Name: Crucial Services
Price range: $$$

On Tuesday this week (22nd Oct), we were carrying out a land survey & measured building survey with a drone. We were on-site updating our 2017 topographical survey in preparation for a new planning application. The survey used a DJI Matrice 300 with a P1 & a GeoSlam scanner as payloads.

Using a drone allowed us to survey data that wasn’t visible from the ground. This was particularly important for this job. Accurately knowing all of the nooks and crannies of the roof structures was a critical element of the survey. The site was first surveyed in 2017 for a topographical survey and subsequent planning application. The GeoSlam scanner was used inside and outside the building, from the air and from the ground to get comprehensive data. The combined data will now be used to produce a whole site textured model, interior walkthroughs, BIM model and cad plans.

Planning application drone survey site overview: Oblique view of photogrammetry 3d model.

3d model site overview

Close up view of 3d photogrammetry model for a planning application as part of a land survey and measured building survey

3d model close-up view

3d Laser scan data side profile

Contact us for more information and to find out how a drone land survey can help you get planning permission. As the project progresses we will share some of the extra detail and the deliverables below.

Measured building surveys with a drone give clients improved deliverables

From an output perspective, it may be that you just want the dense point cloud data, a Revit model, or full cad drawings for the elevations and floor plans. We can supply the rich data you need in many formats to integrate with your existing system like Civil3D, Revit, ArchiCAD, RECAP, Microstation etc.

Orthographic projection of the main elevation from the textured 3d model — Orthographic projection of the main elevation produced from the above photogrammetry textured 3d model

Scanning from the air and the ground, inside and outside

Dense point cloud of ground and air scanning data sets. Blue: from the ground. Green: from the air — A) Dense point cloud of ground and air scanning data sets.
Blue from the ground. Green from the air.

B) Dense point cloud of the inside and outside from the laser scanner, viewed from above.

Measured building survey with a drone.

Scanning from the ground and the air just adds so much value for us as surveyors. Above and below you can see 3 separate data sets for the GeoSlam survey data. Left to right: Ground scan points; Drone scan points; combined ground and air scan points; and the internal scan data.

dense cloud ground data - roof valley details missing as hidden from the ground — C) dense cloud ground data – roof valley details missing as hidden from the ground

dense cloud air data - roof valley and back dace of chimneys all measured — D) dense cloud air data – roof valley and back dace of chimneys all measured

E) complete dense cloud from the ground and the air showing complete coverage, without shadows or blind spots.

internal dense point cloud data for the planning application survey — F) internal scan data only

Without the drone photogrammetry or the drone scan data it is almost impossible to accurately survey hidden roof details from the ground. A building doesn’t need to be particularly small to start having details hidden from the ground. As buildings and structures increase in height these data gaps or shadows become more pronounced.