Survey Solutions Spotlight
Learning the methods and tools of the trade as a surveyor has the potential to take you to some interesting places. It can give you the opportunity to dig deep into the past as well as plan for the future.
Our technology and our skills mean that we can complete a huge range of projects for commercial and private clients. These range from overhead line surveying and design to underground utility mapping, and include UAV surveys and inspection, topographical surveys and 3D scanning and floor plans of structures and buildings. If you have any questions about these services, or any requirements coming up, please feel free to contact us.
In this edition we explore heritage projects, share a glimpse into what we have been up to recently and let you in on the details of our very smart giveaway. Read to the end to find out what you could win!
Happy reading!
Take part in our Smart Watch Giveaway!
As a thank you to our amazing supporters we are giving you the chance to win a high spec smart watch*.
To enter:
1. Make sure you are following @utss_ltd on Instagram and @Utility & Transmission Survey Solutions Facebook
2. Subscribe to our newsletter (if you haven’t already!)
3. Go to our social media and comment on the giveaway post to tell us what you would use the watch for
T&Cs: Open to Mainland UK residents only, aged 18 and over. The giveaway ends at midnight on 30th September 2024. We will announce the winner on social media within 7 days of the end date. Full terms and conditions can be found on our website.
*Apple or android depending on winner preference.
For illustrative purposes only, actual prize may differ from the image shown.
Thank you and good luck!
Heritage Projects
We posted on our social accounts recently remembering the work we did at Geevor Tin Mine Museum. This, coupled with our recent article on the new dig at Sutton Hoo, has got us thinking about our other heritage projects, and the wonderful archaeologists and historians we’ve been able to work with.
So why would archaeologists need a surveyor? I can answer this question by talking about one particularly interesting project that we were involved in a few years ago.
Archaeologist Sarah Weston and her team were due to break ground on their dig in Stoke on Trent when their previous service provider let them down. Sarah required vital cable avoidance work to be done before they could begin. A thorough and accurate underground scan of a proposed archaeological dig site is a crucial requirement, and without someone to complete the scan, the project could not go ahead as they would not be able to excavate.
Sarah called us at UTSS and we were able to jump into the breach and complete the cable work, and out of this initial engagement we built a really great partnership, working with Sarah and her team on a number of subsequent digs.
What did we do?
As well as the underground scan for cable avoidance we used our technology and expertise to solve a number of other problems:
• 3D scanning of archaeological sites. Archaeologists are obliged to keep certain records, as part of this they must document the exact position and dimension of their trenches, to inform any future activity at the site. We used a 3D laser scanner to capture 3D images of the site, giving them all the information that they needed for their records.
• Ordinance Survey planning: Once we’ve got the site information we can plot it onto an accurate Ordinance Survey referenced plan. This is crucial when planning future work at the site.
• Aerial Photography: One key piece of the puzzle that can have a huge impact on understanding of the site is aerial photography. Now, with drone technology we can offer a simple solution to this challenge, giving a fantastically detailed physical record of the location and layout of the trenches.
What did Sarah and her team find?
While our part in this exciting project is very interesting to us, the historically curious will be asking what they outcome of the dig was!
The dig took place underneath a car park, where Sarah and her team unearthed the remains of a pot bank.
They found the bases of three 19th Century bottle kilns, as well as small artefacts dating back to around 1780, when William Greatbatch owned a factory on the location of the site. While William Greatbatch may not be a household name, he was a contemporary and great friend of Josiah Wedgwood, another big name in pottery from the region.
This site offers an insight into life for the workers in the pottery industry. The team already know from old maps that the site was used in pottery production, but they found some lovely details, like a curved wall inside the kiln, which may have been an early bread oven.
We were so happy to be able to jump into the breach on this project, and we look forward to our next opportunity to work on a heritage site. Who knows what we might find!
Recent Projects
Remembering other heritage projectsGeevor Tin Mine Museum
Over the years our projects have taken us to some really interesting places - even historic sites!
