Companies treat technology advances in many different ways. The impact on personnel and specific projects are obvious factors to be considered before introducing new technology.

Those with multi-year projects have even more situations to consider. Few organizations have projects that last a decade. Think of all the technological advances in surveying and engineering that have been made since 1993.

Now, imagine a project that could last a century! Such is the case with the surveying and engineering undertaken on the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation project.

The Foundation is the non-profit organization initiated in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to support and fund his life-long project to carve his sculpture of Crazy Horse into the mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The project was initiated in response to Sioux Chief Henry Standing Bear’s invitation to Korczak to carve Crazy Horse into the mountain of their sacred Black Hills to illustrate that, like the white-man’s Mount Rushmore, the red man also has heroes.

From the time Korczak decided to carve the entire 600-foot mountain in the round in 1947, and the first dynamite blast in June of 1948, through the end of 2003, the amount of rock removed is staggering. Over eight million tons of rock has been carefully blasted off the mountain.

Getting Started
The truly amazing component of this project is that Korczak worked on this project, as well as a summer as an assistant carving Mt. Rushmore, without much of the technology that we take for granted today.

At the beginning, in 1948, Korczak worked alone with one small jackhammer. The first blast, which required four single-jack holes, took off just ten tons. The one-man operation  and single jackhammer – powered by a gas compressor at the bottom of the mountain and a 2,040-foot connecting pipeline up and across the mountain – blasted almost 100,000 tons by the close of 1949.

Yet, Korczak’s work on the mountain was only a small part of what he accomplished in the first few years. After using his own money to purchase some privately owned land nearby, Korczak lived in a tent while constructing his studio-home.

He was a truly pioneering land developer. During his initial months, he built roads, sunk a well, created a lake, and during the winter of 1948-49 he built a 741-step wooden staircase to the mountaintop (6,568-feet above sea level). Korczak carried the 29 tons of green lumber by hand, or more accurately, on his back. He had just a few volunteers helping him during this time, including his future wife and mother of their ten children, Ruth Ross.

It wasn’t until the mid-1950’s that Korczak had a significant upgrade in equipment. In addition to now utilizing an electric compressor, he was using an aerial cable car and a bucket (run by an antique Chevy engine) to haul equipment and tools to the top of the mountain. Korczak also acquired his first bulldozer and built a modern milking parlor for his Holstein dairy farm. In 1956, Korczak constructed the first road to the back of the mountaintop. This allowed him to move the Buda compressor to the top of the mountain and use a wagon drill in addition to the jackhammer and jackleg.

By 1959 he had built and begun operating a lumber mill. A road from the main highway to his studio-home was constructed. More impressively, over one million tons of rock had been removed from the mountain.

During the decade of the 1960’s, nearly two million more tons of rock was blasted as more materials and equipment made it to the top of the mountain. In 1962 day light was visible beneath the arm for the first time as the tunnel, driven through the mountain, breached the visitor’s side. In 1964-65 a four-story, moveable (on tracks) 26-ton scaffold was built in front of Crazy Horse’s face. Electricity, two cats, a new compressor, air trac, and a huge drill-compressor were added to Korczak’s stable of tools.

The year 1975 featured a couple of other milestones in the construction of Crazy Horse. Two local firms, Renner & Sperlich and Horizons, developed a topographic map of the mountain and surrounding land. The map provided needed information to resolve property issues and facilitate expansion of the visitor complex.

It also marked the year of another of Korczak’s major health episodes. His surgery to repair a separated Achilles tendon was just one of many. He had already had three spinal operations (1962, 1965, 1967) to remove five discs and experienced one minor (1968) and one massive (1970) heart attack. Yet, he built an 80-foot-long, 24-ton boom, hoist and metal platform/work cage for future work on the horse’s head.

The primary goal during the late 1970s and early 80s was the “blocking-out” of the horse’s 22-story high head. By 1981, over seven million tons of rock had been moved, including a staggering four million tons just from in front of the horses head.

