Practical Tech Solutions for Real-world Surveying Problems
Blog post
Author: Megan Hansen – August 2024
Long days measuring remote areas in intense heat. Crowded and dynamic construction sites where surveyors struggle to access points safely. Equipment that works reliably and long-term despite high performance requirements. Modern surveying service providers face challenges like these and more as they navigate growing demand amidst a limited workforce.
When used strategically, surveying technology, from sensors to software and services, can go a long way towards alleviating many of these challenges. However, this doesn’t always mean adding the most high-end or flashy technology. Instead, it involves finding tech solutions that best suit your tasks, workforce, and environmental challenges.
In this blog, we explore common challenges surveying companies face, as identified by surveying fleet management expert Ben Shepherd from Alexander Symonds, one of the biggest surveying companies in Australia. With industry-spanning services, the team at Alexander Symonds understands how to succeed despite the challenges of the contemporary surveying landscape. We also discuss technology solutions that can address these issues with examples matched to practical scenarios.
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Ben Shepherd Team Leader Technology Alexander Symonds |
Consistent service delivery supported by reliable tech
Delivering reliable services is a prime consideration for any surveying company, especially when managing larger teams and high-demand workloads. Alexander Symonds knows this well: delivering services to industries including engineering, construction, land development, mining, energy, and resources demands a reliable fleet of equipment that won’t let them down in the field.
"Reliable technology plays a big role in what we do,” explains Shepherd. “We’ve got a lot of people going out – 40 to 50 field crews daily - and it’s a tight operation. We can’t have equipment failures.”
“Sometimes having the really flashy stuff is cool, but it doesn’t cut it when you are trying to operate a business of this size and depend on your equipment to provide services to your clients,” continues Shepherd.
To combat this, companies can focus on investing in tech known for reliability and durability, such as the products offered by Leica Geosystems. With a fleet consisting of Leica total stations, GNSS, digital and automatic levels, and laser scanners, Alexander Symonds has found an advantageous technology partnership rooted in the shared values of reliability, repeatability, and longevity.
“We have a history with Leica Geosystems going back more than 90 years, and they continue to be a very reliable technology provider. Our clients come to us because we are dependable and can provide reliable services every time, and the reason we can do this is the Leica technology behind us, supporting us.” says Shepherd.
Reliability merged with innovation is apparent across Leica Geosystems technologies, like the evolving Leica GS-line of GNSS rovers. From the high-end maximum accuracy Leica GS18 I with visual positioning to the new Leica GS05, a lightweight rover with tilt compensation, surveyors benefit from reliability and durability suited to the rigours of professional measurement tasks and environments.
Building the right tech fleet
Another hurdle faced by surveying companies is building up the right collection of surveying instruments to meet a range of project demands. Shepherd shares that their team applies different technologies based on project specifications, from large buildings to long highway projects.
“If it’s a multi-storey building constructed out of steel and concrete, the demands on precision are really high, and we’re pushing the total station technology to its limit for layout,” describes Shepherd.
However, for linear civil construction like roads and highways, a mix of technologies is better suited to meet project requirements while enabling maximum flexibility.
“If we’re building a highway and need to get measurements within better than a centimetre, we apply our total station technology,” continues Shepherd. “Maybe these roads stretch for hundreds of kilometres through the middle of Australia and we need to set up control – then we use high-end GPS/GNSS technology and fill it with real-time GPS corrections.”
To effectively navigate across measurement scenarios like these, build a fleet that makes it easier to switch between your tech and integrate the services you need.
For example, ensure your instruments are all running on the same software, like Leica Captivate field software with a wide range of apps for specific surveying applications. The streamlined software interface makes crossover easier.
“With Leica Captivate running on both GNSS and total stations, our surveyors can migrate across both much more easily,” says Shepherd.
Additionally, building your fleet from a single provider also often enables streamlined service integrations. HxGN SmartNet Global PPP service fits into this category, pairing with Leica Geosystem’s GNSS rovers to ensure centimetre-level accuracy and uninterrupted measurement even in remote areas outside of network RTK coverage.
