Forex Seminar Blog

The demolition industry has a particular reputation for being a harsh atmosphere in which brute force takes precedence over calculated thought; 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 sector that is firmly grounded in the academic world.

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 know-how as well as experience of the industry and a genuine 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 plot of land. The aim 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 wide range of environments, from open countryside to urban areas 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 generally recognised application for topographical surveys is cartography, or map making. Modern maps include a great amount of information about the landscape 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 industry. When people or organisations are looking to build any kind of structure they will need to carry out extensive surveys as part of the design phase of the project. These surveys are often an indispensable part of any application for planning permission too.

Surveys definitely play a key safety part in primary industries such as mining, or in other industrial sectors that interact with the terrain, such as demolition and infrastructure. Businesses 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.

A site due for demolition work should undergo a demolition survey regarding worker protection and financial planning motives.

Types of Survey

The arena of topography addresses a large number of physical characteristics so it is beneficial to identify what type of topographical survey is suitable for a particular situation. A few of the more common types of survey required for construction sites are discussed 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. Although the information gathered by the survey will be very accurate, and can be very extensive, the purpose 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 generally 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 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 generally concerned with man-made structures on a site, including the surveying of special equipment and even infrastructure characteristics. This type of survey 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 probably include a measured survey, which entails 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 basic building “footprint” dimensions, 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 information gathered by the types of boundary and building surveys described above. This information will be necessary so that the demolition firm can plan a demolition that is both adequate and secure.

Surveys will often contain information about the energy services that are present on a site before any demolition or construction work happens. This is an important safety factor because any unmonitored destruction 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 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 accurately determine the need to import building resources, or they can re-use the materials on a different project. These surveys could be made pre-demolition as well as post-demolition.

It is an evident reality that before construction demolition should be completed in sites that contain existing houses and other structures.

Importance of Site Surveys

Perhaps the most important reason to perform a topographical site survey is to ensure the health and safety of the individuals who will be doing work 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 condition of the ground on which they are working.

Another important reason to get a proper survey done is to highlight any potential problems that may arise because of the physical characteristics of the area. Particular things will 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 deal with these problems, or at best they will be expensive issues to solve.

The inventory of site materials, as previously stated, can be of great value to a demolition or construction company working on a project. Not only are construction materials themselves costly, 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 money. Only by taking an accurate 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 specific vehicles or machinery then a new entry route or alternative equipment will need 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 kept on-site. This is obviously a problem when it comes to the demolition period of a project since the machinery is both costly and sensitive. It is therefore sensible to move this equipment off-site during demolition.

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

Experience is often a determining variable whenever choosing a buildings demolition contractor because each job has specific requirements and unique challenges.

Who can Perform Site Surveys?

Because topographical site surveys can play such a critical role in the success or failure of a building or demolition venture it is critical that they are undertaken thoroughly by the right people. There are different divisions of site surveying and each one will have unique qualifications associated with it.

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 obtain feedback about their performance on past projects. It may also be worth considering how a company can deliver the survey data, i.e. in 3-D models or CAD ready formats, for ease of integration with other members of the project team.

Who will use the Survey Information?

Once an adequate level of information has been gathered by a site survey it needs to be handed out to the appropriate personnel 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 inventory before they can plan the construction phase. The more data that can be made available to project planners will assist 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 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 mainly interested in the survey statistics about the relief and topography of the terrain. It is normally the case that they will want to assemble on a flat surface, so they will use information about the natural lay of the land to determine what work will be required to create a steady foundation for any structure.

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