The availability of new technology and innovative equipment has positively impacted the construction industry.
Each year, new tools and technologies help your team complete their projects more efficiently, effectively and safely.
These same advances in technology have also made a significant impact on the construction monitoring services industry, too.
Thanks in large part to modern optical structural surveying equipment, construction monitoring service providers are able to support their clients with greater insight and peace of mind.
Learn how automated motorized total stations, one of the most advanced pieces of optical structural surveying equipment, is revolutionizing the construction industry.
What Are Automated Motorized Total Stations?
Without a doubt, automated motorized total stations (AMTS) are one of the most vital optical structural surveying tools.
Pairing the best features of a theodolite with an electromagnetic distance measuring instrument an AMTS is designed to not only measure horizontal and vertical angles but also the sloping distance of a building to the instrument.
Also known as a Robotic Total Station (RTS) survey equipment, this invaluable device helps construction teams protect their projects by ensuring that activities such as underpinning, excavation and demolition do not harm the structural integrity of the neighboring properties.
After construction monitoring experts identify which buildings are at potential risk of damage, they begin the process of measuring distance, angle and slope to a series of reflecting prisms. Once the specialists locate the prisms on the respective properties, they install the AMTS units for monitoring and recording purposes.
Should the position of the prisms fluctuate during construction, the AMTS units detect the change and record the specific movement.
When this information is collected by total stations survey equipment, the construction team can review and analyze the data to determine their next course of action to reduce any risk.
What Are The Advantages of Automated Motorized Total Stations?
For years, optical structural surveying specialists relied on time-tested tools such as theodolites to make measurements on surrounding properties during construction.
Unfortunately, these more conventional methods and tools often resulted in inaccurate information or were susceptible to operator error.
With the advent of newer tools such as automated motorized total stations, optical structural surveying specialists are able to overcome some of the limitations associated with the more traditional tools.
Here are just a few of the many advantages of using AMTS units for construction monitoring.
Automated Motorized Total Stations Provide Continuous Monitoring
While traditional optical structural surveying tools served the construction industry well for years, they had their fair share of disadvantages. One of the biggest deficiencies was that every time a measurement needed to be taken, the specialist had to visit the site to do so. This was not only a time consuming process, it also decreased the possibility of taking corrective actions if there was a structural shift between measurements.
Unlike traditional tools and methods, AMTS provide continuous monitoring. With an AMTS, a construction team is immediately notified of any activities that could impact their project – and the integrity of the surrounding structures.
With 24/7 monitoring, construction teams are able to adjust their activities to reduce risks or halt construction until a new course of action is developed.
Automated Motorized Total Stations Provide Greater Accuracy and Reduce Errors
Although traditional optical structural surveying methods and equipment supplied teams with vital information, the data was often basic. The machines were limited in their ability to take highly detailed measurements. Plus, user errors sometimes resulted in inaccurate information.
However, the accuracy of the angle and distance measurements made by AMTS equipment is extremely high. With their sophisticated technology, most AMTS are able to supply measurements anywhere from one- to five-second accuracy.
Since AMTS do not require the need for an operator to visit the construction site to take frequent measurements, the risk of inaccurate reporting due to human error is greatly reduced.
Automated Motorized Total Stations Support Faster Reporting and Improved Communications
In an event or any activity that impacts the project or the neighboring buildings occurs, construction teams need to know ASAP.
Learning about the movement days later could not only cause further delays in the construction process, it could also cause a variety of other issues, such as irreversible damage to a neighboring building.
These issues can be avoided or corrected in a more timely manner with the use of an AMTS. The continuous monitoring and reporting features of the AMTS alerts teams to the activity.
After everyone is notified, they’re able to review the data to determine if the activity was caused by construction. If so, they’ll be able to plan accordingly to best resolve the issue in a more timely manner.
The timeliness of these monitoring, recording and reporting capabilities also allow everyone on the team to communicate with each other more efficiently, effectively and accurately. Instead of waiting for answers, dealing with partial data, or worse, not being aware of the activity, teams can easily communicate with each other to formulate a plan.
Enjoy the Benefits of Saltus’ Optical Structural Surveying Services
Now that you understand the advantages of AMTS units, it’s time to make these tools the foundation of your construction monitoring needs.
Saltus can help!
Our optimal surveying services offer you two options for your construction monitoring plans: manned total stations and automated motorized total stations (AMTS) survey equipment.
Depending on the scope of your project and its budget, these two options effectively track any construction-related movement to provide you with greater insight and protect your team from liability.
To learn more about our optical structural surveying services and the use of AMTS units on your project, please contact our team today!