Post-Demolition Site Surveys

The demolition trade has a certain character for being a tough atmosphere in which brute force takes priority over calculated thinking; however this impression is far from appropriate. There is a huge amount of work that happens behind the scenes of the demolition and construction sector which is firmly grounded in the academic world.

One branch of this unnoticed work is site surveying, or more precisely pre-demolition and post-demolition topographical surveying. This type of work demands a good balance of specific technical knowledge as well as experience of the industry and a genuine intuition for the intricacies of the job. This article explores the ins and outs of this work.

Topographical Surveys

A topographical survey is a report of the actual features of a particular piece of land. The aim of a topographical survey is to chart the naturally occurring and man-made traits of a particular landscape to a high degree of accuracy. Whilst topography itself can refer to the surface of any kind of object, it is more commonly associated with the surface of the planet.

Topographical surveys can be carried out on a very wide range of landscapes, from open countryside to urban developments and across a variety of reliefs and land surfaces. Surveys can be developed to take into account a great many factors, such as ground variables or vegetation, and as such can be used for a number of tasks.

Common Applications for Topographical Surveys

Probably the most extensively used, and most generally 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, elevations and ground surface, all of which will have been obtained via a topographical survey. This information is also being provided online.

Topographical surveys also have a major role to play in the construction business. When people or companies are looking to construct any kind of structure they will need to carry out extensive surveys as part of the design stage of the project. These surveys are often an important part of any application for planning permission too.

Surveys also play a key safety part in primary industries such as mining, or in other industrial sectors that interact with the terrain, such as demolition and infrastructure. Companies in these industries will use surveys to prepare their projects, but also to make sure that they can guarantee the safety of their staff on site. As a result, topographical surveys are often a legal requirement for these types of projects.

Many construction and demolition firms in the UK conduct demolition surveys on jobs they may be working on.

Types of Survey

The arena 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 situation. A few of the more common types of survey necessary for construction sites are discussed below.

“Lie of the land” Surveys

These types of topographical surveys are designed to create an overview of the physical properties of any given plot of land. Whilst the data collected by the survey will be very accurate, and may be very extensive, the purpose of these surveys is to provide a site summary. They will usually be the first type of topographical survey that is undertaken on a job.

These surveys will usually incorporate a boundary survey that sets out to determine the extent of the site and highlight any particular restraints that are determined by the geography of the site. They can also include a level survey that will measure the elevation of the terrain and the various gradients that exist.

Building Surveys

Building surveys are more generally concerned with man-made structures on a site, including the surveying of special machines and even infrastructure features. This type of study is more regularly associated with the demolition sector since it can give a detailed plan of the structure to be demolished.

A building survey will almost certainly include a measured survey, which involves creating a comprehensive plan of the exterior and internal dimensions of a structure. Depending on the requirements of the job, a measured survey might provide simple building “footprint” dimensions, or might produce a highly 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 definitely include the details 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 requested.

Surveys will often contain information about the utility services that are present on a site prior to any demolition or construction work happens. This is an important safety factor because any unmonitored damage to pipes and cables carrying water, gas and electricity might be very dangerous.

Another aspect of the site study 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 located on site, for example, tiles and masonry, concrete that can be utilised as hardcore or even wood. By getting an accurate audit of site materials the construction company can more precisely determine the need to import building materials, or they can re-use the materials on a different job. These surveys could be made pre-demolition as well as post-demolition.

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Importance of Site Surveys

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

Another critical reason to get a proper survey done is to highlight any potential difficulties that may arise because of the physical properties of the area. Particular things will not be evident on the surface of the site and will only be uncovered once digging or demolition has begun. By then it may be too late to fix these problems, or at best they will be costly issues to solve.

The inventory of site supplies, as previously stated, can be of great benefit to a demolition or construction company working on a project. Not only are construction materials themselves expensive, but transporting them to the site could be a very expensive task in itself. Any time that material can be reused on site offers an opportunity to save development time and funds.

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 certain vehicles or equipment then a new access route or alternative machinery will have to be found.

Positioning of Survey Control

During the surveying and construction phases of a construction project, the apparatus required for the physical surveying of the site and control of the survey information will often be stored 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. It is therefore sensible to move this equipment off-site during demolition.

Once the demolition has occurred 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 keeps a single point of contact for anyone who needs the topographical survey information. Most surveying firms will oversee this redeployment.

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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 project it is vital that they are carried out carefully by the right people. There are different branches of site surveying and each one will have specific qualifications associated with it. Getting surveyors with these specific qualifications will certainly be advantageous.

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 performance on past projects.

Who will use the Survey Information?

When an adequate level of details has been gathered 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. There will be much less need for materials information half way through construction for example.

Project Planners

Project planners will generally require access to all of the information collected by a topographical survey, although they will particularly need to use information regarding the physical relief of a site before the design phase, and a site materials record before they can plan the construction phase. The more information that can be made available to project planners will aid the smooth running of the project.

Demolition Experts

Demolition businesses will want to know about the interior and external characteristics of any building or structures that they are arranged to take down. Whilst every project will have individual 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 information before demolition can take place.

Site Engineers

Construction engineers on-site will be mainly interested in the survey data about the relief and topography of the terrain. It is normally the case that they will want to assemble on a flat surface, so they will use information about the natural lay of the land to calculate what work will be required to create a steady footing for any structure. They will want this information before and in the course of the construction stage of a project.