generation of surveyors.
That is a photograph of the presentation titled “Business Aspects of Land Surveying”
Presented by keynote speaker, Jay Seymour.
After the conference, a small group from Meridian, including spouses, was able to gather for dinner at the Anasazi Steakhouse with long-time Meridian colleague, Bryan Westover of HDR and his wife Jennifer at the rear, Darryl and Wendy Fenn, Tyler and Cass Baron, and Mike and Sheri Nadeau to the front. It was a unique experience. You order your entree including swordfish, steak, or salmon and it is brought out on a hot stone to finish cooking to your liking along with your separately plated meal. The volcanic rock is heated up to 600 degrees in a special oven for 6-8 hours and then placed onto special design stoneware plates that withstand the heat. Entrees were followed by a chocolate fondue including toppings like marshmallows, apples, pineapple, pretzels, cheesecake, strawberries, grapes, rice krispy treats, creme puffs to “dip” in the melted chocolate!Five crowns game with Chuck from ESI and his wife at the Edge Grand Desert Resort. In the middle are Bryan Westover of HDR and his wife Jennifer.Another group outing including Meridian’s Travis Daley, the Baron’s, the Westover’s and the Fenn’s playing Bingo. The gals found a really old bingo set at an antique store in St. George along with some booby prizes for the winners like Slim, a barbie potty, a whoopie cushion, a magic towel, and a crossword puzzle book. It was another fun night at the resort lobby. Jennifer Westover and Wendy Fenn
The last day Friday, Jennifer and Wendy hike in Snow Canyon and enjoy the sunshine while the boys finish the conference. They said it was wonderful!
Overall, our team looks forward to this annual event for receiving professional development credits, gaining extra knowledge regarding the profession, and networking with like-minded surveyors from Utah. Recharging in the St George sun is always an added benefit!
Meridian Senior UAS Pilot Freeman Marble, sUAV FAA part 107 remote licensed uses new drone technology for mapping a local project west of Salt Lake City of the existing area for future design and construction. M300 technology coupled with a P1 camera and Rock Robotic LiDAR sensor can efficiently classify raw point cloud data using Photogrammetry and LiDAR into actionable data sets for engineers and architects to use as a base for design documents.
M300 Drone
These processes even help with transportation-related projects as it assists with the pavement inspection process by identifying utility markings in the road without the danger of being in the travelled roadway. It can scan to identify panels of concrete, walls, and bridges that need to be replaced or repaired while maintaining pilot safety from roadway and traffic.
This year’s Engineering Fair Competition welcomed Meridian’s Tyler Baron, PLS, Vice President & Right of Way Department Manager, and Nick Baron, Civil EIT, as judges for the event. Held at the gym of West Valley Elementary on January 18th, 2023, our judges were able to review student participants from the 4th Grade as they showcased their accomplishments.
Meridian’s team was happy to be involved and admire great design ideas for the industry.
Meridian was also part of the original design team providing survey and civil design services for the new build of West Valley Elementary while working with TPH and Granite District back in 2000.
During construction in the auditorium of the new high school, Meridian’s Brian Boehmer scanned the steel for the balcony to obtain a 3D model of the as-constructed beams in impressive detail. Currently, the school is having precast concrete generated for the balcony which requires verification that the precast concrete will fit the beams as they were installed. The LiDAR scans generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of an object or surface in a short time.
The point cloud (shown) is used to create a 3D model of the extracted beams in AutoCAD Civil3D that the architect can use for verifying whether the concrete will fit.
Why is being a civil engineer in Utah a great career? One of the most important reasons may well be that Utah’s growth isn’t slowing down. In fact, projected growth in Utah shows the population increasing from 3,284,823 in 2020 to 5,450,598 in 2060 — a 66% increase.
This strong, steady growth means more development across the state for highways, businesses, schools, and more. The engineers at Meridian Engineering are a talented and dedicated group that’s not just meeting Utah’s needs for expansion but delivering projects that are advancing engineering standards in the state.
To learn more about Meridian, the day-to-day of our engineering department, and why it’s a great place to work, keep reading for an inside look at our operation.