In July of 1982, Korczak successfully underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery and spent his 74th birthday in September supervising his sons and daughters painting a new outline of the horse’s head on the mountain. Six weeks later, Korczak died unexpectedly. He left Ruth the scale models and the three books of comprehensive plans and measurements that they had prepared for the mountain carving. She assumed supervision of all on-mountain and off-mountain activities.

New Technology Enters Mountain-Carving Process
The mid-80s saw the continued blocking out of the overall site as more key decisions were being made on how to proceed. In 1984, Paul Muehl (an ex-military explosives expert who had consulted for Korczak) was hired to expand the work on the mountain. As explosives techniques that would be needed to finish the carving were being developed, the measuring and blocking of the mountain continued in 1985.

The newly developed explosive engineering techniques were first utilized on the mountain in 1986 for work being done nearer the finished surface. The initial development of pointing machines to manually digitize the 1/34th scale model face and transfer those coordinates to the mountain started in 1987. In October, the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation board of directors endorsed Ruth’s recommendation to shift priority for the mountain carving from the horse’s head to Crazy Horse’s nine-story face.

While measurements continued, and despite a damaging fire, the removal of the protective rock around the face that had been left by Korczak was progressing. The first detail work began on Crazy Horse’s forehead in three-dimensions.

Due to the need for more accurate detailed carving data on the full-scale face, the mountain point system was upgraded to keep pace with the sculpting work. Photogrammetry, surveying, and computer technology were introduced to the project in 1988. This was done in an effort to verify proof of concept that would use modern measuring tools to point the face and subsequently the rest of the carving.

Over the next several years, Renner, Horizons, and JFK Inc., a Florida-based photograph firm, worked to digitize the plaster cast of the face of Korczaks’ scale model and transformed the resulting coordinates into Renner’s local ground control coordinate system for radial stakeout on the mountain. An Apple computer was donated in conjunction with the effort to develop a CAD system for the mountain.

The concept proved valid, but due to the high costs associated with the development of a fully functional CAD system that could guide the carving process, the original manual pointing system remained the primary system for collecting data and transferring it to the full-scale face.

Using the plaster cast of the scale model face and the pointing machine, thousands of manual measurements were taken. The model was divided into numbered and alphabetized quadrants that are one-inch by three-inches, which translates into three-feet by six-and-a-half feet sections on the mountain. The quadrants aid the blasting crew by organizing the pointing data into a more easily managed format.

“Pointing was invented by the Greeks and has been used for centuries,” explains Monique Ziolkowski, Korczak’s daughter. We pointed flat spots on the mountain differently than the eyebrows, eyes, and the lips. We pointed at quarter-inch increments for these high detail areas and then placed these points on the mountain.”

The pointing machine uses east and west degrees, deflection, and a plumb bob. There was another significant difference, however. The pointing machine in the studio is horizontal. The one built on the mountain was vertical and utilized a 60-foot boom and rotated 180 degrees with a 90-foot cable and plumb bob that extends in and out horizontally and up and down vertically.

“There are over 10,000 points on Crazy Horse’s face,” reveals Monique. “The most challenging part of Crazy Horse was his nose where there were 2,000 points. The nose featured so many angles, undercuts, rounding, and curves that it proved to be very challenging.”

“All we are doing on the mountain is enlarging dad’s work,” explains Monique. “The genius is already there. We are just making it 34 times bigger.”

As completion of the face, in time for the 50th anniversary in 1998 was officially announced, work was continuing to develop a pointing system based on surveying techniques that would bring the rest of the scale model into the mountain.

Renner and the Crazy Horse survey team replaced Renner’s local ground control coordinate system by expanding the boom pointing system to encompass the entire mountain. This coordinate system utilized the boom’s pivot point as the origin with the X-axis aligned through zero degrees. A monument was built across the valley to establish the baseline (X axis) for a radial survey to locate three primary control point pedestals from which any point on the mountain could be seen.

