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

One part of this unnoticed work is site surveying, or more precisely pre-demolition and post-demolition topographical surveying. This sort of work demands a great balance of specific technical know-how as well as experience of the industry and a natural 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 chart the naturally occurring and man-made features of a specific landscape to a high degree of precision. Whilst topography itself can refer to the surface of any object, it is more commonly associated with the surface of the planet.

Topographical surveys could be carried out on a very wide range of landscapes, from open countryside to urban areas and across a variety of elevations and land surfaces. Surveys can be developed to take into account a great number of factors, such as ground variables or vegetation, and as such can be used for a multitude of tasks. A few of the more common uses are outlined below.

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 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 made available online.

Topographical surveys also have a major role to play in the construction industry. When individuals or organisations are looking to build any kind of structure they will need to undertake extensive surveys as part of the design stage 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 like mining, or in other industrial sectors that interact with the terrain, such as demolition and infrastructure. Businesses in these industries will use surveys to plan their projects, but also to be sure that they can guarantee the safety of their staff on site. As such, topographical surveys are often a legal prerequisite for these types of projects.

Most construction and demolition businesses within this country carry out demolition surveys on jobs they are working on.

Types of Survey

The world of topography addresses a large number of physical characteristics so it is beneficial to identify what form of topographical survey is suitable for a particular scenario. A few of the more common types of survey necessary for construction sites are reviewed 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 information gathered by the survey will be very accurate, and might be very extensive, the purpose of these surveys is to give a site summary. They will usually be the first type of topographical survey that is carried out on a job.

These surveys will usually 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 may also include a level survey that will plot the elevation of the terrain and the numerous gradients that exist.

Building Surveys

Building surveys are more typically concerned with man-made structures on a site, including the surveying of special machines and even infrastructure characteristics. This type of survey is more regularly 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 almost certainly 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 project, a measured survey might provide basic building “footprint” dimensions, or might produce a highly detailed plan of the structure. This information can be used to produce internal floor plans and even roof plans.

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 needed so the demolition company can plan a demolition that is both adequate and secure. More often than not these surveys will also be legally requested.

Surveys will often include information about the power services that are present on a site prior to any demolition or construction work happens. 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 can also be used to plan new structures, based upon the existing supply of these utilities.

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 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 firm can more accurately gauge the need to import building materials, or they can re-use the materials on a different job. These surveys could be made pre-demolition and post-demolition.

For demolition projects throughout city locations, topographical demolition surveys may identify possible issues concerning the disruption of utilities and infrastructure in the area.

Importance of Site Surveys

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

Another critical reason to get a suitable survey done is to identify any potential difficulties that may arise because of the physical characteristics 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 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 company working on a project. Not only are building materials themselves costly, but importing them to the site may 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 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 managers. For example, if the gradients on a site would be prohibitive to specific vehicles or equipment then a new entry route or alternative equipment will have to be found.

Positioning of Survey Control

During the surveying and construction phases of a construction project, the equipment required for the physical surveying of the site and control of the survey information will often be kept on-site. This is obviously a problem when it comes to the demolition phase of a project since the machinery is both costly and sensitive.

Once the demolition has occurred and the site has been deemed safe for staff 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 maintains a single point of contact for anybody who needs the topographical survey information.

Las Vegas is the backdrop for a good deal of commercial demolition since old hotels need flattening so that new ones may be built in their place.

Who can Perform Site Surveys?

Since 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 thoroughly by the correct people. There are different branches of site surveying and each one will have unique qualifications associated with it.

When selecting a company to undertake the surveying work necessary 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 past projects. It may also be worth thinking about how a company can deliver their 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 details has been accumulated by a site survey it must be passed out to the appropriate personnel on-site. Who gets which pieces of information will mostly depend on the job roles being executed, 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, though 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 information that can be made available to project planners will assist the smooth running of the project.

Demolition Experts

Demolition companies will want to know about the internal and exterior characteristics of any building or structures that they are set 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 usually the case that they will want to build on a flat surface, so they will use details about the natural lay of the land to calculate what work will be needed to create a steady footing for any structure. They will want this information before and during the construction stage of a job.

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