The Benefits of Topographical Site Surveys
Posted by admin, in General InterestThe demolition industry has a certain reputation for being a harsh environment in which brute force takes precedence over calculated thought; however this impression is far from correct. There is a huge amount of work that happens behind the scenes of the demolition and construction sector which is firmly rooted in the academic arena.
One branch of this unnoticed work is site surveying, or more specifically pre-demolition and post-demolition topographical surveying. This sort of work calls for a good balance of specific technical knowledge as well as experience of the industry and a natural intuition for the complexities of the job.
Topographical Surveys
A topographical survey is a study of the physical features of a particular plot of land. The aim of a topographical survey is to map the naturally occurring and man-made traits of a specific landscape to a high degree of precision. Whilst topography itself can refer to the surface of any object, it is more commonly associated with the surface of the Earth.
Topographical surveys could be carried out on a very broad range of landscapes, from open countryside to urban developments and across a variety of elevations and land surfaces. Surveys can be developed to take into account a great number of factors, such as ground variables 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
Perhaps the most extensively used, and most commonly recognised application for topographical surveys is cartography, or map making. Modern maps include a great deal of detail about the terrain they relate to, including waterways, elevations and ground surface, all of which will have been collected via a topographical survey.
Topographical surveys also have a key role to play in the construction business. When people or companies 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 also play a key safety part in primary industries such as mining, or in other industries that interact with the terrain, such as demolition and infrastructure. Companies in these industries will use surveys to prepare their projects, but also to be sure that they can ensure the safety of their workforce on site.
Standard topographical surveys are concerned with physical features of terrain though building demolition surveys focus on man made structures that are marked for demolition.
Types of Survey
The arena of topography covers a large number of physical features so it is important to identify what type of topographical survey is suitable for a particular scenario. A few of the more typical types of survey required for construction sites are reviewed below.
“Lie of the land” Surveys
These types of topographical surveys are fashioned to create a summary of the physical properties of any given plot of land. Whilst the data gathered by the survey will be very accurate, and may be very extensive, the objective of these surveys is to provide a site summary. They will usually be the first type of topographical survey that is undertaken on a job.
These surveys will usually incorporate a boundary survey that sets out to determine the extent of the site and spotlight any specific restraints that are determined by the geography of the site. They can also include a level survey that will measure the elevation of the land and the numerous gradients that exist. Any survey can be customised to specification though.
Building Surveys
Building surveys are more generally concerned with man-made constructions on a site, including the surveying of special machines 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.
A building survey will almost certainly include a measured survey, which involves creating a comprehensive plan of the external and internal dimensions of a structure. Depending on the requirements of the project, a measured survey could provide basic building “footprint” measurements, or might produce a highly detailed plan of the structure. This information can be used to generate internal 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 necessary so the demolition firm can plan a demolition that is both adequate and secure. More often than not these surveys will also be legally requested.
Surveys will often include information about the utility services that are present on a site prior to any demolition or construction work happens. This is an essential safety factor because any unmonitored destruction to pipes and cables carrying water, gas and electricity might be very dangerous. The information can also be used to plan new buildings, based upon the existing supply of these ammenities.
Another aspect of the site study will often be an inventory of materials on the site. This type of survey will be a quantity survey of the various kinds of materials that can be located on site, for example, tiles and masonry, concrete that can be utilised as hardcore or even wood. By taking an accurate audit of site materials the construction firm can more accurately determine the need to import building materials, or they can re-use the materials on a different project.
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Importance of Site Surveys
Perhaps the most important reason to undertake a topographical site survey is to ensure the safety of the people who will be working on the site. The industries that most frequently call for site surveys are dangerous enough as it is without having to worry about the integrity of the ground on which they are working. Taking a detailed topographical survey can help to eliminate safety risks of this nature.
Another critical reason to get a suitable 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 uncovered once digging or demolition has started.
The inventory of site supplies, as previously mentioned, can be of great benefit to a demolition or construction enterprise working on a project. Not only are building materials themselves costly, but transporting them to the site could be a very expensive task in itself. Any time that material can be reused on site provides an opportunity to save development time and funds.
Topographical surveys can also identify other areas that will be of use to the project planners. For example, if the gradients on a site would be prohibitive to certain vehicles or equipment then a new access route or alternative equipment will have to be found.
Positioning of Survey Control
During the surveying and construction stages of a construction project, the apparatus required for the physical surveying of the site and control of the survey information will often be kept on-site. This is obviously a problem when it comes to the demolition phase of a project since the equipment is both costly and sensitive.
Once the demolition has taken place and the site has been deemed safe for staff to return to it, the surveying equipment can be restored to its original position on site. This will allow for effective data collecting to take place for a post-demolition study, and maintains a single point of contact for anybody who needs the topographical survey information. Most surveying companies will oversee this redeployment.
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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 project it is critical that they are carried out carefully by the correct people. There are different branches of site surveying and each one will have unique qualifications associated with it.
When selecting a company to undertake the surveying work required 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 overall performance on previous 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 details has been gathered by a site survey it must be handed out to the appropriate people on-site. Who gets what pieces of information will largely depend on the job roles being performed, but can also rely on the stage that a project is at.
Project Planners
Project planners will usually require access to all of the information collected by a topographical survey, although they will particularly need to use information regarding the physical relief of a site before the design phase, and a site materials record before they can plan the construction phase.
Demolition Experts
Demolition organisations will want to know about the internal and exterior properties of any building or structures that they are arranged to take down. Whilst every project will have different requirements, demolition experts will typically need to know about the fundamental framework of a building and the materials it is made out of.
Site Engineers
Construction engineers on-site will be mainly interested in the survey statistics about the relief and topography of the site. It is usually the case that they will want to build on a flat surface, so they will use details about the natural lay of the land to determine what work will be needed to create a steady footing for any structure.