About Meridian Engineering
Meridian Engineering, Inc. was founded in 1997 as a civil, transportation, and land surveying firm. Located in South Jordan, Utah, our company is in the heart of the Salt Lake City metro area, the area that’s experiencing the most growth in Utah.
As a top full-service civil engineering and land surveying firm, our projects and people have gained the notice of industry leaders in Utah. Recently, for example, we’re proud to have worked on a few of Utah Construction & Design’s most outstanding projects for 2021: the Salt Lake County Kearns Library, ARUP Building 4, Architectural Nexus Office Renovation, and Jacobsen Construction Corporate Headquarters . In addition, one of Meridian’s own, Brad Mortenson, PE, PLS, won Utah Council of Land Surveyors’ 2021 Surveyor of the Year award, and held the nomination for 2022 Engineering Educator of the Year. Meridian is an exciting place to work for those looking to advance their career and learn from the best.
Jacobsen Construction HeadquartersSalt Lake County Kearns Library
Meridian provides a select number of services, which allows us to carefully control quality for exceptional results including:
Civil Engineering
Right-of-Way Design
Land Surveying
LiDAR Scanning
GIS/Mapping
Transportation Engineering
Let’s take a closer look at the Civil Engineering department.
Daily Life for Engineers at Meridian
As a streamlined team, every facet of a project — from utility planning to bioswell design — requires close collaboration. A typical day in our office sees project managers and principals working together with the rest of the team to push projects past the finish line.
At their desk, the civil planning and infrastructure design our engineers accomplish is done with Civil 3D software. This industry-wide software can support and improve the large-scale projects Meridian brings to life. Our engineers are often using Building Information Modeling to improve preliminary designs, adjusting designs in the model-based digital environment to problem solve for real-world issues, or documenting project goals, and site design tasks.
For project managers, site meetings often fill the calendar; regularly meeting with the architect, contractor, or other engineering teams guarantees smooth transitions and clear communication across complex projects.
At any given time, our Engineering Department also has interns and EITs (Engineers in Training) working toward their state licenses. Job training at Meridian comes with plenty of applied experience. Our all-hands-on-deck mentality means these team members get to meaningfully contribute to current projects to grow their engineering knowledge.
Why Meridian is a Great Place to Work
Our engineers love the challenge that civil engineering presents each day, but there are other reasons they love their jobs, too! Meridian makes sure our company is a rewarding place to work.
Perks & Benefits
Events – Meridian hosts bimonthly lunch and learn events for continuing education, and periodic company recreational events for our team members, including summer gatherings for both you and your family at fun locations like Hogle Zoo or Lagoon.
Spacious office space – Our new office features high ceilings, plenty of natural light, and fresh, modern finishes. It’s an inspiring and inviting place to work during the week …we even have a ping pong table.
Health Insurance & 401(k) – Our great benefits package offers health, vision, and dental insurance coverage as well as retirement savings plans with an employer match.
Career development – Our involvement with some of the top engineering associations benefits employees, too. Engineers are encouraged to attend trainings, events, and courses from the American Council of Engineering Companies, American Public Works Association or Utah Facilities Operation & Maintenance Association and Meridian covers the cost.
Flexible work week – Schedules are built for individual staff that are working to both fulfill clients’ needs and our employee’s needs.
Great Clients & Unique Projects
Meridian is not a cookie cutter firm; unlike some firms that specialize in one area, we do various types of projects for a range of clients. From private residences to 80-million-dollar commercial developments, we provide challenging and interesting work that’s packed with variety. Some of our most notable recent clients include Blue Sky, DFCM, State and Private Universities, Local K-12 School Districts, and some of the best architectural firms in the state.
Lodge at Blue Sky
A Generous Company Policy Handbook
When projects have tight deadlines, we know longer hours may be needed to produce the highest quality of work in a shorter amount of time. While most salaried engineers never see “overtime” pay, we instituted a policy where you receive a paid at an hourly rate for every hour you work over 40 hours a week. It’s our way of recognizing our team’s hard work and preventing burnout.
Are You Ready to See Yourself at Meridian? Contact Our Team
While projects change, our opportunities for civil engineers are always here. We’d love to show you why it’s a great place to work as an engineer at Meridian! To learn more about our current openings and submit your resume, visit our Careers page.
