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Bird's-Eye View: The Science Behind Construction And Contracting


About Me

Bird's-Eye View: The Science Behind Construction And Contracting

Hi! I'm AJ and I have an unusual hobby. I love abseiling down buildings - legally, of course. It is a growing tourist activity and I have been lucky enough to try it in many parts of the world. When you are on top of a building and then making your descent, you really have time to admire the overall construction and materials used. It is actually mind-boggling to think about the builders and machines who have put together such amazing architecture. I've been reading quite a few books lately about construction techniques and I'm quite in awe of the science involved. I hope that you find the science behind construction as fascinating as I do. Thank you for your time.

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Engineering surveys and their importance in the development of construction projects

What are engineering surveys?

Engineering surveys are vital to any type of construction project. This field involves carefully designing the road map for a given construction project, making sure that the design does not have any issues and is structured properly. Constructions projects include building roads, railways, pipelines and tunnels, as well as landfill caps and quarry infrastructure. 

Surveys are conducted by qualified surveyors who receive the construction design for review. They then use their expertise to draw the proposed construction plan on a special computer program. This is not just 'copying' the design; it involves meticulously calculating all dimensions and ensuring that everything falls into place. Any issues found will be communicated to the engineering team. The surveyors will then work together with the team to resolve this issue. 

Surveyors- key members of the team 

The work of surveyors is not complete once the construction project begins. In fact, surveyors work closely with the engineering team for the entire duration of the project to ensure that the project is completed without any mishaps. One of the tasks assigned to surveyors is finding out control points in the construction sites. The control points are part of topographic mapping and involve the identification of survey points through performing a range of calculations. Surveyors will use a variety of instruments to help them do their job on the construction site. 

Surveyors are also employed to monitor the health and performance of completed structures. 

Types of surveys

There are countless types of construction projects in an ever-growing city. This means that the survey conducted must be suited to the application. Here are the main types of surveys conducted:

  • Land surveys: All property construction projects involves land surveying. This involves mapping out boundaries of any property construction. 
  • Engineering surveys: These include as-built surveys to record completed construction projects and changes from the proposed design. Surveyors use latest technology, such as laser scanners, mapping drones and surveying robots. Civil construction surveying involves identifying reference points and markers in order to guide the construction of construction projects of all scales (e.g. roads, and buildings). Markers are determined according to a suitable coordinate system that is created for a certain construction projects.

These are the two main engineering surveys relevant to infrastructure development. Without the work of surveyors, construction projects cannot be completed. When hiring surveyors for a particular project, it is essential that surveyors with relevant industry experience be employed to assure success.