Foot after 2022 A Conversation with NGS Michael L Dennis PhD RLS PE SPCS2022 Project Manager NGS Webinar Series April 25 2019 2 Putting our best foot forward The Right amp Lawful Rood ID: 1048366
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1. The Fate of the U.S. Survey Foot after 2022A Conversation with NGSMichael L. Dennis, PhD, RLS, PESPCS2022 Project ManagerNGS Webinar SeriesApril 25, 2019
2. 2Putting our best “foot” forwardThe Right & Lawful RoodFrom geometry book of Jacob Köbel (1460-1533), 1608 edition
3. More than a surveying problem: the Big PictureWeights, measures, and the lawAn epic historyRole of technology in where we are todayChoices and an NGS proposal for the futureReasons to change (or not)Taking a stand for standards…plus the occasional digression…3The plan
4. Two versions of same unit in current use“New” international foot and “old” U.S. survey foot“New” shorter than “old” by 2 ppm (0.01 ft per mile)A real problem with real costsWhat’s in a name?“U.S. survey” versus “international”Who is using U.S. survey feet?Surveyors exclusively, in most (not all) statesBut it impacts everyoneWhat should we do?Begin with a conversation4The problem (and some questions)
5. Science + Industry = COMMERCEStandards essentialWithout them we are lostA history of changeNot for own sake, but to make things betterVital component of progressThe law, and standards for weights & measuresTaken for granted because things just “work”Many years of effort behind what we have todayLegally binding and critical to functioning of society5What is this all about? The Big Picture
6. 6Who is responsible for standards?Today:National Institute of Standards and Technology
7. 7Who is responsible for standards? Office of Standard Weights and Measures Before 1901:U.S. Coast and Geodetic SurveySuperintendent of C&GS also Superintendent of Office of Standard Weights & Measures
8. 8Congress is the Authority
9. 9Congress is the AuthorityPer the U.S. Constitution(Article I, Section 8, Clause 5)“The Congress shall have Power … To coin Money … and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures” Why? To avoid the “toothbrush problem”
10. The trouble with standards…10Image from beyondplm.comWithout uniformity, standards are useless
11. An epic tale and impressive cast11George WashingtonThomas JeffersonJohn Quincy AdamsFerdinand HasslerThomas MendenhallSurveyors
12. Articles of ConfederationArticle I, Section 8, Clause 5Congress to “…fix Standard of Weights and Measures”1781182117891790Weights & Measures: the early yearsU.S. ConstitutionWashington:First messages to CongressAdams: Report on Weights and MeasuresJefferson: Proposes a decimal system“Weights and Measures may be ranked among the necessaries of life to every individual of human society.”12
13. Brings Troughton scale from England1815185518301832Hassler and the EmpireDirected to resolve weight and measure issuesSubmits reportto Congress1836In England: British Imperial Yard destroyed in a fire!Congress Joint Resolution for uniform standards1834New Imperial Yard made: U.S. receives 2 copies0.000 073 foot (0.022 mm) shorter than Troughton scale (24 ppm)Bronze Yard No. 11 becomes official U.S. standard13“Exact” copy of British Imperial Yard
14. Congress legalizes use of metric system1866189018751876Going metric, in fits and startsU.S. Signs “Treaty of the Meter”Bronze Yard No. 11 travels to England1888Bronze Yard No. 11 travels to England, againStandard Meters Nos. 21 and 27 sent from FranceDifferent length!Different length - again!14
15. Out of chaos, order1893The Mendenhall OrderThomas MendenhallSuperintendent C&GS and Office of Weights & Measures (1889-1894)Embraced meter Abandoned British Imperial Yard Declared foot defined by meter: 1 foot = 1200/3937 meterProvided tables of conversions e.g., Gunter’s chain = 20.1168 mThe U.S. officially became metric66 ift EXACTLY65.999868 sft15
16. Invented by Edmund Gunter in 162066 ft long with 100 links… usuallyDistances mostly given in whole links“Chained” to the U.S. survey foot?“Foot” varied in length by much more than ±2 ppm before 1893Not built to ±2 ppm accuracy (±0.000132 ft = 0.0016 inch)That’s 0.0002 link per chainor 0.016 link per mile16Gunter’s chain and retracement
17. National Bureau of Standards created1901195919331952A new foot for a new centuryNew foot definition adopted by ANSI predecessorNew foot definition adopted by NASA predecessor1954International nautical mileAdopted as “new” foot for entire U.S.1,852 m exactWith one little exception…1 foot = 0.3048 meter exactly (1 yard = 0.9144 m)17
18. Kicking the can (Federal Register)1959“Any data expressed in feet derived from and published as a result of geodetic surveys within the United States will continue to bear the following relationship as defined in 1893:1 foot = 1200/3937 meterThe foot unit defined by this equation shall be referred to as the U.S. Survey Foot and it shall continue to be used, for the purpose given herein, until such a time as it becomes desirable and expedient to readjust the basic geodetic survey networks in the United States, after which the ratio of a yard, equal to 0.9144 meter, shall apply.”https://geodesy.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/FedRegister/FRdoc59-5442.pdf Signed by NBS and C&GS directors, approved by Secretary of Commerce, June 25, 195918
19. International vs. U.S. Survey Foot1975199019771988More Federal Register NoticesNGS goes entirely metric (for NAD 83)Proposed permanent use of U.S. Survey Foot1989NAD 83 announcedRestatement that metric used for U.S.Surveying and mapping only (pending analysis, never resolved)19International foot used for “engineering”U.S. survey foot used for “mapping and land measurement”
20. 20
21. Out of order, chaosA foot still in limbo2008. NIST “Guide to the Use of the SI”U.S. survey foot still used but never officially permanently adoptedRepeats 1975 FRN ideas about the two feet:International ft used for engineering U.S. ft used for surveying & mappingAt odds with very idea of “standards”21
22. Problem created and perpetuated by NGSIn 1959. Then in 1986. And again in 2016…22Mea culpa
23. The “old” foot defined in 1893 (actually 1866)Foot officially redefined in 1959Old one named “U.S. survey foot” at that timeIntended as temporary solutionSupposed to switch to new foot with readjustment of “basic geodetic survey networks”Kicked can down road in 1959, again in 1986 Not done for NAD 27 NAD 83 in 1986NGS sidestepped issue by going metric in 1977What do we do now?Another chance with NAD 83 NSRS202223Epilogue for an erstwhile foot?
