Survey Monitoring
Scheduled movement checks. Weekly, monthly, or whatever the works require.
Scope
Most monitoring does not need to be live. We establish a baseline, install targets, and return on an agreed cycle to observe them, usually weekly or monthly, sometimes daily through a critical stage. You get movement plots, a comparison against trigger levels and a plain summary. It is the sensible option for the large majority of jobs, and it costs a fraction of a continuous system.
- Scheduled observation cycles: weekly, monthly or to suit the works
- Pre-condition and baseline surveys before works start
- Precise levelling for settlement of ground, slabs and structures
- Total station observation of targets and prisms for 3D movement
- Monitoring of buildings and structures adjacent to excavation, piling and demolition
- Retaining wall, slope and embankment movement
- Agreed trigger levels with a clear escalation path
- Movement plots, trend data and summary reports formatted for your reporting
- Frequency increased or reduced as the data and the works dictate
Movement that can develop faster than your reporting cycle needs watching continuously. See real-time deflection monitoring.
How a monitoring round runs
Baseline
Targets or prisms installed and observed to establish the starting position. Everything afterwards is compared to this, so it is worth getting right.
Agree the cycle and triggers
Observation frequency set to the risk and the rate of works, with green, amber and red thresholds agreed before anything moves.
Observe on cycle
We return and re-observe the same points, from the same reference control, using the same method. Consistency is what makes small movements visible.
Compare and report
Each round is compared against baseline and against the previous round. You get plots, tabulated readings and a summary, with anything approaching a trigger flagged in plain language.
Adjust as needed
If movement accelerates we increase frequency, or recommend stepping up to continuous monitoring. If everything is stable we can wind it back and save you money.
Frequently asked questions
How often do you observe?
It depends on the risk and the rate of construction. Monthly suits slow, long-term settlement. Weekly is typical alongside active works. Daily happens through critical stages such as excavation next to a structure. We set the cycle up front and change it if the data says we should.
What can you monitor?
Buildings, retaining walls, slopes and embankments, excavation faces, piled structures, bridges and general infrastructure assets. If it can move and somebody needs to know about it, it can be monitored.
What are trigger levels?
Agreed thresholds of movement that prompt a defined response, usually green, amber and red. Setting them before the work starts means nobody is arguing about what counts as a problem while it is happening.
Do you provide baseline surveys?
Yes. A pre-condition or baseline survey before works begin is what everything afterwards gets compared against. Without it you have readings but no way to prove what changed.
How does this compare to real-time monitoring?
Scheduled monitoring costs a fraction of a continuous system and suits most work. Real-time is for situations where movement can develop faster than your reporting cycle, or where an alarm needs to reach somebody within minutes. We will tell you honestly which one your job needs.
Can we start scheduled and move to real-time?
Yes, and that is often the sensible path. Start with a baseline and a scheduled cycle, and if movement picks up or the works become more sensitive, install a continuous system at that point rather than paying for it from day one.
What do the reports look like?
Movement plots against time, tabulated readings, comparison to trigger levels, and a plain summary. Formatted so they can go straight into your reporting rather than needing rework.
Need a surveyor?
Send the site address and what you need delivered.