The Benefits of Topographical Site Surveys
The construction industry has a certain character for being a harsh environment in which brute force takes precedence over calculated thought; however this impression is far from correct. There is a substantial amount of work that happens behind the scenes of the demolition and construction industry that is firmly grounded in the academic world. Furthermore, this unseen work is vital to the success of the more visible procedures.
One part of this unnoticed work is site surveying, or more specifically pre-demolition and post-demolition topographical surveying. This type of work demands a great balance of specific technical understanding as well as experience of the industry and a genuine intuition for the intricacies of the job. This article explores the ins and outs of this work.
Topographical Surveys
A topographical survey is a report of the physical features of a particular plot of land. The purpose of a topographical survey is to map the naturally occurring and man-made traits of a particular landscape to a high degree of accuracy.
Topographical surveys could be carried out on a very broad range of environments, from open countryside to urban developments and across a variety of elevations and land surfaces. Surveys can be designed to take into account a great many factors, such as ground conditions or vegetation, and as such can be used for a number of tasks. A few of the more common uses are discussed below.
Common Applications for Topographical Surveys
Probably the most extensively used, and most commonly recognised application for topographical surveys is cartography, or map making. Modern maps include a great amount of information about the terrain they relate to, including waterways, elevations and ground surface, all of which will have been collected via a topographical survey. This information is also being provided online.
Topographical surveys also have a key role to play in the construction business. When people or organisations are looking to build any kind of structure they will need to undertake extensive surveys as part of the design stage of the project.
Surveys definitely play a key safety role in primary industries such as mining, or in other industries that interact with the land, such as demolition and infrastructure. Organisations in these fields will use surveys to plan their projects, but also to make sure that they can ensure the safety of their staff on site. As a result, topographical surveys are often a legal requirement for these types of projects.
Under modern regulatory control, the experts who perform demolition surveys ought to be well certified to guarantee the trustworthiness of the survey results.
Types of Survey
The world of topography covers a large number of physical features so it is important to determine what type of topographical survey is suitable for a particular situation. A few of the more typical types of survey necessary for construction sites are reviewed below.
“Lie of the land” Surveys
These types of topographical surveys are designed to create an overview of the physical characteristics of any given plot of land. Whilst the information gathered by the survey will be very accurate, and may be very extensive, the objective of these surveys is to give a site summary. They will usually be the first type of topographical survey that is carried out on a project.
These surveys will usually include a boundary survey that sets out to define the extent of the site and spotlight any particular restraints that are determined by the geography of the site. They may also include a level survey that will measure the elevation of the terrain and the various gradients that exist. Any survey can be customised to specification though.
Building Surveys
Building surveys are more typically concerned with man-made constructions on a site, including the surveying of special equipment and even infrastructure features. This type of study is more regularly associated with the demolition sector since it can give a detailed plan of the structure to be demolished. It can be used on other projects as well.
A building survey will almost certainly include a measured survey, which involves creating a precise plan of the external and interior dimensions of a structure. Depending on the requirements of the project, a measured survey might provide basic building “footprint” measurements, or might produce a very detailed plan of the structure. This information can be used to generate interior floor plans and even roof plans.
Content of a Topographical Site Survey
A survey of a demolition site will almost always include the information gathered by the types of boundary and building surveys mentioned above. This information will be required so the demolition firm can plan a demolition that is both adequate and secure.
Surveys will often include information about the power services that are present on a site prior to any demolition or construction work happens. This is an essential safety factor because any unmonitored damage to pipes and cables carrying water, gas and electricity could be very dangerous. The information can also be used to plan new buildings, based upon the existing availability of these utilities.
Another aspect of the site study will often be an audit of resources on the site. This type of study will be a quantity survey of the various types of materials that can be located on site, for example, tiles and masonry, concrete that can be utilised as hardcore or even timber. By getting an accurate audit of site materials the construction company can more precisely determine the need to import building materials, or they can re-use the materials on a different job.
If you are interested in demolition projects in the UK click here to find out about requirements and recommendations for demolition projects.
Importance of Site Surveys
Possibly the most significant reason to undertake a topographical site survey is to ensure the safety of the people who will be doing work on the site. The industries that most commonly call for site surveys are risky enough as it is without having to be concerned about the condition of the ground on which they are working.
Another important reason to get a proper survey done is to identify any potential problems that may arise because of the physical properties of the area. Certain things may not be evident on the surface of the site and will only be discovered once digging or demolition has begun. By then it may be too late to deal with these problems, or at best they will be expensive issues to solve.
The inventory of site materials, as previously mentioned, can be of great benefit to a demolition or construction organisation working on a project. Not only are building materials themselves expensive, but transporting them to the site may be a very expensive task in itself. Any time that material can be reused on site offers an opportunity to save development time and funds.
Topographical surveys can also identify other areas that will be of use to the project managers. For example, if the gradients on a site would be prohibitive to certain vehicles or equipment then a new entry route or alternative equipment will have to be found.
Positioning of Survey Control
During the surveying and construction stages of a construction project, the equipment required for the physical surveying of the site and control of the survey data will often be stored on-site. This is clearly a problem when it comes to the demolition phase of a project since the machinery is both costly and sensitive.
Once the demolition has taken place and the site has been deemed safe for workers to return to it, the surveying equipment can be restored to its original position on site. This will allow for efficient data collecting to take place for a post-demolition study, and retains a single point of contact for anyone who needs the topographical survey information.
On the outside it might seem that demolition of a building needs minimal preparation, although the reality of the issue is very different.
Who can Perform Site Surveys?
Because topographical site surveys can play such a crucial role in the success or failure of a construction or demolition venture it is critical that they are undertaken thoroughly by the correct people. There are different divisions of site surveying and each one will have specific certificates associated with it. Getting surveyors with these specific qualifications will certainly be advantageous.
When choosing a company to undertake the surveying work necessary for your project it will be wise to choose a business with a good reputation and a proven track record. Ask to see examples of their previous work and try to get feedback about their performance on past projects. It may also be worth considering how a company can deliver their survey data, i.e. in 3-D models or CAD ready formats, for ease of integration with other members of the project staff.
Who will use the Survey Information?
Once an adequate level of information has been accumulated by a site survey it needs to be handed out to the appropriate people on-site. Who gets what pieces of information will largely depend on the job roles being executed, but can also rely on the stage that a project is at. There will be less need for materials information midway through construction for example.
Project Planners
Project planners will usually need access to all of the information collected by a topographical survey, although they will particularly need to use information about the physical relief of a site before the design phase, and a site materials record before they can plan the construction phase. The more information that can be made available to project planners will aid the smooth running of the venture.
Demolition Experts
Demolition organisations will want to know about the interior and exterior characteristics of any building or structures that they are set to take down. Whilst every job will have different requirements, demolition workers will typically need to know about the fundamental structure of a building and the materials it is made out of. They will need this knowledge before demolition can take place.
Site Engineers
Construction engineers on-site will be particularly interested in the survey statistics about the relief and topography of the terrain. It is usually the case that they will want to assemble on a flat surface, so they will use details about the natural lay of the land to calculate what work will be needed to create a steady foundation for any building.
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