The demolition trade has a certain 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 huge amount of work that happens behind the scenes of the demolition and construction industry that is firmly rooted in the academic world. Furthermore, this unseen work is essential to the success of the more visible procedures.

One branch of this unnoticed work is site surveying, or more specifically pre-demolition and post-demolition topographical surveying. This kind of work demands a good balance of specific technical understanding 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 particular 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 precision.

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 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

Probably the most extensively used, and most generally recognised application for topographical surveys is cartography, or map making. Modern maps include a great deal of information about the landscape 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 industry. When individuals or companies 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.

Surveys definitely play a key safety part 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 be sure that they can ensure the safety of their workforce on site.

Many construction and demolition businesses within this country carry out demolition surveys on jobs they may be working on.

Types of Survey

The world of topography addresses a large number of physical characteristics so it is important to identify what form of topographical survey is suitable for a particular situation. A few of the more typical types of survey necessary for construction sites are reviewed 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. Whilst the data collected by the survey will be very accurate, and might be very extensive, the objective of these surveys is to give a site summary.

These surveys will generally include a boundary survey that sets out to define the extent of the site and highlight 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. 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 apparatus and even infrastructure features. This type of study is more commonly associated with the demolition sector since 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 comprehensive plan of the exterior and interior dimensions of a building. Depending on the requirements of the project, 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 create interior 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 company can plan a demolition that is both satisfactory and safe. Often these surveys will also be legally required.

Surveys will often contain information about the energy services that are present on a site before any demolition or construction work takes place. This is an essential safety aspect because any unmonitored damage to pipes and cables carrying water, gas and electricity could be very dangerous. The information can also be used to plan new structures, based upon the existing availability of these ammenities.

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

Carrying out a thorough , complete house demolition survey ensures the safety of people in the immediate locality of the work site.

Importance of Site Surveys

Maybe the most significant reason to undertake a topographical site survey is to ensure the health and safety of the individuals 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 proper survey done is to highlight any potential difficulties that may arise because of the physical properties of the region. Certain 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 problems to solve.

The inventory of site materials, 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 importing 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. Only by taking an exact audit of these materials can a company properly plan its imported material requirements.

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 particular vehicles or equipment then a new access route or alternative equipment will need to be found. Equally, a suitable site will need to be found for the base of management operations for the project. Good site surveying can help out in these less tangible ways.

Positioning of Survey Control

During the surveying and construction stages of a construction 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 equipment is both costly and sensitive. It is therefore wise to move this equipment off-site during demolition.

Once the demolition has taken place and the site has been deemed safe for personnel to return to it, the surveying equipment can be restored to its original position on site. This will allow for effective data gathering to take place for a post-demolition survey, and retains a single point of contact for anyone who requires the topographical survey information.

Las Vegas is the setting to much commercial demolition since older hotels require flattening so that more modern ones can be created in their place.

Who can Perform Site Surveys?

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

When choosing a company to undertake the surveying work necessary 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 get feedback about their performance on past projects. It may also be worth considering how a company can deliver the 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 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.

Project Planners

Project planners will generally need access to all of the information collected 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 prepare the construction phase.

Demolition Experts

Demolition organisations will want to know about the internal and external properties of any building or structures that they are arranged 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. They will need this knowledge before demolition can take place.

Site Engineers

Construction engineers on-site will be particularly interested in the survey statistics about the relief and topography of the site. It is usually the case that they will need 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.

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