Below are the 3 most recent journal entries recorded in utilitymapping's InsaneJournal:

Friday, November 4th, 2011
11:57 pm	What a Measured Building Survey Can Be We rely on buildings. They’re where most of us spend our working day, our night’s sleep and our Sunday rest. Given we spend so much time inside them, it’s important to make sure they’re safe. History and daytime television are full of buildings that haven’t come up to scratch with often inconvenient, sometimes fatal, results. A measured building survey provides an accurate record of a building. It can be used for fire risk assessment, licensing and lease applications, refurbishment, extension or as built plans, or any number of the other tasks that require close examination of your structure. Depending on what the client needs, a measured building survey can take a wide variety of forms. Modern laser scanning technology can produce 3D models of any building or structure, replicating in three dimensions all of its intricacies. Laser surveys can be used for floor plans or for a full 3D elevation. Two-dimensional elevations can also form a part of a measured building survey. These are traditionally a 2D image depicting the exterior of the building and all its features in outline. Some elevations might only show the major features (e.g. doors, windows, balconies), but can give brick-by-brick detail for those projects which need a greater level of detail, such as historic records. As well as laser scanning, digital photography and reflectorless technology can be used to produce elevations. Floor plans are the type of “blueprints” with which many people are familiar from countless films, comic strips and the like. They show both the net and gross internal area of a building, as well as marking out significant features such as doors, windows, power sockets, etc where appropriate. Floor plans of existing buildings are most commonly used where refurbishment or space planning is being considered. As with elevations, reflectorless and laser technology are used to take measurements. Sections can show a cross section of particular elements of a building (e.g. a balcony, a landing) or the entire structure. They can be produced in order to show a cross section of any part of the building and can show either visible detail, or additional aligned detail up to a certain distance away (e.g. the side of an arch and all structural detail that lies directly behind it). While sections are usually produced by combining and comparing information from elevations and floor plans, they can be produced independently if required. Sections allow surveyors and others to directly asses the alignment of structural features and make any alternations that may be neccessary (e.g. ensuring a landing does not block light from a window). Traditional – albeit high quality – photographs can also form part of a measured building survey. Detailed colour photographs highlight key parts of the structure and afford greater understanding in the interpretation of detail, particularly where those looking at them may not be able to make a site visit (e.g. councils assessing an application for planning permission, investors looking to expand their property portfolio, specialists in property law). Where once a series of flat photographs may have been used, nowadays a 360° panorama can be generated from a sequence of digital photographs, allowing users to zoom, rotate and explore the space in almost the same detail they would be able to were they actually there. A measured building survey can take many forms. It can be a 3D model, a set of floor plans, a section and internal photographs, or all or some of these things depending on the client’s particular needs. The product is an accurate and detailed record of all important details of the concrete cocoons in which we while away our days. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
7:06 pm	A Beginner’s Guide to Building Surveying If you like professional and accurate advice on all property and building aspects ,You can consider the help of a reputable building surveyor and he is able to offer an outstanding well-rounded service.The building surveyor will perform a detailed survey of your dwelling or site and, if you intend to build, repair or perform foundation repairs, then a utility detection survey will also be conducted to ensure that you will not be digging up any significant utility pipes or cables.Utility detection can easily determine, with accuracy, precisely where and how deep the utilities are. If you are you are building your property from scratch or adding on to it ,by conducting a geophysical survey you can make sure that you are not just starting construction on a site at risk of subsidence or flood risk or other high risk factors and you can ensure that your chosen site is suitable for construction or not. Professional building surveyors will carry out the survey and deliver accurate survey data in an straightforward format. You will obtain top quality colour drawings of your plot or property produced using laser scanning which will create a 3D plan. Building surveying handles any sort of property from the most modest of buildings to much larger industrial premises. Elevations will provide important details on the functions of the structure and floor plans may also be provided, ranging from the basic layout to more informative plans with the addition of outlet and radiator positioning. By employing a building surveyor you will get sound advice at each and every stage of the build , tips and suggestions on energy efficiency as well as sustainable construction and materials. Naturally, as