The April issue of CES magazine features our casestudy on the SX10 done in partnership with Paul Henzell of the Three Sixty Group. It looks at their resourceful approach to bringing consistency to above and below the ground surveys using the Trimble SX10
Can it really be 6 months since we launched the first issue of Traverse, our new newsletter dedicated to all things geospatial in Ireland and Northern Ireland?
Our second issue is packed full of great information including four new products, new case studies and views on the SX10 plus a KOREC Opinion piece from KOREC Ireland’s Operations and Support Manager, Fran Mullally, who shares his thoughts on the standout themes and products from Trimble’s recent worldwide Dimensions event in Las Vegas.
Download issue 2 of Traverse here.
Trimble L2P provides coordinates for instrument recovery
Clearly showing the location of the Trimble S9 outside the Bowling Club
Instrument theft continues to remain a problem within the industry and although inevitably there are peaks and troughs, manufacturers are continuing to address the seriousness of the problem through technology such as tracking, kill switches, PIN codes and remote locking.
In the most recently recorded case, we are pleased to report that a hired Trimble S9 Total Station has been recovered within just one day thanks to the built in L2P (Locate2Protect) technology. It’s also useful to report that the Police were responsive throughout and particularly appreciative of the tracking information provided which showed the movement of the unit around different locations in London. One of these locations included the same area where instruments where tracked to last year.
The S9 was being used by a Select Surveys surveyor on a site in London Lane, E8. The unit, box and batteries were taken in the morning by thieves who clearly knew what they were doing judging by the fast unclipping of the instrument from the tripod.
The theft was reported to the Met for a crime number.
The S9 finally came to rest overnight near Mill Hill Bowling club where DC Anita Sharma, Plant & Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU), Metropolitan Police Service was able to locate the box but not the unit despite searching the undergrowth in heavy rain. This is public ground and it was suggested that Select Surveys sent out a surveyor to search more thoroughly with a map and the most recent coordinates supplied by KOREC. Select’s Cyprian Luzarowski found the unit in a bag ready for removal to a new location and the box was later picked up from the police station.
Update: Select Surveys has just received an email stating that there is not enough evidence to prosecute despite CCTV footage of the kit being stolen and tracking evidence.
The March issue of CES magazine is hitting desks as we speak and featured on pages 26 and 27 is the latest case study from KOREC.
This story sees Enviroflow Management tackling a demanding M6 drainage survey with a truly unique approach – they’ve integrated GeoSLAM’s ZEB-REVO handheld data scanner technology with KOREC’s own K-Mobile data capture software. The end result is a paper free solution that delivers data in realtime (including internal 3D profiles of all the manholes) directly to a portal for remote access by the client.
Read the full story in CES here
Welcome to the spring issue of Mensura!
We’ve used this issue to revisit the ‘one that started it all’, the ground breaking Trimble SX10, with a focus on the creative application of this technology by the Three Sixty Group. We’ve also rounded-up our best moments from Trimble’s Las Vegas Dimensions event with special reference to Augmented and Virtual Reality.
Finally, we’ve used this issue to launch ‘KOREC Experiences’ four fabulous opportunities to join us, as our guests, at locations across the world to learn more about Trimble technology and partnering with KOREC.
CPS Drainage Solutions expands client offering to include 3D utility mapping.
Neil Walton using the GeoSLAM ZEB-HORIZON at Wroughton Reservoir
Congratulations to CPS Drainage Solutions (CPS), the first KOREC customer in the UK to invest in GeoSLAM’s new ZEB-HORIZON 3D handheld scanner.
CPS specialises in drainage surveys, maintenance and repairs and under the guidance of Managing Director, Neil Walton, has a policy of adopting new technology to remain at the forefront of the industry. In this case, the ZEB-HORIZON will be used for both above and below the ground utility surveys to provide clients with a full 3D representation of both surveyed manholes and inspection chambers as well as placing them in context to other utilities in the surrounding area.
The KOREC supplied ZEB-HORIZON has a 100m range and a collection rate of 300,000 points per second. For Neil, this means that he can provide his clients with a much more versatile deliverable whilst simultaneously reducing time on site and offering better value to the end user.
Neil told KOREC, “This new addition to our surveying tool arsenal opens up a whole new field for us and the possibility to expand into other areas of the surveying industry. In the short time we have had the scanner, new and existing clients have been amazed at how quickly we can produce detailed 3D images and impossible views, that can easily be imported into CAD platforms. We are still learning and discovering the full capabilities of the kit, but once we have got to grips with it on ‘terra firma’ we intend to take to the skies with a heavy lift drone.”
KOREC offers a wide range of Trimble GPS receivers and handhelds for every type of mapping application. With this handy round-up of systems our aim is to provide a broad base on which to start your research. All these systems are compatible with KOREC’s K-Mobile data capture software.
Download the pdf here.
BIM to Field with Trimble FieldLink – We’ve been working with several companies that have already embraced BIM and digital construction technology through Trimble FieldLink. This BIM compatible digital laying out system is ideal for building contractors providing easy visualisation and accurate setting-out of hundreds of field points from federated BIM models at the click of a button. It’s also the subject of our latest case study featured in the December/January issue of CES magazine. Our thanks to Wayne Nolan of Felix O’Hare for providing the information and images.
