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 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

railroad track or other obstructions. It probably took 35 or 40 pumps to raise the plow just a few inches off the ground. Once the obstruction was cleared, there was a small valve near the floor that let the plow back down. After only a couple of hours, my arms and legs never hurt so bad. Brother, was I glad when my shift was over. I later learned that while some of the vehicles had hydraulic systems to operate the plows, most in the fleet still depended on hand hydraulic power and, being the new guy, I got the “privilege” of operating the plow.

The only communications we had were unreliable CB radios that didn’t work very well unless you were within about fifty feet of the other person. I learned the value of this one time when, during a blizzard, I drove off the road and into a ditch. It took several hours for my superiors to realize that I was missing and sent out a search party. I was never so happy to see flashing lights behind me.

This type of simplified operation was very typical of the technology of the day. I will say this: After doing this part time and working the back step of a garbage truck at other times, I have never been in as good physical condition.

Today, we have highly complex and efficient plows and spreaders, full hydraulic systems, excellent communications capabilities, plus the availability of GPS and other modern technology that not only make our service more efficient, but also saves countless dollars by closely regulating the amount of salt or other deicers, efficient routing of the vehicles and dramatically increased safety. The shop facilities and technology available today contribute substantially to reducing downtime for maintenance and repairs. Finally, during and following storm periods (rain or snow), through websites and social media, we can now incorporate real-time GPS monitoring of our vehicles and equipment. This provides the citizens with the ability to monitor the location of rescue vehicles and further improves the safety and efficiency of our personnel.

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Technology

For much of my career, the principal computer technology available was the pencil and your brain. The backspace key was an eraser.

Early in my career, after the field work was done and the notes reduced, it was off to the drafting room where we would sit down at a drafting table and break out

This lithograph hangs behind my office desk to remind me of my first ventures into the wonderful world of public works. (Photo by Larry Lux)

our tools: slide rule (what’s that?), triangles, pins, pens, pencils, assorted circle and oval templates, and other gear. I really thought I was cool as I carried my stuff around in a tackle box, until I saw that nearly everyone did the same thing. (By the way, I still have mine, just in case). Soon after, we got an electric adding machine to help with simple calculations; however, for anything more complex, we had to resort to our trusty slide rule or an antique mechanical calculator, a handoperated early machine that could multiply and divide in addition to addition and subtraction, depending on which way you manipulated the various cranks and handles.

Nearly everything was drawn on linen with pen and ink. One frustratingly essential part of the job was learning to get the ink flowing in my Koh-I-Noor “rapidograph” pens. Anyone who has had this experience knows what a pain it can be. I think you spent more time cleaning the pens than actually using them. Another acquired skill was to load and use a ruling pen which was used primarily for straight lines. Since the ink would take a few minutes to dry, I soon learned to use a lighted cigarette to accelerate the drying time and minimize smearing. (I smoked at the time, as did nearly everyone else).

Once the plans and cross sections were plotted, we broke out the trusty polar planimeter which you would drag (buggy) around the perimeter of a cross section and when read, would provide you with the end area of the section. This was used to calculate the amount of excavation or fill that was required on a project. To this day, I still have no idea how it worked, but the results were well within acceptable standards of the time.

I will never forget the day I was able to afford my first electronic calculator, an HP-35. This amazing device enabled me to do complex mathematical calculations with ease. I could also do geometric and trigonometric calculations. I thought I had died and gone to heaven even though it was practically useless in the sun as it only had a small LED screen that washed out in bright light.

Today, with the advent of computers, GPS, GIS and other corresponding software, you can download data directly from your field devices, plot it and complete a design without ever touching a pen or pencil. I remember the very first “portable” computer we ever purchased. It was a Compaq II portable. The darn thing weighed a ton and took a man and a boy (or at least a dolly) to lug around. It even came with two (count ’em, two) floppy diskette drives each of which had a capacity of 3.35 kilobytes. Compare that to today’s devices.

Conclusion

As I stated before, I believe that I have been in the profession during its most progressive period in history. I have witnessed the introduction and use of thousands of new devices that enable today’s engineers and practitioners to perform at levels unheard of in the past and with exceptional increases in accuracy, productivity and safety. I wonder what further advances we will see over the next fifty years?

In some ways, I am still nostalgic for the “old way” of doing things and occasionally break out my old tackle box and draw something, as I believe that hands-on practical experience and understanding of how things happen made me better at my chosen profession.

Although I see better skilled and educated people coming into the field, I sometimes wish that they could undergo some of the experiences I had—I think they would be even better. This is from an old guy who still is passionate about public works. Keep up the good work, all you young guys and gals.

Larry Lux can be reached at (815) 8866909 or LuxAdvisors@comcast.net.