Merry Christmas from Loy Surveys!

It's that time of the year again. After another fantastic year here at Loy Surveys it's time to say thank you to our customers, suppliers and most importantly our staff. Click here to view our Christmas eCard.

All the best for 2013, we're looking forward to bringing you some exciting developments. For more details visit www.loy.co.uk

OS and LOCOG RICS lecture

I attended the RICS Christmas lecture last night at RICS HQ at Great George Street, London.

Neil Ackroyd from the Ordnance Survey demonstrated the huge mapping effort behind the Olympic village and all other venues.  8 OS surveyors were on the ground constantly mapping on the lead up to the Olympic Games.  All surface apertures (manholes, stop cocks etc etc) around the site had to be mapped.  The mapping was consistently updated using RTK with OSNet corrections and Lidar data.  Additionally, bringing together organisations such as the Met, Ambulance Services, London Fire Brigade and military and creating a standard mapping symbology emphasised the level of commitment by all parties.

It was an amazing effort.

James Bulley from  London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) also gave a presentation.   The logistical organisation was outstanding - bringing together a huge number of companies, organisations and working together – rather than against each other.  UK Plc really worked.

Thanks for an interesting and thought provoking lecture.

More information on OS mapping can be seen at the following YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG5dE6mqzmY&list=PLJp4yCtYcXpoD6U-SmFeS48SQxE-0u05_&index=1

Mobile Mapping - where next?

Attended an interesting seminar last month hosted by the Survey Association.

Mobile mapping from vehicles is another technology that the Survey Industry will need to embrace.  Google and Bing have acquired photography of just about everyones front garden or door across the entire world!

Topcon's have taken this a bit further.

Recipe for Mobile Mapping

Ingredients

• laser scanners,
• 360 degree camera
• GNSS antenna
• Inertial measurement unit 
• Laptop
• Odometry from wheel encoders
• Lots of cables and programming

Method:

A drive through the countryside, town or city (doesn't sound like work does it!)

Product:

A complete geospatial data set that can used for asset management, GIS systems, modelling, impressing clients with fancy fly throughs, etc, etc



Mobile Mapping - Done!

Check out the videa of a recent mobile mapping project in San Francisco - Outstanding!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaidCajQSoo

Loy Surveys at Leica Roadshow

It's that time of year again - the Leica team are on the road.  Great to see loads of familiar faces at the Emirates stadium last week and Alastair Bain attended at Edinburgh today.

I attended some really interesting seminars.  One of the highlights of the show was the launch on the Leica ScanStation P20 - see below:

It looks like a C10 but is very different...

Quotes from Leica:

Ultra-high speed scanners (up to 1 million points/second) are known for their ultra-fast scan speeds and often higher level of detail. To this, the break-through, compact Leica ScanStation P20 also brings unprecedented data quality at range (120m, max), plus outstanding environmental capabilities, survey-grade tilt compensation, and an industry first "Check & Adjust" capability.

Also check out: Ultra-high speed scanners (up to 1 million points/second) are known for their ultra-fast scan.

Another interesting seminar was by Dr Anne Kemp - Director at WS Atkins.  She spoke about the what, why and how of BIM.  The long and short of her presentation was that BIM is coming no matter what - Loy Surveys offer BIM modelling services - please contact either myself or Alasdair to find out more.

Mark

BIM and Reverse BIM

BIM (Building Information Modelling) seems to be the buzz word at the moment!

But where as a Land Survey/Geomatics company do we fit in.

Leica Geosystems have produced a presentation summarising various survey technologies that can be implemented and utilised by the professionals involved in and contributing to the BIM process.  Please see the link below:

http://www.bimnet.co.uk/documents/Integrated%20Survey%20Solutions%20for%20BIM.pdf

As a professional surveying company we are in the perfect position to provide advice, guidance and services in all of these areas from initial survey work through to setting-out, monitoring and as-built surveys.   We have the experience and the tools needed to provide accurate geospatial information.

The term Reverse BIM comes to mind when a building is being redeveloped or amended.  Architects and Engineers need accurate as built plans and data before this work can commence.  Once again we have the tools, skills and experience needed to provide these services.

Daylight and sunlight analysis and rapid 3D scanning

RICS have published a guidance note about daylighting, sunlight and shading - encountered in the design, planning and environmental impact assessments of developments.

Laser scanning or rapid 3D scans now enables the professional to produce accurate, cost effective and fast analysis.   These tools are likely to be used increasingly as the norm for the evaluation of effects and optimising outcomes.

To read more, visit: www.rics.org/site/scripts/news_article.aspx?newsID=2780&categoryID=339

New RTK guidance note

Network RTK solutions provide 10 – 20 mm in plan and 20 – 40 mm in height says new RTK report published by TSA (The Survey Association). Visit new TSA website to download 

Watercourse surveys

TSA has published a Client Guide for people wishing to procure surveys of watercourses. The Guide has been written by a watercourse surveying professional within TSA's Technical Committee and has had input from other people within the hydraulic engineering industry.

The Guide is written for the full range of professionals or private individuals who may need to procure a watercourse survey from the least experienced property owner to the seasoned hydraulic engineer.

River channel design, channel re-profiling, control structures and flood risk assessments are just some of the projects that would need a watercourse survey before work can commence.

This Guide will point you in the right direction and if followed; will ensure that you get the survey you need to move your project on successfully.

Find out more: http://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/guidance.php

UK housing market forecast for 2012

Sales of homes may rise a little over the coming year but prices will struggle to follow suit, predicts the 2012 RICS housing market forecast. Transaction levels are likely to climb back to around 880,000 level recorded in 2010. However, to put this in context, total sales in 2006 were almost double this amount at 1.67 million.

New utility survey guidance

   RICS, ICES and TSA have recently started to endorse one another's professional and technical output for the benefit of the UK geomatics industry. The Essential Guide to Utility Surveys YouTube clip, released by The Survey Association is now available. This new utility guide underlines the impact and fallout from poorly prepared utility surveys and helps surveyors and clients in planning the best utility survey possible.

  UK Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said, "I am pleased to see that The Survey Association has produced this document, which is not only written in plain and concise English, but which will also become a vital source of information for all those concerned with the UK's construction industry."