with any building work, there may well be health risks involved, a typical scenario would be the discovery of the presence of asbestos whilst undertaking your construction or maintenance work. Building surveyors will give you the appropriate advice on how to deal with both this and other potentially hazardous substances and can also prepare an insurance assessment, followed up by a claim should you require.. All facets of the build, restoration or repair will be thoroughly tracked and noted by the building surveyor and they will ensure that the functions ore executed under the correct procedures and that stringent building regulations are adhered to. Should building surveyors find that building laws have been breached, either by your building contractors or whilst undertaking the building surveying of other properties, they may well, depending on the nature and severity of the breach, be asked to give proof in court, serving as an expert witness on the defectiveness of the construction job. So naturally it really does pay to do the job properly, adhere to the advice of your building surveyor and don’t cut corners just to save a few pennies and get the work completed quicker. You will actually end up investing more time and money on the project in the long run. (Comment on this)
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
3:13 am	Utility Mapping: the easy way to find underground utility lines When digging happens on a building site, it is likely that the worker(s) will come across a range of utility lines. To avoid any potential pricey damage to these lines, it's important to use the services of a utility mapping company, that will show the construction business a layout of where the utility lines can be situated. What is utility mapping? Utility mapping is a modern-day technology that gives construction companies data showing the whereabouts of various utility lines underground. Utility lines which might be found underground cover anything from mains water lines and sewer pipes, to power wires, television cables and telephone lines. How does utility mapping work? Utility mapping businesses offer the client an up-to-date utility lines layout through 2D and three dimensional maps. This doesn’t take a lot of time, and is done via GPS (global positioning system) tools. The utility mapping data is referenced to an arbitrary grid and level datum as standard. The drawing can also be supplied to a specified grid & level datum and/or overlaid on an existing topographical survey. Many different colours may also be used to outline each different utility line - e.g. a different colour for water lines along with a different colour for sewerage lines. Utility mapping technologies There are many different technologies used by mapping companies to find a range of utility lines. utility mapping technologies include electromagnetic detection, acoustic detection, ground penetrating radars and live-line detectors. Different methods have to be implemented to spot different types of matter like metal, plastic, concrete, ceramic or fibre optic components. Additional utility mapping details The client may also request further details from their utility mapping firm. These additional details include things like fixed surface utility features including inspection chambers or perhaps telegraph poles, along with key topographic features including fence lines or kerb lines. Road names, building names along with house numbers may also be included in the client’s map to help in the site location. Why hire the services of a utility mapping business? 1. Gain confidence and trust from utility owners If the firm has proof that they've employed the services of a utility mapping firm, then the specific owners of the utility lines will have more trust in the particular building project (they won’t fear damage to utility lines.) 2. Utilities can be easily found By making use of the services of a utility mapping company, a site’s construction and maintenance teams can easily locate various utility lines. 3. Accurate utility map assured It is necessary to contact a utility mapping company prior to any new construction project. Even if a company has a utility map already, that specific map might be outdated where recent upkeep, repair or alterations might have occurred. It may also display utility lines which never actually materialised. 4. Avoid legal responsibility Utility mapping data is often added to construction designs or building plans. If this particular data isn’t included in the design or plan, your company could be held accountable for damaged utility lines, resulting in a costly outcome. 5. Health and safety regulations Businesses can also use utility mapping to comply with health and safety regulations. A utility mapping service is a safe and cost-effective solution for clients who need to undertake excavation works on sites where a record is required for future reference or as part of the pre-construction feasibility and design works. With all these different factors outlined, it is also crucial to employ a company with good experience in the utility mapping sector.Detailed maps of underground utilities should be presented in an easy-to-use format and should provide a colour coded drawing of known utilities and key topographic features. All in all, utility mapping has come a long way with its various modern and advanced technologies. It is a legal requirement to contact the authorities before undergoing any construction process. However, by employing the services of an underground utility mapping service will save your company both money and time. (Comment on this)