August/September Business View Magazine

54 55 MCKIM & CREED INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY, PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES, ANDTHE FUTURE G eomatics has been defined as “the sci- ence of measuring the natural and built environment.” As one of the largest and most comprehensive geomatics firms in the U.S., McKim & Creed under- stands that complete and accurate data is the founda- tion—the building block—of every project.Whether it is new design, construction, or to just better understand the existing physical conditions of an area, the ultimate suc- cess of any project relies on comprehensive and accu- rate data and analysis. But McKim & Creed also takes a broader view. They expand their definition of geomatics to include “the science of solving problems and discovering solutions.” For example, when the Wilmington, North Carolina police were investigating an insurance fraud case, The diamonds at Diavik Diamond Mine are located in ore deposits called kimberlite pipes, which are found beneath the waters of the lake. To allow the open pit mining, dikes surrounding the kimberlite pipes are built to temporarily hold back the water. Using a combina- tion of strategically placed GPS receivers, a customized HYPACK application and a DGPS hydrographic system, McKim & Creed’s surveyors, HYPACK’s programmers, Lac de Gras Excavation’s operators and Diavik’s engineers developed a procedure to install the filter blanket safely, efficiently and on schedule. Photo Courtesy of Diavik Diamond Mine