Projects
Take a look at what we've been working on...
In a nutshell...
A case study highlighting the tools and techniques used to scan a Victorian sewer so major HS2 infrastructure works can go ahead in the area.
Who are they?
United Utilities are a Water utilities company based in the North West who were providing utility information to the teams working on the HS2 infrastructure works.
What did they need?
A full 3D laser scan of a major Victorian sewer to ensure there were no issues with HS2 works going on in the area. They would be using a Telesto laser profiler to map the underground utilities, but needed a way to link their underground scan data to the surface and get it placed on OS grid.
How did we help?
We used a TX7 laser scanner and a Faro X130 to produce a 3D point cloud of the sewer and access chamber. The sewer itself was over 50 metres below the surface and specialist equipment would be needed to scan the entire entry shaft and sewer at the bottom. We purchased two specialist tripods that would allow us to lower the laser scanners down the manhole and perform scans at various levels both horizontally and vertically. Members of our team also completed a confined spaces course to ensure we had the expertise needed to complete the job safely.
What were the benefits?
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A full 3D point cloud of the entire manhole chamber and sewer, with coordinates set to OS grid using GPS data taken above ground.
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Accurate information of the exact extents of the chamber.
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United Utilities had the information they needed to ensure there were no issues with HS2 works in the area.
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Coordinated accurate maps of the Victorian sewer infrastructure.
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Any collision with existing infrastructure could potentially cost millions to rectify, our data ensured that wouldn’t happen.
What did we produce?
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Coordinated point cloud data of the drop shaft and entry into the main tunnel for referencing with their Telesto data.
In a nutshell...
Using a Wingtra drone to survey seven kilometres of land to produce topographic data for a pipeline route.
Who are they?
Galiford Try are a major civil engineering company who provide building and infrastructure works across the country.
What did they need?
They needed a drone survey of a seven-kilometre area for a proposed pipeline route. They had a limited time frame and budget and opted for the drone survey which reduced on-site man hours and costs.
How did we help?
We flew multiple missions using a WingtraOne PPK drone for precision mapping of the terrain. This allowed us to complete the majority of the field work in just one day. We then produced a topographical survey drawing that was cross checked with conventional GPS taken at a later point to ensure accuracy. We also used utility mapping equipment such as Ground Penetrating Radar to detect buried utilities within road crossing on public land.
What were the benefits?
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WingtraOne post processing kinematics (PPK) enables high-precision mapping without the need for ground control points (GCPs) to correct a map generated from its captured data.
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Using the drone meant that we had no need to get permission for entering private land, causing almost no disruption to the local environment and allowing us to complete flights from a single location.
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The drone flies at over 100m so is safe from trees and power lines.
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Drone data is created using photogrammetry, meaning the data is accompanied by photos of the areas producing images with higher quality than most publicly available satellite imagery.
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A conventional survey would have taken up to 5 weeks for a team of two, and would have been at least 5x more expensive.
What did we produce?
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An Autodesk Civil 3D topographical model of the area.
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A 3D drawing of the underground utilities.
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An Orthomosaic image of the pipeline route.
In a nutshell...
Designing pipe spool fabrication drawings for an as-built environment based on design drawings in Revit.
Who are they?
MPE MacLeod Pipework Engineering are a commercial and domestic fabrication/plumbing company based in the South Yorkshire.
What did they need?
They were contracted to design a pipe network for a new plant room at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Hull. They needed a full 3D scan of the as-built structure to design a set of pipe spools for fabrication ready to be fitted on site.
How did we help?
We used TX7 laser scanners to scan existing structures. We then registered the data to create a point cloud and compare the as-built structure to the design drawings in Revit. After checking through the model for clashes, we designed custom spools to connect pipe systems and produced a set of sheets containing all the dimensions and pipe fittings for the fabrication team.
What were the benefits?
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Laser scanners reduced onsite surveying time to just a single day for 2 people rather than multiple weeks for teams of over 5 people – saving over £25K.
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Point cloud data overlaid with design drawings in Autodesk Navisworks allowed us to use clash detection to check for potential issues quickly and easily.
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Designing the spools in Revit allows easy adjustments and easy dimensioning of the spools.
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The team saved time on welding by having the spools created in Revit to millimetre accuracy.
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We produced a list of all the spools, with tags and names and a plan view of all the locations on site.
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It was shown that the as-built structure did not match the design drawings so changes were made to avoid clashes.
What did we produce?
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Individual fabrication drawings of each spool in 3D, CAD and 2D drawings.
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A site map of the locations of spools.
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A point cloud of the as-built structure to compare to the design drawing.
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A revised As-built Revit model of the plant room.
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A clash detection report generated in Autodesk Navisworks.