When designing a construction site, surveying is one of the more important parts of the whole process. 

Our surveyors are the first step of the puzzle before our engineers can begin on any project. For our engineers to know the existing topography, or geographical features of the land when planning the design of a building, roadway or railway, we need to survey first.

Engineers often develop a conceptual plan that’s practical for the site based on the survey results. One important factor is to balance “the cut and fill”, or determine the amount of dirt that needs to be added or removed. This information minimises the need to bring dirt in or take it off the site. If dirt has to be hauled away from or onto the site it can become costly to developers, public, private or individual clients.

Surveyors usually provide our engineers with the survey and in most cases a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) file. This shows the contours of the land and other features that might affect the long term design. By telling how steep the slopes are and where the dips or drainage areas are our engineers can correctly design solutions and properly complete the work.

When it comes to surveying and measuring vertical and horizontal distances the technology has advanced. Laser scanning and Drones are some of the latest technology used and are less laborious than some of the older methods. Hanlons surveyors are equipped with GPS which isn’t quite as accurate as traditional surveying methods, and in some cases it can’t be used. Hanlons can combine both traditional and contemporary methods by using both the GPS and surveying instrument depending on the location of the project and the accuracy required for that project.

The importance of accuracy needed on different projects depends on what type of survey you’re doing. For some projects the state has standards our surveyors must meet. 

If it’s in a rural setting where you’re out surveying someone’s farm for instance, the standards are not as important as if you were doing a survey in downtown Tamworth for a new subdivision. 

Accuracy is extremely important when it comes to surveying and engineering and there are an abundance of factors that can affect the measurements being exactly right. One mistake and you can throw off the design plans pretty quickly. And our surveyors hate upsetting our engineers…. Don't they Lachlan?