​Protection of our coastal communities is an ongoing challenge.  Hard engineering techniques including rock armour and concrete structures are used throughout the UK to deflect the power of waves, helping to reassure coastal communities and protect our beaches. Working with such structures carries many challenges and risks meaning that surveys are a vital step in any repair, renovation and improvement works.
 
Back in 2017, working alongside Balfour Beatty and JBA Consulting, we were commissioned to provide survey works to assist in the repair and improvement of sea defences consisting of rock armour revetment and sea wall in East Rhyl.

Revetments are sloped structures built along coastal frontages that absorb the energy of waves breaking against them, thus helping to reduce coastal risk.
 
Rock armour involves placing large boulders in front of a cliff or sea wall to absorb the energy of waves. Used in conjunction these structures are a powerful means of energy absorption and protection.

​Our role as part of this project was to provide detailed topographical surveys with both 2d and 3d outputs compliant with BIM level 2 to inform the improvement works.

Using a combination of techniques including, GPS, total station and laser scanning we performed a mixture of high density and low density surveys as follows:

• High density topographic survey of boundary wall, promenade, existing sea wall and 50m onto foreshore, including all visible features and services
• Low density topographic survey of foreshore to low tide on a 10x10m grid and picking up major features such as groynes and major changes in beach composition
• Cross sections at 50m intervals through an extended frontage extending from the rear boundary wall/bund to 50m onto the foreshore, including each individual step riser and top of the sea wall
• High density topographic survey of the flow control structures with intermittent points surveyed showing changes in shape and level.

Our laser scanner was utilised to capture the sea wall and immediate foreshore, GPS units were used to capture remaining beach levels. Total stations were used to survey the promenade and landward features
 
Whilst seaside working provides a beautiful setting, it also carries with it challenging weather conditions and lots of risk factors. Working near a tidal body of water meant that timing was of the essence, both in terms of survey accuracy and health and safety. Being November, we also had weather factors to contend with.
 
During the course of the survey it was identified that the beach level change significantly between tides. An indication of which area of beach was surveyed each day was added to the final drawings
 
 Below: Laser scan data covering sea wall, rock armour and foreshore. Draft survey data showing areas of levels surveyed on individual days

“Grantham Coates have been invaluable in supporting the development of a 3D model suitable for the construction of the East Rhyl defences.  We were able to discuss through our requirements and explore relative advantages and disadvantages of different survey techniques. This meant that the deliverables provided by GCS met our needs and avoided any need for further post-processing.”
Alec Dane
JBA Consulting
 
To read more about out topographical survey work, click here. If you’d like to discuss a project of your own, contact us on 01789 764 420 or email info@gcsurveys.co.uk
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​In April we posted on our Social Media channels that we were extremely proud of the results that Marcin, one of our Trainee Surveyors, was gaining on his TSA Surveying Training Course at The Survey School, and that prompted us to think about all the other training our team has undergone in order to do the job they do.

Now, as Surveyors there are lots of accreditations that we have to have in order to undertake the variety of work we are presented with, from working in water and working on the rail, to medicals and first aid. The most recent course we sent some of our team on was ‘Power Boat Handling’. Not surprisingly the most popular course so far….
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We chose the ‘TSA Surveying Course for Surveyors’ qualification for Marcin for a number of reasons; one of which was that two of our employees also previously passed the course and found the experience invaluable, but also because the course is accredited by the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors, of which we are also members. Not only that, but the course is designed for trainee surveyors who already have a fair amount of experience surveying but no formal qualifications in the field, so Marcin was the perfect candidate.

We think that Marcin would agree that although the course is going to provide him with the springboard he needs to progress in his career, it is not going to be easy. The course is designed to put trainee surveyors through their paces and prepare them for the varied world of surveying, so it covers a lot of topics in a lot of depth.

However, if Marcin keeps progressing at the rate that he currently is (having just scored 94% in Block 4 Measured Building and Specialist Surveys) then we are confident he will finish the course a highly proficient and capable surveyor.

To give you a further bit of insight, our surveyors are also trained in or hold the following accreditations:

• First Aid and Outdoor First Aid
• National Rail Personal Track Safety
• National Rail AC Lines
• National Rail Working on or near to the DC Conductor Rail
• National Rail Industry Common Induction
• Water Safety and First Responder
• Confined Spaces
• Asbestos Awareness
• BESC Power Boat Handling
• Construction Skills Certification Scheme
• Manual Handling
• Health and Safety

​So aside from actually conducting surveys, processing the collected data, producing the finished model and working to a tight deadline, our surveyors are also constantly keeping themselves up to date with the necessary skills and qualifications that our industry demands.
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Don’t let anyone ever tell you that the life of a Surveyor is an easy one!

We've recently had our website updated by Imargy limited. http://www.imargy.com/.
Imargy provided a first class service, working to a set timescale and budget all aspects were taken care of with regular meetings to discuss progress and direction. Thanks to Robin for a superb service.

This is our first post since the new site went live, for previous postings please follow the Older Blogs button.

October saw us provide an article to Rail Professional magazine https://e.issuu.com/issuu-reader3-embed-files/latest/twittercard.html?u=railpro&d=october_issue_v1&p=1

Please follow the above link to the digital magazine, our article on Survey for Scour Protection is on page 134.

September saw us carry out surveys at two bridges in Scotland. The purpose of the survey was to capture above water and below water details, specifically areas of undercut and missing concrete bag work. We carried out an out of bank topographic survey, full terrestrial laser scan of the bridge abutments, piers and deck. Below water details were captured by a 3D sonar scanner. Deliverables consisted of topographic survey detailing bridge layout (including deck), bed levels (from sonar scan), elevation drawings, laser and sonar scan point clouds. In addition, images from the point cloud were created detailing dimensions of areas of undercut and scour. We also issued a multitude of photographs and survey report covering control established and accuracies achieved.

If you have a bridge or underwater structure that would benefit from a higher level of detail than would ordinarily be obtained by diving or a standard scour survey then please contact us for a chat. We can carry out bridge surveys to pretty much any specification you need. With RISQS approval railway structures are a speciality.