The use of surveying equipment has been essential in collecting coordinate information from the mountain and placing the scale model points correctly on the mountain.

“Now,” says Rich Barry, an engineer at Crazy Horse, “with the new mountain coordinate system in place we were able to digitize the existing mountain as the next step to digitally locate the scale model in the mountain. Once we had a TIN model of the existing mountain in AutoCAD/Eagle Point we were ready to digitize the scale model.”

“The fiberglass version is located inside on a solid foundation with a fixed local coordinate system that allowed us to measure (survey) throughout the year,” Barry explains. “Subsequently, we developed the system to measure (digitize), transform the local coordinates to the mountain coordinate system, fine-tune the fit, and guide the carving process.”

Through the introduction of modern surveying techniques and tools, the thousands of measurements from the models and the mountain have improved the accuracy of the measuring process and allow continuing rock removal on the mountain to progress with confidence.

“This process takes hundreds of thousands of calculations,” explains Kevin Hachmeister, an engineer at Crazy Horse. “The computer allows us to check and double-check our measurements.”

In the business of mountain carving nothing is static. As the process of rock excavation unfolds, new geology is exposed and better techniques to evaluate rock stability are develop. Constant re-evaluation of the model/mountain fit is required to insure the best possible results.

On Mount Rushmore, sculptor Gutzon Borglum adjusted his model throughout the carving process to reflect changes in geology as rock was removed. As Crazy Horse mountain has been excavated, the need to refine the 1/34th model and how it fit in the mountain became evident to the survey team.

To address the need to adjust the 1/34th model, the team decided that it would be easier to refine a plaster copy of Korczak’s original 1/300 scale model. Guided by the digital models and the construction of a manual-pointing machine, Casimir Ziolkowski, son of Korczak, and Monique made slight refinements to the plaster replica. This 1/300 scale refined replica was then manually digitized and is the basis for the current rock removal efforts on the mountain.

“The models will continue to evolve as the mountain evolves”, says Barry. “Our challenge is to preserve Korczak’s genius in his image of an Indian sitting on his horse with arm out stretched, proclaiming, ‘My lands are where my dead lie buried.’ This is what Korczak would have done if he were alive today.”

Barry, a civil engineer and architect by training, and Hachmeister, a chemical engineer, both rock climbers, joined the Crazy Horse blasting team in 1991. They currently use donated Topcon survey equipment and AutoCAD/Eagle Point software to create the CAD models that are integral to the translation of points from the model to the mountain.

“The CAD packages tell us how much rock we can safely take off the mountain,” explains Barry. “Using 3D modeling, we can compare the models that Korczak created to the existing surface of the mountain. Using 20-foot contours that describe the surfaces of the model and existing mountain we know exactly how much rock to remove to get to finished grade and the final carving.”

On the Mountain
To block out the sculpture the blasting crew removes rock in 20-foot thick layers (benches) that range in width from 15 feet to over 100 feet. One of the first primary items to be completed on the mountain before work begins on every new bench is the creation of a contour line that describes a 20-foot buffer, offset from the finished carving. Using surveying instruments, a battery powered hammer drill, and half-inch rebar, points are staked at 6-foot intervals to identify the extent of rock removal for the blasting crew. Each bench requires more than 100 separate blasts to remove the excess rock up to the 20-foot buffer.

“Knowing what the finished grade will be was and remains the challenge,” reveals Barry. “As we make decisions on how much and where to remove rock today, we reduce the number of options available to us in the future. Our goal is to remove rock in a manner that will permit adequate equipment access, efficient excavation practices and the ability to continue refining models to accommodate geologic changes through out the carving process.”

Casimir is the foreman of the day-to-day drilling and blasting. To do their work, Casimir and the crew rely on many calculations that are completed with the help of technology. This is especially true for the design of each blast. Detailed records are kept to catalogue the experiences so that better planning can take place in the future.

