Reflections on fifty years in the profession Larry Lux President, Lux Advisors, Ltd Plainfield, Illinois President-Elect, Public Works Historical Society
s APWA celebrates its 75th Anniversary, it gives me pause to reflect back on my nearly fifty years in the profession and as a member of the Association and the many ways in which the public works profession has evolved over the years. This brief article will take a look at how (at least from my perspective) I have seen the profession advance in three specific areas: field inspections and surveying; public works vehicles and equipment; and the application of new technologies. I sincerely believe that I have been involved in public works during the period during which the greatest advancements have been made in these areas. Each has had a profound impact on how we do our jobs and how the citizens of our communities have been the direct beneficiaries. When I first entered the profession (in 1963), I was a seasonal employee on a field surveying/inspection crew. I was in college and studying to be an industrial education teacher. The thought of being outside on construction sites was interesting to me and provided me the funds to continue my education. It was very rare to see women in the business, but we would usually be able to attract some attention while working in the field…a nice side benefit.
Field Inspections and Surveys Field surveys were a fairly complex and time-consuming project. On my first day on the job, I learned how 72 APWA Reporter
June 2012
to do two basic skills: “pace” fifty feet, and throw and fold a chain (what’s that?). The next day I learned how to use a dip needle to locate property corners. I was relegated to hold the “dumb end” of the chain, place chaining pins or hold the rod, while the crew leader gave me direction, took the field book notes and operated the instrument. I learned what a survey monument was and what the term “benchmark” meant. I also learned how to set up the instrument over an established point and use a plumb bob to make sure we were in the correct spot to turn angles with the instrument. Try doing that on a windy day! Once the field measurements were completed, it was off to the office to do the math (by hand, with the occasional use of a mechanical adding machine). I haven’t worked in this capacity since the mid-1970s. However, by the time I advanced to other challenges in the profession, we had progressed to using self-leveling theodolites and advanced measuring devices. The results were greater accuracy and a significantly reduced time spent to complete our field work. Today, we have the use of electronic measuring devices, GPS and total stations which provide great flexibility and pinpoint accuracy, plus they reduce much of the preliminary layout work and reducing of the notes involved in the surveys. This sophisticated equipment is useful for land surveying, construction layout,
mapping, geographical information systems, utilities, accident reconstruction, law enforcement, and environmental studies. Another advantage is that they can be downloaded directly to your iPad, computer or other electronic device thereby reducing the time required while at the same time eliminating errors.
Vehicles and Equipment As a late teen, I worked occasionally for the small town that we lived in to assist in plowing snow. This gave me my first introduction to the vehicles and equipment that public works uses. Most of the work I did was shoveling, but I did work out of the garage and became familiar with the various types and kinds of equipment commonly in use at the time. My very first exposure to a “real” snowplow was when I graduated to riding shotgun in a dump truck equipped with a plow and spreader. I thought it was very cool to be invited to ride shotgun. Little did I know what I was in for…after the driver walked me around the truck and explained how the plow and spreader worked, he directed me to jump into the passenger side. I was immediately confronted by what I believed was a transmission stick, but then I noticed another one next to the driver (yes, all of the trucks at that time were stick shift). This strange shaft was sticking out of the floor directly between my legs. I quickly learned that my assignment was to “pump up” the plow whenever we crossed
