Sunday, February 25, 2024

Water Surface Increase Calculation for Wall Openings

I present here the method used by NPS Global Engineers for calculating the post-development water surface increase due to a wall with standardized openings. This method has been accepted for multiple projects (including APN 211-44-273, 216-67-067B, 216-67-067A, 219-40-293J, 211-45-084B, 211-47-031, 211-51-031G, 211-51-020K, 211-51-031K, and 503-51-966M) by Maricopa County Planning and Development.

Monday, August 21, 2023

Civil engineer Tom Haws and Atlas Land Surveying

About Atlas Land Surveying, Bill Barry, and Tom Haws

Bill Barry is the president of Atlas Land Surveying. He is a non-registrant who affiliates with registrants as the department heads of Atlas Land Surveying.

About Tom Haws and Atlas Land Surveying

Long ago (2014?) Bill Barry affiliated with me as his civil engineering department head. Now that I rarely do any work that I don't give to NPS, any work that Bill needs me to do is done by NPS. The Board of Technical Registration told me I am allowed to be the registrants for as many companies as I want, subject to other rules. 

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Arizona Subdivision Law Avoidance by Licensed Professionals

I found today this statute at ARS 32-2181(D) that establishes the liability of Arizona licensed professionals who knew or should have known they were acting in concert to subdivide in avoidance of state law.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

How I Succeed In Business

To my astonishment, I am a good CEO. And my businesses are solvent. Here's my first attempt to explain how I succeed in business. In other words, how do I deliver? I hope to get better at explaining.

Sunday, March 5, 2023

Genesis emphasizes that Noah's flood was not an extinction event

Genesis says:

The Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:7) "I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish." (Genesis 6:17)

But Genesis says:

Thursday, March 2, 2023

A cappella doo wop mingle and sing Mesa AZ April 6

I'm inviting my people to mingle and sing with me at an a cappella doo wop night at City of Mesa Fire Station 202 at 830 S Stapley Drive on Thursday April 6. You are very welcome to invite others including interested youths. Please let me know if you want to be reminded.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Why don't surveys and GIS match?

You may have wondered why surveyors in the 2020's don't deliver their dwg files on standard GIS  projection coordinates, whether UTM, US State Plane Coordinates, or something else. The short answer is that standard GIS projections usually don't give correct distances to the level of precision that real estate surveys need. I explain more below.

Saturday, February 4, 2023

Solving Riprap Problems With Concrete Strips

Well-constructed loose riprap beds with proper elevation, gradation, filter layer, and subgrade preparation are a good solution to erosion. But riprap beds have some problems. Because they are uneven both on top and bottom, they obstruct debris and water and they dry or drain slowly. 

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Be a CEO at NPS Global Engineers

Dear top prospective colleagues,

We hope for you to be an NPS CEO some day. 

Though the unusual reason NPS has for existing makes growth for profit meaningless, careful growth makes sense because more engineers deserve the NPS experience. One of the safeguards of the NPS experience is our Small Companies identity value. The Small Companies value requires one-team companies, meaning that our companies ideally have 6 to 8 colleagues. So for every team of NPS engineers, there must be a CEO.

I would love to add colleagues to NPS endlessly. I love being an engineer, I love what NPS has become, and I love finding the smartest people in the world. Our customers love working with smart, diligent, and attentive people. Hire, hire, hire! But not without more CEO's.

NPS exists to make great jobs and to do cool stuff. If your idea of a great job doing cool stuff might include being an NPS CEO some day, we may be ready for each other.

Sincerely,

Tom Haws
Founder of NPS Global Engineers

No owners
Part-time freelancers
Small, Self-managing companies

No owners, No salaries, Know everybody

Saturday, February 19, 2022

AutoLISP Tutorial for AutoCAD Users: Lesson 4

We need a way to fully and permanently integrate our programs into our AutoCAD working environment. AutoCAD provides several ways. This lesson shows you how to make a well-documented system that can grow with you.

Friday, October 22, 2021

My first principle of music composition philosophy

I am the George W. Bush of music composition. I am embarking on it (as he did with painting) in earnest at the age of 55 mostly for my own enjoyment. But here's a first principle of my composition philosophy:

Don't confuse the listener.

Thursday, April 1, 2021

NPS Global Engineers corporate structure

NPS Global Inc. is an Arizona nonprofit corporation with no special tax status. In other words, NPS is a normal business, but it has no owners or shareholders to receive profits or dividends. Surplus funds are split up among the hourly freelance contractors by vote.

Friday, September 11, 2020

Floodplains and Floodways, BFEs and RFEs - US FEMA's floodplain development strategy and Maricopa County AZ's policy

 In 1968 the US Congress established the National Flood Insurance Program that included standards for delineating floodplains and (optionally) floodways along significant sources of flooding. This post explains how it works as administered by Maricopa County, Arizona in 2020.

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Whole Foods Plant Based Eating

Whole Foods Plant Based Eating
by Kato D. Haws Jr.
July 7, 2020

I began eliminating animal products because of high cholesterol. I removed first
whole milk and eggs. Later all dairy. We ended up learning about various vegan diets,
including the Hallelujah Diet and the McDougall diet. In the end the people most
influential for us are Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Michael Greger. We rely heavily on
the recipes of Cathy Fisher of True North Health, which use no salt, oil or sugar, and no
animal products. Her recipes also happen to be gluten free, which is important to me, given
my family history of problems with wheat.

If you want to try a whole foods plant-based (WFPB) diet but don't know where
to begin here are a few suggestions.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Fast AutoCAD project custom text linetypes on the fly

A simple instantaneous linetype reloading system is a huge relief when you want AutoCAD custom text complex linetypes that say things like 400mm W or 1 1/2" GAS (PE). Here is a system that disrupts you minimally so you can get back to your project design.