The transportation sector is one of the primary markets served by Mason Land Surveys.

Sectors:

Roads

Mason has extensive experience of road related projects, whether it’s surveying an existing road or the proposed route of a new road. A combination of total station and GPS equipment is used for field survey. For proposed routes photogrammetry using aerial photography is often the main method of survey, backed up by field work. Laser scanning is sometimes used when a survey of a road is required in particularly high detail and density, or when a road is difficult to survey by other methods.

Topographic surveys of existing roads allow engineers to produce plans as part of improvement schemes. A survey of the underground services in the vicinity of the scheme area is also a service provided by Mason. Schemes can be of any size. Mason have produced small surveys in advance of junction redesign and installation of road side infrastructure; whilst also completing large surveys of long stretches of road due to be upgraded.

Recent surveys have been completed for various sections of the N6 road in Ireland. The N6 is currently being upgraded. Up to date surveys of the road and related infrastructure are needed in order to support efforts by the design team.

Mason provided most of the surveys relating to the Birmingham Northern Relief Road, now known as the M6 Toll or Midlands Expressway. Following installation of control, the proposed routes were thoroughly mapped using aerial Photogrammetry. During construction Mason survey teams were on site to provide monitoring services and as-built surveys. The surveys were produced for Babtie Group.

Asset Capture

Asset capture relates to the field survey of infrastructure and markings associated with transportation networks. For roads this will cover items such as street furniture, road signs, lamp posts, road markings and other paint lines. Such surveys are used to populate GIS databases and more recently have been performed in conjunction with Traffic Restriction Order (TRO) validation projects. For rail networks this also extends to surveying track specific infrastructure.

Hand held GPS with keypad entry is the most widely used tool for surveying assets in the field. Mason utilise survey grade GPS equipment capable of recording position to within a few centimetres where required. Click here to read about an asset survey project conducted at Heathrow Airport.

LIDAR

Aerial survey using LIDAR technology has increased in popularity for road projects and has been widely used by the UK Highways Agency. The LIDAR is mounted on a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft, together with photographic camera systems. The LIDAR generates height information for the surface below the flight path, which is later correlated with the aerial photography taken of the same area. Thus an accurate height data set and corresponding mosaic of orthophotos are simultaneously provided. The LIDAR information can be processed in a variety of ways depending on what features heights are required for.

Through its partnership with TerraImaging, Mason are able to offer LIDAR based surveys. Mason also form part of the Highways Agency LIDAR survey framework group headed by TerraImaging.

Under bridges and inside tunnels, Mason provides a Laser Scanning survey service. The laser scanning results are similar in nature to those produced by the LIDAR. Visit the laser scanning page to learn more about this technology.

Railways

Mason staff hold PTS cards and other qualifications necessary for them to work on the UK’s national and underground rail networks. Services provided include topographical surveys, monitoring and survey of railway structures and buildings.

Mason work for all the major UK rail maintenance contractors and have also completed work on rail lines in Ireland. Topographical surveys have been completed by teams on the ground and by aerial survey. Extensive topographical surveys of the line and related infrastructure have been produced by Mason for major projects on the UK’s East and West Coast main lines. Some of which were completed using photogrammetry; which reduces the amount of time required for physical access to the track.

Underground service tracing can be performed by Mason as a service to rail contractors who will be sinking objects into the ground or excavating.

Monitoring is also a regular service provided by Masons to the rail industry. Positional monitoring is often required when engineering works are being performed on or close to the track. Monitoring is also performed on structures such as embankments and viaducts which are suspected of movement. Monitoring services are also provided below ground and in tunnels. See the Rail and Tunnel monitoring page for further information.

Station and building surveys have been completed by Mason Land Surveys. Asset inventory services are also available.

Airports

As a Preferred Supplier for survey services to BAA since 1997, Mason has extensive experience of airport survey tasks. Mason are also able to provide airport survey services outside the UK and have done so on a number of occasions. For more information about Mason's expertise in this sector, please visit the airport page: http://www.mason.eu.com/htm/markets/airport.htm

Docks

Topographical surveys have been provided for a number of UK ports including Leith, Rosyth and Sheerness. Aerial surveys can also be provided.

Notable projects

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