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How surveys help prepare for the future

How surveys help prepare for the future

As the world becomes increasingly digital and reliant on data, the measurements that are taken from surveying are being and will continue to be used to inform and shape the future of our built environment.

Roads

With more and more cars on the road, and with the advent of driverless cars on the horizon, the way our roads are used have changed since when they were initially built. This means that they may need expanding or modification to ensure that roads can continue to meet capacity as traffic increases. The data gathered from topographic surveys of motorways helps civil engineers and planners decide whether or not roads need to be expanded or laid out differently to better accommodate projected traffic.

Flooding

As climate change becomes an increasingly bigger issue, flooding is occurring more frequently and is a concern for domestic and commercial property owners, as well as councils. Surveying gathers information about whether or not properties are at risk of flooding and what can be taken to limit the effects of flooding as much as possible. Survey data can also be used to identify areas that become at increased risk of flood. This can also be used in the future for historical data to identify trends used in larger flood prevention strategies.

Erosion

Similar to flooding, erosion is affecting more and more properties and the knock on effect of erosion also contributes to more flooding. But unlike flooding that has a sudden and noticeable impact, erosion happens more slowly over time and can be difficult to notice. This is where surveying, particularly surveys over time (such as monitoring surveys), can identify where continued erosion will cause damage to properties if action is not taken. This leads to informed planning which can prevent natural landscapes and buildings from becoming victims of erosion.

Historical Buildings

The importance of preserving historical buildings as historical and cultural resources has become a larger priority in modern times. This means that there will be a growing infrastructure for maintaining these buildings for future generations. Surveying gives accurate data on the true condition of the current state of these buildings as well as how fast they are deteriorating and what action needs to be taken to keep them from falling into disrepair. This means we may see an increased number of historical buildings that are functional facilities used for longer in the future.

Natural Resources

Surveying is also instrumental in the management of natural resources, particularly quarries and mines. As natural resources become increasingly depleted, surveying gives an accurate insight into the volumes remaining in quarries and mines, which help owners not only calculate revenues but plan for the future. Each individual quarry again contributes to overall resource consumption and the data can be combined to give a picture of long term trends around extraction rates and remaining volumes of resources.

Surveying is an integral profession to the day to day functioning of our world but is also one that can help show us what the future will be like and prepare for it.

If you’re looking to work with a surveyor that will help your business prepare for the future, get in touch.