How a Topographical Survey Can Benefit Your Development

A land or topographical survey is a comprehensive survey of the desired piece of land that shows all the natural and manmade features on various levels within that designated area. Topographical surveys play a key role in determining the opportunities as well as potential challenges in a plot of land, especially in big construction projects and large development sites. Let’s take a look at what a topographical survey entails, and how it can benefit your development.

Elements of a Topographical Survey

A topographical survey is usually done at the very start of construction projects. Engineering surveying firm THS Concepts, which has many years of experience, conducts detailed surveys using the tried and tested Leica range of surveying equipment. The firm offers well-organized, easy-to-use surveys and CAD drawings to ensure architects, engineers, and construction professionals get the best possible start to their projects.

Although commonly called a land survey, a topographical survey can also be conducted in the sea, underground, or inside a building. The surveys provide architects and engineers with in-depth and accurate data about the site. The surveys identify and chart out the surface on the land, natural and artificial structures on it, exact location, size, heat maps, and skyline within the site. They also help in planning construction on the site.

Benefits of a Topographical Survey

Topographical surveys have a number of benefits for the construction industry.

• Minimize Risks and Surprises: These surveys offer you comprehensive and accurate information about every aspect of the site you are interested in. This helps you plan accordingly, and saves you from having to deal with surprises later on in the construction process.
• Reduce Costs: Because these surveys chart out issues in the land in advance, you can plan for them and incorporate solutions in advance, thus saving you from unwelcome costs later.
• Improve the Architecture: Because you know the topography in advance, you can plan for a development that complements and builds on the natural features of the land. You can make the most of the land’s natural features and develop the land to show it to its best advantage.
• Ensure Stronger Construction: Since a survey shows you the vulnerabilities of the land, you can plan for construction that takes care of the vulnerabilities in advance.
• Save Time: A construction site involves a large number of complex activities. Any surprises in one area of the development can exponentially increase the time taken for other activities in the pipeline. Since a survey takes away the element of surprise, you can plan for potential issues in advance and save time.
• Share Information: A land survey can also be used as the foundation on which other stakeholders in your development project can design their work on. This can include architecture, construction planning, land ownership information, etc.

A topographical survey can help you spot potential issues with a piece of land, as well as the opportunities. Use the survey to get the best possible start to your dream project, and to avoid surprises later on.