The construction industry has a particular reputation for being a harsh environment in which brute force takes priority over calculated thinking; however this impression is far from appropriate. There is a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes of the demolition and construction industry which is firmly rooted in the academic world. Furthermore, this unseen work is essential to the success of the more visible operations.
One branch of this unnoticed work is site surveying, or more precisely pre-demolition and post-demolition topographical surveying. This type of work demands a good balance of specific technical knowledge as well as experience of the industry and a natural intuition for the complexities of the job. This article explores the ins and outs of this work.
Topographical Surveys
A topographical survey is a study of the actual features of a given piece of land. The purpose of a topographical survey is to chart the naturally occurring and man-made features 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 planet.
Topographical surveys can be carried out on a very wide range of environments, from open countryside to urban areas and across a variety of elevations and land surfaces. Surveys can be developed 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 outlined 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, reliefs and ground surface, all of which will have been obtained via a topographical survey. This information is also being offered online.
Topographical surveys also have a major role to play in the construction business. When people or companies are looking to construct any kind of structure they will need to undertake extensive surveys as part of the design phase of the project. These surveys are often an important part of any application for planning permission too.
Surveys definitely play a key safety role in primary industries such as mining, or in other industrial sectors that interact with the land, such as demolition and infrastructure. Organisations in these fields will use surveys to prepare their projects, but also to be sure that they can ensure the safety of their staff on site.
Though it is not always the perfect option, a demolition survey could always be performed whilst preparation work is occurring on-site.
Types of Survey
The arena of topography covers a large number of physical features so it is important to determine what form of topographical survey is suitable for a particular scenario.
“Lie of the land” Surveys
These types of topographical surveys are fashioned to create an overview of the physical properties of any given plot of land. Whilst the information gathered by the survey will be extremely accurate, and might 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 project.
These surveys will usually include a boundary survey that sets out to define the extent of the site and spotlight any specific 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.
Building Surveys
Building surveys are more typically concerned with man-made constructions on a site, including the surveying of special equipment and even infrastructure characteristics. This type of survey is more commonly associated with the demolition industry since it can give a detailed plan of the structure to be demolished. It can be used for other projects as well.
A building survey will almost certainly include a measured survey, which involves creating a detailed plan of the exterior and internal proportions of a building. Depending on the requirements of the job, a measured survey might provide simple building “footprint” dimensions, or might produce a highly detailed plan of the structure. This information can be used to produce interior floor plans and even roof plans.
Content of a Topographical Site Survey
A survey of a demolition site will almost definitely include the information gathered by the types of boundary and building surveys mentioned above. This information will be needed so that the demolition firm can plan a demolition that is both satisfactory and safe. More often than not these surveys will also be legally requested.
Surveys will often contain information about the utility services that are present on a site before any demolition or construction work happens. This is an important safety factor because any unmonitored damage to pipes and cables carrying water, gas and electricity might be very dangerous. The information might also be used to plan new structures, based upon the existing supply of these ammenities.
Another aspect of the site survey 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 getting an accurate audit of site materials the construction firm can more precisely determine the need to import building resources, or they can re-use the materials on a different project.
Modern construction and demolition businesses provide details on their own company website so clients can see case studies or references for past work.
Importance of Site Surveys
Perhaps the most important reason to undertake a topographical site survey is to ensure the health and safety of the people who will be working 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 suitable survey done is to identify any potential problems that may arise because of the physical properties of the area. Certain things will not be evident on the surface of the site and will only be discovered once digging or demolition has started. 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 value to a demolition or construction company working on a project. Not only are construction materials themselves expensive, but transporting them to the site may be a very expensive task in itself. Any time that material can be recycled on site offers an opportunity to save development time and money.
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 machinery 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 data will often be stored on-site. This is obviously a problem when it comes to the demolition period of a project since the equipment is both expensive and sensitive. It is therefore sensible to move this equipment off-site during demolition.
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 retains a single point of contact for anybody who requires the topographical survey information. Most surveying companies will oversee this redeployment.
Las Vegas is the backdrop for a good deal of commercial demolition because old resorts require flattening so that more modern ones can be built in their place.
Who can Perform Site Surveys?
Since topographical site surveys can play such a vital role in the success or failure of a building or demolition venture it is vital 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. Getting surveyors with these specific qualifications will certainly be advantageous.
When choosing a company to undertake the surveying work required for your project it will be sensible to choose a company with a good reputation and a proven track record. Ask to see reviews of their previous work and try to obtain feedback about their overall performance on past projects.
Who will use the Survey Information?
When an adequate level of information has been accumulated by a site survey it must be passed out to the appropriate personnel 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 half way through construction for example.
Project Planners
Project planners will generally require access to all of the information gathered 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. The more information that can be made available to project planners will aid the smooth running of the project.
Demolition Experts
Demolition organisations will want to know about the internal and exterior properties 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.
Site Engineers
Construction engineers on-site will be particularly interested in the survey data about the relief and topography of the terrain. It is normally the case that they will need to assemble on a flat surface, so they will use information about the natural lay of the land to calculate what work will be required to create a stable footing for any structure. They will want this information prior to and during the construction stage of a project.
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