24. Do nothing (i.e., NGS stays “metric” only)States choose whatever foot they wantThe feet will creep back into NGS products & servicesOfficially adopt U.S. survey foot for specific thingsU.S. survey foot for surveying and mappingInternational foot for engineering (and everything else)Use international foot for everythingSupport only foot = 0.3048 meter after 2022, periodUse U.S. survey foot for everything (highly unlikely)Go entirely metric (good luck with that!)24What are the choices?
25. Only one foot after 2022 (1 foot = 0.3048 meter)Make official through NISTNO option for U.S. survey footNGS will help with the transitionWill fully support backward compatibilityUse “correct” foot for SPCS 83 and SPCS 27Automatically done by NGS products and servicesGuiding ideasBest opportunity to make the changeOf all changes in 2022, this is the least significantWill make things betterAbout the future, not the past25An NGS proposal
26. That was original intent (60 years ago!)Two “feet” is inefficient and causes confusionLeads to errors that cost moneyAbsurd to have “same” unit that differs by 2 ppmDefeats purpose of having a length standard26Why make the change?
27. Map of error in mixing feet27
28. That was original intent (60 years ago!)Two “feet” is inefficient and causes confusionLeads to errors that cost moneyAbsurd to have “same” unit that differs by 2 ppmDefeats purpose of having a length standardOnly recognized in part of U.S.NGS software can support backward-compatibilityNow is the timeMany changes already being made for 2022Change in foot trivial compared to other changesU.S. survey foot problems will never go way if not addressed28Why make the change?
29. 29Reasons for adopting “new” footHelps prevent “foot confusion” problemsSharing dataVariety of softwareCost
30. 304,092,414 sft4,092,422 iftTexas will be even bigger…Reasons for adopting “new” foot
31. Used for existing records and dataCircular argument because issue never goes awaySuch logic means old foot will always be retainedThat’s how we got into this mess in the first placeOld foot in state legislationBut statute is usually (always?) tied to NAD 83New statute for 2022 could break that connectionNecessary to convey real property…31Arguments for keeping “old” foot
32. Foot issue is a coordinate problemDeeds are concerned with distancesBigger issues with distances than type of foot U.S. survey vs. int’l foot: 2 ppm = ±0.01 ft per mile“Standard” foot varied by tens of ppm before 1893French-settled areas: the “arpent”(±7 ft per mile)Spanish-settled areas: the “vara”(±30 ft per mile)English-settled areas: the “rod”, “pole”, “perch”Nominally 16 ½ ft, range 12-22 ft (±1760 ft per mile)32Coordinates, deeds, and distances
33. Used for existing records and dataCircular argument because issue never goes awaySuch logic means old foot will always be retainedThat’s how we got into this mess in the first placeOld foot in state legislationBut statute is usually (always?) tied to NAD 83New statute for 2022 could break that connectionNecessary to convey real property…Six states have new foot yet somehow convey propertyIs this just a red herring to avoid change…?People don’t like change33Arguments for keeping “old” foot
34. Supreme law of the landU.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 5:“The Congress shall have Power… To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures”If NIST defines single foot, only it can be usedState legislating different foot would be unconstitutionalSame as state coining its own moneyHave two feet now only because 1959 issue not settledNot a “states rights” issue10th Amendment (Bill of Rights): “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”34
35. The foot problem created for convenienceIntended as temporary, for geodetic work onlyBoundary surveys were not consideredKeeping U.S. survey foot is an “anti-standard”U.S. survey foot currently in standards “limbo”Single definition efficient, clean, and right thing to doIssue an “order” to adopt single foot = 0.3048 m?That’s what it took to fix mess in 1893A long overdue solutionWithin legal authority of federal government……but prefer to persuade rather than coerce35Taking a stand for standards
36. NGS created problem, will help fix itFully support backward compatibilityWill make simple and painless as possibleFoot change minor compared to other 2022 changesContact us at NGS.Feedback@noaa.gov This is about the futureRemember our heroes and their hard-won victories…In closing…