Surveys and 3D mapping

Georeferenced orthophotos, digital terrain models, point clouds and volume calculations. Flights are planned around the resolution and accuracy the project requires.

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An aerial survey records the state of a site on the date of the flight, in georeferenced and measurable form. The data remain available for later comparison and allow the changes between two campaigns to be quantified precisely.

Who it is for

Technical firms: surveyors, engineers, architects
Construction companies, quarries and earthworks
Municipalities and public bodies
Archaeological excavations and restoration
Estate agents and property owners
Ports and boatyards

Reference figures

1 cm/px: orthophoto resolution at usual working altitudes
1 cm: horizontal accuracy of RTK positioning
1.5 cm: vertical accuracy of RTK positioning
30: check points called for by the ASPRS standards to state accuracy

Surveys and 3D mapping

Construction, civil engineering and GIS

A construction site changes week by week and its documentation has to keep pace. An aerial survey repeated on the same route produces a comparable time series: for every progress stage an orthophoto, elevations and volumes are available for use with the works supervisor and in site accounting.

Georeferenced design bases

Orthophoto and terrain model in the national coordinate system, ready to import into CAD and GIS as the design base.

Foundations, access roads and fencing in one georeferenced base.

Progress reporting

A monthly flight with the same altitude, grid and time of day as the previous one: differences between two dates are measurable and documented.

Pours, formwork and reinforcement on the survey date.

Cut and fill volumes

The volume between two surfaces is computed from the digital terrain model over the entire area, without relying on sample cross-sections.

Plant and stockpiles on the excavation floor.

Documented accuracy

With RTK satellite positioning the camera position is known to about 1 cm horizontally and 1.5 cm vertically. Where the specification calls for verified accuracy, ground control and check points are surveyed and the measured residuals are reported. The ASPRS standards call for at least 30 check points to state accuracy.

A basin with a waterproofing liner.

Surveys and 3D mapping

Quarries, geology and earthworks

In a quarry the key figure is volume, computed as the difference between two surfaces. A periodic aerial survey returns it over the whole area and reduces the need for personnel on the face, where ground survey is slow and carries risk.

Volumes between two surveys

A digital terrain model is produced at every campaign: material removed or stockpiled is the difference between two surfaces, computed over the entire area.

Yard, plant and working face in a single survey.

Faces and slopes

The gimbal tilts up to 70° upwards: walls are shot from below, without overflying them or approaching an unstable toe.

A quarry face with vertical walls.

Stockpiles and yards

Volume and survey date for every stockpile, for periodic inventory and site accounting.

Stockpiles and conveyors in the yard.

Instability monitoring

Surveys repeated over the same perimeter reveal slope movements that cannot be seen by eye, as measurable differences between two terrain models.

Slopes and the woodland edge.

Surveys and 3D mapping

Archaeology and heritage

In archaeological excavation, documentation is an integral part of the work: what is removed survives only through the data recorded. An aerial survey closes each phase with a scaled orthophoto and a three-dimensional model of the surface, in timescales compatible with the progress of the site.

End-of-phase orthophoto

Every excavation phase closes with a scaled, georeferenced image on which stratigraphic units are drawn in CAD or GIS without manual survey.

Plan of the excavation at the end of the day.

Three-dimensional model

Point cloud and surface mesh: sections and elevations can be extracted later, once excavation has moved on and the recorded surface no longer exists.

An ancient theatre uncovered in woodland.

Historic elevations and roofs

The gimbal tilts up to 70° upwards: cornices, eaves and vaults are documented from below, without scaffolding or contact.

Roof and bell tower of a country church.

Non-destructive thermography

Plaster detachment and rising damp appear as temperature differences before they become visible, and the survey requires no contact with the surface.

Masonry with an exposed arch.

Surveys and 3D mapping

Real estate

Aerial imagery shows what ground photography cannot: the extent of the property, its boundaries, access and surroundings. The same flight also provides technical data such as areas, distances and roof condition, with no second site visit.

Overview and context

Boundaries, access, distances from neighbouring buildings and aspect in a single, easy-to-read image.

Boundaries, access, pool and parking in a single frame.

Orthophoto for technical files

A georeferenced, scaled image that overlays the cadastral map and can be used by the appointed surveyor.

Top-down view of the property.

Roof condition

Lifted tiles, flashing, chimneys, skylights and flues documented before completion, from a safe distance and without roof access.

A flat roof with plant and skylights.

Video for listings and portals

Footage up to 8K, edited into short clips for property portals and social media, with camera moves centred on the property.

The property in its setting.

Surveys and 3D mapping

Marine, ports and waterways

In port areas space is occupied and the view from the ground is limited. Aerial imagery shows the actual layout of the berths, the condition of the quays and the geometry of the basins, and a georeferenced survey allows them to be measured.

Quays and infrastructure

Orthophoto of the port area with measurable areas and distances, updatable at every campaign on the same route.

Quay and rubble breakwater.

Vessels and yards

Footage for sales and documentation of refit work, with 48-megapixel detail of deck, superstructure and topsides.

Pontoons shot top-down.

Basins and berths

Actual berth occupancy, with date and coordinates, for concession management and audits.

The harbour in a single image.

Operating limits over water

Over water the downward vision positioning system is unreliable, and at grazing angles the surface reflects sky radiation, affecting thermal readings. Flights are planned accordingly and the limits are stated in the report.

Still water with reflections.

Deliverables

Georeferenced orthophoto (GeoTIFF and JPG)
Digital terrain and surface models (DTM and DSM)
Point cloud (LAS/LAZ) and navigable 3D model (OBJ)
Volume calculation between two surveys, with the method stated
Technical report with flight parameters and, where required, residuals on the check points
Sections and elevations extracted from the model on request