Don Viaduct
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With the ability to rapidly cover large areas and access hard-to-reach locations, Plowman Craven is providing clients a range of Aerial… Watch video
Drone Survey for Rail & Infrastructure
Able to cover even the busiest and most inaccessible areas of the rail network from a working height of 25m, Vogel R3D can capture survey-grade data from a position of safety even during live traffic hours.
Drone surveys on railways remove the need for possessions and line blocks, drastically reducing the exposure of workers to risk, shortening programme times and ensuring significant cost savings.
Vogel R3D is a unique, UAV-based system that enables the comprehensive surveying of rail infrastructure to a sub-5mm accuracy.
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UAV Services Brochure
Download our latest brochure to find out more about how our dedicated UAV division uses the latest drone technology to provide high-accuracy surveying and inspection services to the property, rail and infrastructure markets.
State-of-the-Art Technology
Developed from years of expertise in laser scanning and photogrammetry, and underpinned by robust survey principles, this ground-breaking drone survey system uses a state-of-the-art UAV platform and 100-megapixel camera to capture overlapping aerial images of an entire site.
Bespoke workflows and software algorithms are then used to convert the imagery into 3D data – to a sub-5mm accuracy that is superior to any other method of data capture.
Perfectly suited to infrastructure surveying
Vogel R3D is also perfectly suited to infrastructure surveying, particularly bridges and viaducts; waterways and ports; oil rigs and power stations; wind turbines and solar farms; highways and transport.
Read about our high-precision UAV survey at Salfords Sidings
Deliverables
TruView
Similar to Google Street View, TruView is a web-based software package that enables stakeholders to ‘walk’ a site and even take measurements. It’s ideal for asset inspections, condition surveys and Health & Safety briefings.
High-resolution imagery
Our UAV captures both nadir and oblique images (looking straight down and at a 45° angle) to ensure every visible surface is covered.
The imagery is so detailed that it’s possible to read markings on sleepers, identify specific rail clips, examine crossing noses and clearly view flash butt welds – making the job of asset inspection so much easier.
The imagery is so detailed that it’s possible to read markings on sleepers.
3D point clouds
Point cloud for use in CAD packages by designers, enabling the production of BIM (Building Information Modelling) deliverables.
Topographical surveys
Topographical surveys cover all P-Way detail – including all tracks, switches, crossings, ties & ballast.
Orthophoto
Orthophoto – true-to-scale, high-resolution image with all distortions removed so that measurements can be taken and overlaid with CAD drawings.
Track alignments
Track data is extracted from the UAV data and overlaid on a Hi-Res Orthophoto.
The application of the Vogel R3D system is a real game-changer for Network Rail and helps us to satisfy many of our survey requirements in a safe manner without the cost implications or potential programme delays associated with multiple possessions.
Chris Preston, Senior Engineer - Network Rail
How Can We Help?
Let’s discuss your requirements and see how our expertise can help on your next project.
Plowman Craven has more than 50 years’ experience providing integrated measurement and consultancy services to the property and infrastructure markets.
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