CES magazine, including the whole piece, can be read here.
X marks the spot….
Why winning a KOREC ‘golden ticket’ to the Trimble SX10/S-Series production centre in Sweden is so much more than ‘just 48 hours in Stockholm!’
“By knowing more about where your instruments come from, who designed them, and the science behind their design, you become a stakeholder in the development cycle—and a peer in a community of users.” Gavin Schrock, journalist invited to the Trimble factory in Sweden
KOREC is delighted to once again be running a range of ‘golden ticket’ competitions for six lucky winners to visit the Stockholm facility where Trimble develops and produces its most ground-breaking technology, including the SX10 Scanning Total Station and the S-Series Total Stations.
The reason we love hosting this event is not just because it’s great fun – who wouldn’t enjoy the food, sights and sounds of Stockholm – but because the value of this trip has been so heavily recognised by previous KOREC visitors and Trimble alike.
Trimble knows that informed and engaged users of its technology better understand the potential of their instruments, push them further, share their knowledge and provide vital feedback. Make no mistake, this is a trip that inspires and provokes thought!
4 reasons why you should get your hand on a golden ticket!
- KOREC will look after you every step of the way sorting out flights, hotels, tours and of course the factory visit.
- It’s a great time of year to visit Stockholm – the trip runs over the 13th and 14th June. We do a tour of Stockholm on the afternoon of the 13th followed by dinner with Trimble and then the factory tour is on the morning of the 14th followed by lunch at the plant.
- The Trimble factory has a great ethos – a lunchtime beer is perfectly acceptable for staff, the working day is less than 8 hours and staff tend to come….and stay!
- You’ll be with KOREC staff and five other like-minded professionals to bounce ideas around with.
The bad news is that two tickets have already been snapped up! But that leaves four remaining for lucky winners over the coming months and of course we’ll keep you posted via social media as to how they can be won. Follow us on Twitter @KORECGroup
Some thoughts from previous KOREC golden ticket winners:
“A very enjoyable trip and also informative with an amicable bunch of fellow professionals and Trimble/KOREC representatives. I don’t think anyone who essentially sits at the pointed end of survey equipment and users, fully appreciates the amount of work involved in making the equipment and also development, so in this case alone was very informative to myself. It also brought a realisation of how innovative the SX10 actually is and how it currently sits apart from other equipment and manufacturers.
Michael Golding, Technical Director (Geomatics), Consulting & Rail
“The factory tour was amazing, I’ve never seen so many instruments in one place…not even in the Met lost property office! It was such a good crowd of people to spend a few days together with, the programme of events worked well and won’t be something that I will forget.
Paul Williams, Director, SUMO Services
“The experience was not only interesting and informative on a technical level but also the trip provided enrichment/focus on a personal and professional level which will undoubtedly feed into our products and service to clients. It was a great trip, a credit to both KOREC and Trimble and a pleasure to join you.”
Anthony Fleet, Head of Survey Services, Clugston Survey Services
Many thanks to the KOREC customers who joined us for the three days and have kindly shared their highlights.
Trimble’s in-development SiteVision certainly caused a stir as did the HoloLens solution and the just released v5 of Trimble Business Center.
With 4800 registered attendees from over 95 countries, Trimble’s Las Vegas Dimensions event is huge!
Steve Jones, Commercial Manager, Severn Partnership
“Dimensions brings together Trimble professionals and instrument users from all over the world and having the chance to talk to them, along with KOREC experts, was invaluable. Many of us face the same commercial challenges, irrespective of where we work, and there are solutions out there – this was the perfect forum to learn about them. I’m particularly interested in how we can take Trimble’s innovative technology and use it, not to replace what we already have, but to discover new applications that will add value for our clients, improve workflows and help business grow. We’re always asking how we can do things better and Dimensions has provided plenty of exciting ideas. The Trimble SX10 is a great example of this and the presentation based on a job in Alaska really showed off its scan speed and the high quality of the point cloud generated, even in the toughest conditions.
Other developments, such as the streamlining of workflows, handling of multiple data sets in a single environment (TBC v.5) and of course seeing how technology can be used away from a laptop/office environment via apps such as the monitoring app, or through the adoption of Trimble’s Catalyst solution, were also thought provoking. Using Trimble Catalyst, it would be relatively straightforward for us to create our own apps that could, for example, augment our asset/utility data collection and that is particularly exciting.
Overall, Dimensions was a fantastic experience and not a single minute of it was wasted time thanks to KOREC and Trimble’s hard work!”
The badge says it’s definitely Steve Jones under the HoloLens!
Mark Lawton, Chief Engineering Surveyor, Skanska
“The sessions on Trimble Business Center were particularly educational, especially now that it is merged with the Heavy and Highways edition which means just one platform and one software for our IT to support. Whilst there is a strong focus on 3D, TBC still has lots of useful 2D functionality that remains relevant, especially for quantity surveyors, for example, take-off.