Two years ago we visited Geevor Tin Mine Museum in Cornwall, surveying the area ready for a new platform that the engineers were building.
As we carry out our survey work, we get to travel the length and breadth of the UK and see some really interesting places.
In June 2022 we travelled to the historic Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall where we surveyed the area to support engineers who are designing a new platform.
The structure of the mine intrigued the team and prompted a more in-depth search further into the history of the mine.
Here are 7 interesting facts we uncovered about Geevor Tin Mine.
1. Mining began in the area as early as 1791 (well before the tin mine as it’s known today).
2. At the turn of the 20th century, a group of Cornish miners came home from South Africa and took up the lease to prospect the mine.
3. The shaft was successively deepened eventually reaching its final depth of (480m approx.) in 1975.
4. The 1985 ‘tin crisis’ happened as a result of an overnight massive drop in the price of tin from £10,000 per tonne to £3,400. The Mine eventually closed in 1986.
5. In 1987 a rescue program saw the mine reopen for full production.
6. By late 1988 a new fluctuation in the tin price eventually resulted in the pumps being switched off in May 1991.
7. In 1992 Cornwall County Council purchased the site. Developed into a mining heritage centre to produce much needed jobs.
Since Cornwall County Council acquired the site, much work has been done to develop Geevor Tin Mine into one of the top industrial heritage attractions in the United Kingdom. It’s been a privilege for the UTSS team to work at such a historic site.
Recent Projects
33kv loop in and out connection for National Grid Electricity Distribution
Earlier this year we visited Quorn, a charming village near Leicestershire, to carry out a project for National Grid Electricity Distribution. The task at hand involved creating a 33kv loop in and out connection for a solar park, a crucial step in enhancing the region’s renewable energy infrastructure. Unfortunately, our efforts were hindered by challenging weather conditions, which prevented us from completing the survey.
We were determined to see the project through, so we visited the site recently to finish what we started! Despite the skies being overcast, there was thankfully no torrential rain this time, allowing us to proceed with our work.
Overhead powerline surveys
One of our latest projects for National Grid took us to the picturesque town of Church Stretton in Shropshire. Our assignment involved conducting a thorough 11kv overhead powerline survey, an essential part of the ongoing upgrade of the local network infrastructure.
Survey and design work in the Scottish Highlands
In 2022 we had a request from Hydroplan for a survey and design of a short overhead powerline approximately 430m long. They had intended for a new windfarm connection to be completely underground, but after visiting the site realised part of it would need to go overhead due to the sheer rockface and steep incline.
We visited the site in the December last year to complete the survey, and from that the new design was done and a planning application was sent in for the new 11 span 33kv overhead line.
Fast forward to this year, planning consent was granted, and we were able to attended the site to install all the pegs for the new poles and stays.
We’ve also been to South Wales to carry out a project for National Grid UK Electricity Distribution, to support a customer’s line diversion request. We were tasked with conducting an 11kv overhead powerline survey, supplying survey details and new ground profiles.
Despite getting rained on, we enjoyed being at one with nature out in the countryside.
Latest Updates
Richard’s new role at BNI
Those of you who know Richard personally know how much he enjoys networking and being part of BNI Silk in Macclesfield. So much so, he has taken on a new role on the Leadership Team as the groups new Treasurer.
In his role he’s in charge of the Chapter’s finance, membership renewals and the weekly speaker rota, as well as liaising with Macclesfield Golf Club, where the group meet, to ensure everyone enjoys a delicious ‘full English’ at the end of the meeting!
Is net-walking a step in the right direction for businesses?
Adding to his ongoing efforts with BNI, Richard has gone the extra mile (literally!) with his attempts to get out and network with like-minded business individuals. Richard’s recent ‘net-walking’ events have taken the group to some of the most beautiful spots in our local area including Macclesfield Forest and Teggs Nose.
Good company, interesting conversation and the joy of getting outdoors, stretching their legs and breathing the fresh air has made these events a great success! If you’d like to join Richard and the group on their next net-walk please get in touch with us on our website or through social media.