Training new surveyors
For large companies like Alexander Symonds, training new surveyors effectively and safely presents another unique challenge.
"Training plays a big role in what we have to do every day. We have a lot of young graduate surveyors and technicians who have not been trained on the technology. To cope with that, we developed our own internal training systems.”
In addition to offering internal training, select a technology provider invested in customer education. Look for platforms with product training, like Leica myWorld’s online courses or webinars offering guided product feature tutorials directly from the experts.
Once proficient with the tools, there is still more practical experience for young surveyors to acquire.
“They can use the equipment, but they also need to learn to apply it to the work, and it’s a long journey to high efficiency. We expect our staff to work in remote places and the challenge for us is to help them have those learning experiences whilst ensuring their safety.” explains Shepherd.
It is important to look for features that promote safety and help surveyors focus on work scenarios they may be encountering for the first time. For GNSS applications, the GS05 rover's lightweight build and tilt compensation allows easy manoeuvrability around sites and keeps the focus on measuring rather than levelling. The GS18 I furthers possibilities in tricky environments, allowing surveyors to capture points they can’t safely reach in the field with imaging. With Leica Captivate running on both GNSS and total stations, our surveyors can migrate across both much more easily,” says Shepherd.
Navigating difficult and busy sites
Ensuring safety on high-traffic construction sites can be challenging. Surveyors run into safety issues with heavy machinery, hard-to-reach places, and obstacles, which may delay measurements and put staff at risk.
“On construction sites there’s heavy machinery whizzing around you,” explains Shepherd. “There may be a whole lot of stuff in the way of what you need to measure, stacks of bricks, blocks, and steel. You’ve got cranes operating over your head. It’s not as simple as going out there, pressing a few buttons and presto, you’ve got your data.”
While you may not have control over conditions on site, investing in technology that makes high-accuracy measurements more flexible can help your surveyors safely work in these environments.
The Leica AP20 AutoPole addresses many concerns of the construction site, allowing robotic total station measurements with a tilted prism pole - this means navigating around obstacles more easily and fewer total station setups. The AP20 also has automatic target relock, so if anything gets in between surveyors and their total station, the prism is identified and relocked once the line of sight is restored – great for busy or crowded sites.
Cloud services like GeoCloud Drive also make flexibility easier, ensuring you are ready to capitalise on every window of opportunity to measure without delays due to data transfer.
Dealing with harsh environmental conditions
Environmental issues, both indoor and outdoor, can also disrupt surveying work.
"Environmental aspects play a big part in performance. Perhaps you get out to a site and its raining, windy, or dusty. It makes it difficult,” says Shepherd.
For these cases, opt for technology that is both durable and weather-resistant while also enabling quick measurements to help your surveyors avoid prolonged exposure to harsh conditions.
For example, if your surveyors are working in a remote location on a windy, high-temperature day, their equipment needs to withstand the dust, operate through the heat, and allow them to measure quickly. In cases like these, lightweight yet durable devices like the GS05 ensure the rover keeps working, doesn’t cause extra fatigue, and speeds up measurements, allowing surveyors to work through the conditions in minimal time.
Additionally, challenges can arise when surveyors need to scan inside industrial plants or other large facilities where temperatures may be extreme. Look for tech that provides maximum data at high speeds for these cases. When capturing piping in an industrial facility near a furnace, for instance, equipment like the Leica RTC360 3D laser scanner captures scans with millions of points enriched by HDR imagery in less than two minutes.
Surveying companies like Alexander Symonds handle an array of challenges daily, requiring a keen focus on the selection of reliable, flexible, and practical solutions. Companies can select technology that helps address common challenges, deliver reliable and efficient service, streamline training, and enhance safety, even in demanding environments. Products like the Leica GS05, Leica GS18 I, and Leica AP20 highlight the continuous development of such technology, representing a promising future for the industry.
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