HoloLens and the mixed reality world is another interesting area. I was lucky enough to come away with a mixed reality unit and will be investigating the applications that are most appropriate to both Skanska and the industry as a whole. We also got a sneak preview of a new product with ‘yes’ ‘no’ brain wave reading capacity.
However, the stand out benefit was having all Trimble’s experts and developers in one place for a session where I could pitch and share ideas with the decision makers.”
Mark presented at Dimensions: “The successful implantation of technology on the A14 improvement scheme” Pictured here with KOREC’s Jared Pogmore (left) and Elly Ball (right)
Paul Henzell, Director, Three 60 Mapping Ltd
“Dimensions was a great opportunity to find out more about mixed and augmented reality and I’ll definitely be looking at SiteVision when it comes live in 2019. It’s a high accuracy mixed reality system that uses a Trimble Catalyst receiver to link design models and current site conditions. For me it’s is an obvious choice for a move into this type of technology and something I can see myself integrating into my projects.
It was also interesting to see the autonomous vehicles off site. Las Vegas clearly showed how forward looking Trimble is making Dimensions a very worthwhile event.”
Paul’s SX10 photo was used in a keynote presentation by Trimble Senior VP, Bryn Fosburgh
Neil Jefferies, Director, Greenhatch Group Ltd
“My sights were primarily set on increasing the productivity of our SX10 Scanning Total Station. Its flexibility is second to none and we have been able to tackle a vast number of projects with one single instrument in a world where the geospatial surveyor’s tool bag (or wish list!) is getting bigger and bigger. The SX10 can tackle a multitude of tasks in one convenient package thus negating the need for a variety of equipment.
The Dimensions sessions were informative, interesting, numerous and varied and provided a very detailed insight into the many capabilities of the Trimble solutions, with the majority of talks provided by people who use the products day in day out.”
Wayne Nolan, Senior Site Engineer, Felix O’Hare & Co Ltd
“It was great to see how other construction contractors are implementing digital construction; from the design process, the procurement of materials and the construction activities on the site. It really does show how far advanced some countries are in relation to BIM and digital construction relative the UK and Ireland!
Virtual Design Construction (VDC) is key for many contractors in the States where they plan the work and work the plan through VDC processes between key stakeholders, within the office and of course in the field. One area in particular which I would love to see implemented more in our construction industry is the 3D modelling of steel reinforcement/rebar and the formwork elements – as used during the construction of the Museum of the Future in Dubai by BAM International. This really does highlight construction innovation in practice – to see how far the industry has come over the past few years is truly amazing!
In particular, it was great to see how other construction companies are using field technology such as Trimble FieldLink to carry out their day to day layout activities to ensure efficient workflows are maintained in both the office and in the field. Being able to compare my own workflows on site to others proved invaluable. I was able to take away some great knowledge, tips and tricks to make my daily layout and validation techniques more effective and efficient on site.
The conference proved that Trimble really are market leaders with the digital transformation within today’s construction industry with the future of construction being – Connected, Content-Enabled and Constructible within the various areas of Architecture, Civils, Structures and MEP. The services they offer and the software solutions available to the industry are second to none whilst always striving for improvement and innovative ideas to ensure client demands are met!
Being able to see the new Trimble Business Centre V5 software that’s just been released gave a good insight into how workflows are being integrated and results are maximised – as a construction company this is something we see as a valuable tool within our construction processes to ensure we have the most modern software technologies available to provide the best possible data.
However, it was the Trimble HoloLens and the Trimble SiteVision that really stood out for me! Being able to utilise mixed reality for project co-ordination really will be a game changer for Trimble by providing precise holographic models and data in the real world. Being able to show stakeholders and clients the finished product by just wearing an advanced hard hat whilst standing in a green field site before the project has even commenced is truly amazing and speaks volumes for Trimble’s commitment to digital construction and innovation! It’s like seeing into the future – an impressive piece of kit which I hope to have the guys from KOREC on site for a demo in the near future.
Seeing Trimble SiteVision at the off-site Expo really impressed…it’s a relatively cost effective solution with cm accuracy using Trimble Catalyst and a mobile device or tablet – to be able to stand a see utilities and services in the ground along with drainage lines and manholes will really be fascinating for the construction industry in the UK and Ireland! This will revolutionise the industry in the coming months and years ahead whilst showing how the construction will fit into the existing environment and how services can be seen below your feet without having to put a digger bucket in the ground! Not only will this benefit the industry but it will also enhance the safety of the industry dramatically for machine operatives as it will be a valuable tool in preventing damage to services within the ground etc. and they will be seen before work commences! An amazing piece of kit!
All in all, the conference from start to finish the conference was excellent and an experience I will never forget. The hospitality shown by the guys from KOREC and Trimble was second to none – I cannot thank you guys enough for the opportunity to attend such an event. It really was a privilege to be a part of it as a guest with KOREC. Great time had with good people – making new contacts proved invaluable to me for the future!
Wayne Nolan (far right) with KOREC’s Fran Mullally (left) and Shane Murtagh (middle)