Surveying to protect Granny’s Bay from coastal erosion

Case study

Author: Samuel Knott

Site Surveying Services Ltdwas founded by Howard James Woods in 1997 and is based in Clitheroe, a village and civil parish in the picturesque Ribble Valley district in the heart of Lancashire. The area itself was recently voted as the happiest place to live in the United Kingdom.

Since its founding, the company has carried out more than a thousand topographical surveys, volume calculations, visualisations, survey reports, elevations, floor plans and site engineering services for a wide range of clients. From private households to major contracts with councils and developers, Site Surveying Services Ltd is equipped to tackle substantial projects with ease, while remaining small enough to give their customers a personal service.

Their way of providing the most accurate services for their customers is by employing a team of 10 trained surveyors and CAD professionals, combined with investment in the latest cutting-edge technology. They engage in an ongoing training program through the Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES) while maintaining in-house quality management systems qualifying them for ISO9001. Site Surveying Services Ltd covers the whole of the UK, offering a fast turnaround from quotation to the production of drawings – sometimes even within the same day and on-site if required.


Topographical surveys at the coastal zone of Fairhaven and Church Scar



The surveying company have recently been working on the Fairhaven and Church Scar Sea Defence Project, otherwise known as Granny’s Bay, which is part of a £22m coastal protection project along the Fylde Coast. The Sea Defence redevelopment is being carried out to replace the failing and existing coastal concrete defences originally built in the 1890s. The completion of the new concrete defences will provide a new lease of life to the promenade and help protect the area from coastal erosion while benefitting over 2,600 properties in the region. Councillor Thomas Threlfall has described the completion of the project as making the seaside resort fit for the next century; whilst Councillor Roger Small, who is chairman of the Operational Management Committee, has described the project as the final piece of the jigsaw to the new foreshore.

Site Surveying Services Ltd has been involved in the project since the very beginning, initially carrying out a topographical survey of the site and continuing through the scheme with volume calculations and visualisations of the site as it progresses. The founder and company director said,“I feel the reason we were awarded this job is down to a long tradition of surveying experience, years of hard work and solid recommendations from previous clientele. From my perspective, the opportunity to get involved in a venture that would benefit the coastal environment was too exciting to pass on.”

The topographical survey was carried out using theLeica Viva GS16 Smart Antenna,Leica Viva TS16 total stationand controlled with using aLeica CS20 field controller。获得的数据支持该项目的设计,并用作所有设置现场和机器控制的控制网络。数据还用于计算数量,有助于最大程度地减少项目成本。



From the beginning of the project, Site Surveying Services Ltd worked withVolkerStevin一家公司在各个部门提供复杂的工程解决方案,包括土木工程,土地修复和再生,水和海洋基础设施以及洪水和沿海保护。“VolkerStevin oversaw the development of the sea defence, and we carried out some setting out on site directly for the company. Experiencing first hand the quality, accuracy and benefits of the equipment led VolkerStevin renting and purchasing their own fleet of Leica Captivate total stations for the project,”伍德说。

Site Surveying Services Ltd also worked closely with福克斯兄弟有限公司土方工程、拆除contractors’ firm, to establish GPS machine control on the coastal zone of Fairhaven and Church Scar. To set up the grid to work on the coastal defence project, the surveying company relied onLeica Geo Office, andLeica iCON softwareto process the network as well as N4ce software to process the 3D files.


Beyond a trusted measuring and positioning technology provider



伍德说,当被问及为什么现场测量服务有限公司使用Leica Geosystems产品时,亚搏彩票手机版下载“The user-friendly interface and simplicity of using Leica Geosystem products is by far the best I’ve experienced in the industry over the past 22 years. Their products are undeniably accurate, and their customer support is second to none.”

We choose our products based on durability and reputation within the industry. We find Leica Geosystems products to be both these things and more. Their waterproof capacity allows us to adapt to the ever-changing British weather without any issues.”

Beyond the Fairhaven and Church Scar Sea Defence project, Site Surveying Services Ltd has 10 active Leica Geosystems total stations that are continually used on a whole variety of sites and scenarios. The company also owns aLeica Scan Station P40to gather high-speed quality 3D data and when mapping out the internals of historical buildings, complex areas and abundant rivers.

根据伍德的说法,P40还帮助他的业务发展,并有更快的周转速度,“It covers so much ground in so little time, I find it extraordinary. We are able to utilise the highly detailed 3D colour point clouds to map out the internals of complex structures and save man-hours on site. This means we can turn around drawings quicker and get back out there.”

多年来,许多公司都来来去去,但现场测量服务有限公司的实力和数量继续增长。提供最高质量的产品和客户服务质量,该产品与敬业的劳动力相匹配,一支幕后强大的团队以及对行业的热情首屈一指的导演。

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