What is Construction Surveying?
There are many different types of land surveys being performed in modern times. Land surveying is usually used to establish or reestablish boundaries, lines, corners, or monuments of property or land. Land surveyor are skilled individuals who use records, historical evidence, and documents when making out the land.
But sometimes, doing some construction work is the primary goal on a piece of land that primarily requires a survey and inspection. Before anything large can be built on a certain piece of land, a construction survey needs to be performed, resulting in the placement of roads, culverts, driveways, etc.
Construction Survey Equipment
No matter the type of survey, a surveyor is nothing without his equipment. Even though the type of equipment used in construction surveys is rather similar to general land surveying equipment, there are some that are mainly specific for construction surveying purposes. Construction surveys may use advanced equipment like drones, robotics, GPS, or modern software, but still mainly comes down to the following:
- Total Stations: A piece of equipment that includes electronic distance measurement to calculate distances and angles. With their high standards, total stations provide maximum opportunities when performing work on construction sites.
- Pisms:Prisms are used to secure control points at an accessible height for more precise accuracy. Prisms are used in conjunction with surveying poles and EDMs to help provide the most accurate measurements.
- Levelers: These are used to provide a difference in elevation between two points. Levelers are used combined with level rods or tripods and can be optical, digital, or simply handheld.
- Poles,tripods and mounts: An unstable mount can easily throw away even the most precise measuring instruments. In such a case, various poles, tripods, and mounts will ensure surveyors get the most accurate readings.
- Refective targets: A quality reflective target is there to ensure precise measurement as well as building or site layout. Targets used for construction work are made out of durable, UV resistant materials that are meant both for correct and discreet measurements.
- Magnetic locators: While determining the location of such features as pipes, utility covers, and underground tanks, magnetic locators can help a surveyor quickly determine the location of ferrous materials.
- Safety Gear: Each type of survey, let alone a construction survey, requires the use of standard safety equipment. You never know what land or weather conditions lie ahead.
