The collection of ENGINEERING DATA is a part of SEABEE surveying. Engineering data is actually any information that is essential for efficient construction. Most of your fieldwork, such as running a traverse, leveling, and determining cuts and fills, may be classified under this category. However, compiling these field measurements and converting them into a common medium that will be of value to the engineer requires skill that can only be attained through long experience. Although the planning and organization will generally be handled by the engineering officer or by a senior EA, the actual collection of engineering data will generally be delegated to you; hence, it is to your advantage to understand the procedures early in your career.

This job may take a combination of fieldwork and office work. If the same quality of the desired information can be found from sources other than actual fieldwork, do not hesitate to use them; if necessary, use spot checks to verify certain points, depending upon the source.

Each project requires the study of a different set of engineering data, so it is up to the engineering officer or the senior EAs to devise a workable method of compilation that will suit each particular project. It is essential that the compiled data be complete in all respects as required by the purpose of the project and that the compilation be completed with sufficient lead time. Generally, a separate folder for each project is maintained and labeled.

Some of the engineering data that may be considered for SEABEE projects are as follows:

. Vicinity maps, topographic maps, or aerial photographs of the site

. Geographic factors, accessibility, real estate, and so forth

. Geographic location: latitude and longitude; control points (both horizontal and vertical)

. Tide information

. Weather and climatic conditions: rainfall, wind velocity (including direction and duration), flood, and perhaps typhoon or hurricane seasons

. Current velocity and discharge of a river or stream and perhaps an estimate of the watershed area

. Types of soils and their natural conditions (samples may be collected for testing)

. Availability of construction materials, such as rocks, gravel, sand, borrow pits, and timber, near the site

. Availability and suitability of local labor and existing facilities, such as sources of power, water, and other utilities

. Other factors affecting construction, military operations, and logistics support