Site Survey

There are a number of concepts used in surveying a site for a construction project. Construction surveys, sometimes called engineering surveys, are conducted to obtain data essential for planning, estimating, locating, and layout for the various phases of construction activities or projects. Surveys rely on Bench Marks (BM) to establish a known elevation on a construction site. Construction projects on the edge of or in the water utilize tidal datum and mean sea level measurements when sites are established.

Earthwork operations are some of the earliest operations that occur on a construction site. Pioneering, the earliest process makes the area accessible to the equipment that will be used on the project. Clearing is the next step, which consists of cleaning the site surface of vegetation, boulders, and rubbish. Clearing may include grubbing, which is removing roots and stumps, as well as stripping the site of sod and poor topsoil. All of this preparation needs to be done while maintaining or improving the drainage of the site.