IP-S2 captures 3000kms of roads in 2 months

North Surveys used Topcon's mobile mapping and scanning system to survey huge areas of Queensland's roads affected by last year's floods.

Over a two-month period, Queensland-based North Surveys has used Topcon’s IP-S2 3D mapping and survey system to log details of more than 3000 km of roads and other infrastructure damaged in the wake of the devastating floods and Cyclone Yasi that hit the state in early 2011.

The data captured by North Surveys and the IP-S2 is being used to identify the existing road state and the shoulders, post flooding, so that design criteria to fix up the roads could be formulated, said North Surveys director Ian McDonald.

“The IP-S2 was the best solution.

“Being able to quickly turn around the data capture and delivery was most important; the opportunity came with funding from the Federal Government, which required they get in there and fix these roads quickly, the best way possible.

“For the thousands of kilometres that they wanted surveyed, they wouldn't have even thought of using conventional survey for this scope of work. It just wouldn't have been viable without this mobile scanning technology,” he said.

Before starting on the post-disaster logging work North Surveys carried out a 600 km trial, followed by quality checks by the client on some sections to verify that the data met the 30 mm accuracy range required.

“In addition to achieving the accuracies they needed, we were able to provide a lot of additional information – line marking, edge of pavement and so – which allowed them to identify the shoulders,” said McDonald.

“Because we had captured all the data so accurately, the designers had very precise models to work off, so they knew exactly what profiles and elevations they were working with.

“As one of the designers said to us, the cost savings were made up in the first couple of roads they did; out of the thousands of kilometres requiring rebuilding or reconstructing, the first hundred kilometres of road paid for the use of the IP-S2 due to the quality and accuracy of outputs that we were giving them,” he said.

The other great advantage in using the IP-S2 to capture data over thousands of kilometres of road was its ease of use.

“The actual operation of the IP-S2 is extremely simple,” said McDonald.

“You more or less just push the button and make sure the light's flashing and away you go; there is certainly no setting up required with screen interfaces and so on.

“For this Disaster Relief work, the training to get personnel up to standard was minimal. We found this to be very cost-effective as we could capture the data we wanted without having to put on highly trained operators."

He said the support from Position Partners had been integral to getting the IP-S2 up and running, and capturing the vast amounts of data for the post-disaster logging.

“We’ve had great help from the start from Heath Low and Alan Featherstonhaugh, they helped get us up and running and provided great training and ongoing support.

“For example, just last week, we had an issue; it was a fairly simple one based on human error rather than the technology, but we dropped the vehicle over to them and the next day it was back, fixed up with a couple more options that helped make it even simpler for our untrained staff to use next time,” he said.