Surveying Applications in the Demolition Industry

The construction industry has a particular character for being a tough atmosphere 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 grounded in the academic arena.

One branch of this unnoticed work is site surveying, or more specifically pre-demolition and post-demolition topographical surveying. This kind of work calls for a great balance of specific technical know-how as well as experience of the industry and a genuine intuition for the complexities of the job.

Topographical Surveys

A topographical survey is a report of the actual features of a given plot of land. The aim of a topographical survey is to chart the naturally occurring and man-made traits of a specific 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 areas and across a variety of reliefs 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 extensively used, and most generally recognised application for topographical surveys is cartography, or map making. Modern day maps include a great deal of information 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 key role to play in the construction business. When individuals or companies are looking to construct any kind of structure they will need to carry out extensive surveys as part of the design phase of the project.

Surveys also 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 industries will use surveys to prepare their projects, but also to ensure that they can guarantee the safety of their workforce on site.

Engineers as well as building staff employ building demolition surveys for detailed dimensions of interior and external structures.

Types of Survey

The arena of topography covers a large number of physical characteristics so it is beneficial to determine what type of topographical survey is suitable for a particular situation. A few of the more common types of survey necessary for construction sites are discussed below.

“Lie of the land” Surveys

These types of topographical surveys are fashioned to create a summary of the physical characteristics of any given plot of land. Whilst the data collected by the survey will be extremely accurate, and can 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 undertaken on a job.

These surveys will generally incorporate 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 can also include a level survey that will plot the elevation of the terrain and the various gradients that exist.

Building Surveys

Building surveys are more typically concerned with man-made structures on a site, including the surveying of special apparatus and even infrastructure features. This type of study is more commonly associated with the demolition sector because it can give a detailed plan of the building to be demolished. It can be used for other projects as well.

A building survey will probably include a measured survey, which involves creating a detailed plan of the exterior and internal dimensions of a structure. Depending on the requirements of the job, a measured survey could provide simple 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 definitely include the details gathered by the types of boundary and building surveys described above. This information will be needed so that the demolition company can plan a demolition that is both satisfactory and secure. Often these surveys will also be legally required.

Surveys will often include information about the power services that are present on a site prior to any demolition or construction work takes place. This is an important safety aspect because any unmonitored destruction to pipes and cables carrying water, gas and electricity might be very dangerous.

Another aspect of the site study will often be an inventory 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 getting an accurate audit of site materials the construction company 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

Possibly the most significant reason to perform a topographical site survey is to ensure the health and safety of the individuals who will be working on the site. The industrial sectors that most commonly call for site surveys are dangerous enough as it is without having to worry about the condition of the ground on which they are working.

Another important reason to get a suitable survey done is to highlight any potential problems that may arise because of the physical properties of the region. Particular things may not be evident on the surface of the site and will only be uncovered 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 problems to solve.

The inventory of site supplies, 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 recycled on site provides an opportunity to save development time and funds. Only by taking an exact audit of these materials can a company properly plan its imported material needs.

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 specific vehicles or machinery then a new entry route or alternative machinery will need to be found.

Positioning of Survey Control

During the surveying and construction stages of a building 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 obviously a problem when it comes to the demolition period of a project since the machinery is both expensive and sensitive. It is therefore wise to move this equipment off-site during demolition.

Once the demolition has occurred and the site has been deemed safe for personnel to return to it, the surveying equipment can be restored to its initial position on site. This will allow for effective data gathering to take place for a post-demolition survey, and keeps a single point of contact for anyone who needs the topographical survey information. Most surveying companies will oversee this redeployment.

Project planners must consider secondary provisions like concrete removal whilst arranging several companies to carry out work on a building project.

Who can Perform Site Surveys?

Because topographical site surveys can play such a vital role in the success or failure of a building or demolition venture it is critical that they are carried out carefully by the correct people. There are different divisions of site surveying and each one will have unique qualifications associated with it. Getting surveyors with these specific qualifications will certainly be beneficial.

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 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 information, 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?

When an adequate level of information has been accumulated by a site survey it must be passed out to the appropriate people on-site. Who gets which pieces of information will largely depend on the job roles being executed, but can also rely on the stage that a project is at.

Project Planners

Project planners will usually need access to all of the information gathered by a topographical survey, although 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 venture.

Demolition Experts

Demolition businesses will want to know about the internal and exterior characteristics of any building or structures that they are arranged to take down. Whilst every job will have individual 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 particularly interested in the survey data about the relief and topography of the site. It is normally the case that they will need to build on a flat surface, so they will use information about the natural lay of the land to calculate what work will be needed to create a stable foundation for any structure.

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