35
october 2014
international
construction
W
ith so much new and rapidly developing technology
available in the surveying and instruments sector,
navigating the options can be a challenge for
contractors.
Along with the rise in the use of Building Information
Modelling (BIM), sophisticateddigital instruments, data loggers
and the associated hardware and software are changing the way
construction work is carried out on site and how companies
approach constructionwork.
But while this may be a challenge for the industry, it is also
an opportunity. With contractors facing tight deadlines, using
time-saving devices for the planning and execution of projects
can make a difference to timelines and budgets as well as
reducingwaste.
For example, just a few years ago, even the thought of using
drones for commercial topographical mapping was considered
something thatwas farmore the territoryofmilitary surveillance.
But a growing number of companies have switched on to the
potential for using sophisticated small drones as a quick and
efficientmeans of surveying construction andmining sites.
Manufacturers have been far from
slow in engaging with development of
technology that is now widely in use
amid other business sectors.
Surveying advances
As BerndMoeller, Leica’s senior product
manager explained, therehave been some
momentous changes to the surveying
scene in recent years, yet he believed his
company hadworked hard to respond to
customers’ demands.
This includes the introduction of its
own series of products such as its latest
icon builder 60 and icon robot 60 for
automated measuring and positioning
tasks.
He pointed to a clear trend of
younger “Nintendo generation” project
managers who had engaged with latest
techniques such as using computer-
based tablet planning of surveying tasks
and BIM computer-basedmonitoring of
construction site surveying.
>
Technology uptake
Increasingly sophisticated
on-site tools and the rise
in the use of BIM to run
construction projectsmay
be daunting, but they also
represent an opportunity for
contractors.
Neill Barston
reports.
SURVEYING
Technology uptake
The use of surveying drones, aswith
Atec-3D’s tests in East Kent, UK, are
becoming increasingly popular.
Digital surveying
equipment such
as Leica’s robot
60 and range
of total stations
have become
common on site.