Surveying and engineering work are key components to determine the location, blast type, and the expected results for each blast on the mountain.

Seismograph readings are taken during each blast. This data is used in conjunction with distances to geophones and the weight of explosives detonated to develop prediction formulas through regression analysis. These readings are reviewed and compared to the calculated predictions after each blast to ensure that the integrity of the rock remaining has not been compromised. It is essential to the success of the project to maintain the structural integrity of the rock that will comprise the sculpture.

“We monitor every primary blasts and most secondary blasts on the mountain,” explains Barry. “Our vibration limit is only three inches per second, which is very conservative. We cannot afford to take any chances greater than this.”

In addition to controlling blast-induced vibration, the engineering team uses the same measuring tools and techniques to map the naturally occurring fracture patterns in the rock to include this data in the digital model. As the current blocking out phase continues to remove rock to within the 20-foot buffer, clarity of the fracture patterns improve and so does the accuracy of the mapping. As part of preparation for finish work this 3D information will be used to develop a finite element analysis model to further refine the ongoing rock support plans to insure the long-term stability of the finished carving.

Next Stage of Technology
In total, 24 steps are followed in the art of carving Crazy Horse. While technology did not eliminate any of these steps, it has allowed a more compressed schedule to complete the process.

Barry states that they are beginning to utilize laser scanning. In fact, during the past year, they have had the 1/34th plaster model and portions the mountain scanned. Lamp Rynearson and Associates, an Omaha-based engineering firm with expertise in utilizing scan data for civil applications, has been very instrumental in the move toward this new technology.

However, due to the size of the files and the computer/software requirements, the team currently has only very decimated CAD models for internal use. As they acquire the hardware and software designed to handle coordinate data sets containing tens of millions of points, the process of fine-tuning the model/mountain fit and guiding work on the mountain will jump to a new level.

Another factor in the progress of the Crazy Horse Memorial is funding. The foundation is strictly a privately funded organization. In fact, Korczak twice turned down $10 million in federal funding between 1953-62. Work on the mountain is made possible from donations and gifts to the foundation as well as admission fees and purchases made by visitors to the Crazy Horse Memorial complex.

With on-going donations in expertise, explosives, and drilling/excavation equipment from a variety of supporters, the rate of rock removal on the mountain continues to increase.

Not surprisingly, during the summer months nearly 140 employees work at the Crazy Horse facilities in activities and functions that help raise funds for about 10 employees that work directly or indirectly on carving the mountain.

According to Barry, there is contingent of eight workers who are on the mountain virtually every day. Casimir and his four-man crew are drilling and blasting every day. In addition to the two computer gurus (Barry and Hachmeister), there is a mechanic who maintains the equipment and tools, as well as several others that support mountain activities, like the almost constant sharpening of drill bits, maintenance of roads, and crushing gravel from the muck pile.

“We could move faster with additional funding,” reveals Barry, “but the reality is that we have a limit to the number of people we can add to the work-force on the mountain. We are very safety conscious. Our workspace is spread horizontally and we cannot have people working above/below others. I’d say we could – with proper funding – add another 4-6 people over the next several years as we continue to block out the mountain. Although a seemingly small number, with equipment upgrades and improved efficiencies, the process will certainly speed up.”

The process, which has already been underway for over 50 years, could easily take another 50. While the Crazy Horse mountain carving is the focal feature of Korczak’s dream, it is not the sole component. An entire complex is envisioned including educational and medical facilities. Since 1978, the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation has distributed over $500,000 in scholarships to Native Americans attending institution of higher education within South Dakota. And, this year alone $65,000 will be available for scholarships.

Progress will continue toward achieving Korczak’s dream. Engineering and surveying technology will continue to play an increasingly important role in the designing and construction of the Crazy Horse Memorial project. SLDT