Mar

19

Building Site Surveys

Filed Under Branding 

The construction trade has a certain reputation for being a harsh atmosphere in which brute force takes precedence over calculated thinking; however this image is far from correct. There is a substantial amount of work that goes on behind the scenes of the demolition and construction industry that is firmly rooted in the academic arena.

One part 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 genuine intuition for the intricacies of the job.

Topographical Surveys

A topographical survey is a study of the actual 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 may 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 broad range of landscapes, 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 number of factors, such as ground variables or vegetation, and as such can be used for a number of tasks.

Common Applications for Topographical Surveys

Probably the most widely used, and most commonly recognised application for topographical surveys is cartography, or map making. Modern day maps include a great amount of detail about the landscape they relate to, including waterways, elevations and ground surface, all of which will have been obtained via a topographical survey. This information is also being provided online.

Topographical surveys also have a major role to play in the construction industry. When people or organisations 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 essential part of any application for planning permission as well.

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. Companies in these industries will use surveys to prepare their projects, but also to ensure that they can ensure the safety of their workforce on site. As a result, topographical surveys are often a legal requirement for these types of projects.

New developments built on formerly inhabited property demand demolition surveys to minimise interruption of utilities and services for the surrounding community.

Types of Survey

The world of topography addresses a large number of physical characteristics so it is beneficial to determine what form of topographical survey is appropriate for a particular scenario.

“Lie of the land” Surveys

These types of topographical surveys are designed to create a summary of the physical characteristics of any given plot of land. Although the information collected by the survey will be very accurate, and can be very extensive, the objective of these surveys is to give a site summary. They will often 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 determine 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 plot the elevation of the land and the numerous 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 features. This type of survey is more regularly associated with the demolition industry because it can give a detailed plan of the building to be demolished.

A building survey will probably include a measured survey, which entails creating a comprehensive plan of the exterior and internal proportions of a structure. Depending on the requirements of the project, a measured survey might provide basic building “footprint” measurements, or might produce a highly detailed plan of the structure.

Content of a Topographical Site Survey

A survey of a demolition site will almost definitely include the details gathered by the types of boundary and building surveys described above. This information will be necessary so the demolition firm can plan a demolition that is both satisfactory and secure.

Surveys will often contain information about the utility services that are present on a site before any demolition or construction work takes place. This is an important safety aspect since any unmonitored destruction to pipes and cables carrying water, gas and electricity might be very dangerous. The information might also be used to plan new buildings, based upon the existing supply of these utilities.

Another aspect of the site survey will often be an audit of materials on the site. This type of study will be a quantity survey of the various types of materials that can be found on site, for example, tiles and masonry, concrete that can be utilised as hardcore or even timber. By taking an accurate audit of site materials the construction company can more precisely gauge the need to import building materials, or they can re-use the materials on a different project.

If you are interested in construction projects within the UK click here to discover requirements and recommendations for demolition projects.

Importance of Site Surveys

Maybe the most important reason to perform a topographical site survey is to ensure the safety of the people who will be working on the site. The industrial sectors that most frequently call for site surveys are risky enough as it is without having to be concerned about the integrity of the ground on which they are working.

Another important reason to get a suitable survey done is to highlight any potential difficulties 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. By then it may be too late to fix these problems, or at best they will be costly issues to solve.

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 construction materials themselves costly, but importing them to the site could be a very expensive task in itself. Any time that material can be recycled on site offers an opportunity to save development time and funds. Only by taking an exact audit of these supplies can a company properly plan its imported material requirements.

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 access route or alternative equipment will need to be found. Equally, an appropriate site will need to be found for the base of control operations for the project. Good site surveying can help out in these less tangible ways.

Positioning of Survey Control

During the surveying and construction phases of a building 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 stage 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 workers to return to it, the surveying equipment can be restored to its original position on site. This will allow for efficient data gathering to take place for a post-demolition study, and maintains a single point of contact for anyone who needs the topographical survey information.

Project managers must think about secondary services such as concrete removal whilst arranging different companies to carry out work on a building site.

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 vital that they are carried out thoroughly by the right people. There are different branches of site surveying and each one will have unique certificates associated with it. Getting surveyors with these specific skills will certainly be advantageous.

When choosing a company to undertake the surveying work required for your project it will be wise 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 previous projects.

Who will use the Survey Information?

Once an adequate level of information has been gathered by a site survey it must be handed out to the appropriate people on-site. Who gets which pieces of information will mostly depend on the job roles being performed, but can also rely on the stage that a project is at. There will be much less need for materials information half way through construction for example.

Project Planners

Project planners will generally need access to all of the information gathered by a topographical survey, though they will particularly need to use information concerning the physical relief of a site before the design phase, and a site materials record before they can plan the construction phase. The more data that can be made available to project planners will aid the smooth running of the project.

Demolition Experts

Demolition businesses 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 experts will generally need to know about the fundamental framework 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 information 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 details about the natural lay of the land to determine what work will be required to create a steady foundation for any structure.

Comments

Leave a Reply