Changing with the times
Our city centres – and indeed our countryside – are changing all the time. With changing shopping patterns, city centres are having to rethink how they use their buildings, while agricultural estates are also being repurposed into something new. In this piece, we’re going to look at the role surveyors play in transforming these places into something useful again and bringing spaces back to life.
Outlining potential – Feasibility Studies
Feasibility studies are an important stage in the planning and construction process. They are a good way to gauge if a project is viable and if there’s an opportunity for the scope of works to be carried out as intended. They also provide insight into what this scope of work can be and what potential the site holds, an overview of what is possible and what’s not.
One version of the truth – Asset Registers
An asset register ensures that all estate management information is held in one place. Asset registers are inventories and collated data of owned assets. Their main users are local councils and authorities, and affiliated estate or land management companies. Essentially, the property asset register is a list of council-owned land and buildings. It also contains details of properties in which the council has an interest, such as academies and church schools, but doesn’t include housing stock properties.
Helping to build community spirit
Securing community assets As well as drinks and food, pubs serve so much more to a community. The fact that the Golden Lion has been closed for more than 10 years is such a shame for a village like Ashton Hayes. Initially, the empty building was taken on by someone that simply wanted to get […]
A day in the life of… Joe Laughton, senior surveyor at Powers
Perfect planning Joe explains: “My day starts at 08:00 when the surveyors come in to pick up their equipment, check RAMS have been created and review the project brief one final time before heading out for the day. At the beginning and end of every week, we have a planning meeting where the senior team […]
To infinity (and beyond): aerial drone surveys
The sky’s the limit Drones are robotic, flying remote controlled craft fitted with cameras and onboard data gathering equipment. They are also called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs. Drone surveys can be useful for land surveying and cartography, urban planning and development, construction and planning, environmental studies and research, and volumetric measurement. They’re an excellent […]
CCTV drainage surveys – exploring and assessing beneath the surface
CCTV drainage surveys: an underground overview Usually, a CCTV drainage survey is done by sending a portable, navigable camera along the drain network. When CCTV surveys are requested, there’s usually an inkling of a problem. In most cases, the drain will be blocked or there will be some reason why the camera can’t get down […]
Survey specification – right from the start
Levels of detail At Powers, we have over 50 years of experience of working on all kinds of projects. Not just construction projects, but also engineering, scientific and environmental. When you are in the early stages of a project, our skilled team at Powers can work with you to ensure that we are surveying exactly […]
Why is it a good idea to get my measured building survey or underground services detection done at the same time as the topographic survey?
The level of detail a topo provides can help with the understanding – and create the visual representation – of the site. It will also establish what enabling work needs to be carried out before the start of construction, such as the scale of the earthworks required. However, despite this high level of detail, it […]
What is a complex topographical survey?
Backbone of the project Topographical surveys are the backbone of reliable construction project planning and design. Measured data gathered during a geospatial survey can be used in a number of ways and drawings are an important part of the design and construction process. Surveyors should be engaged to undertake ‘topo’ surveys, as they are informally […]