The team was working within the confines of relatively small, indoor spaces during the initial planning stages of the project, so needed a technology that allowed each point to be laid out within an extremely tight tolerance of 2mm — compared to a more typical allowance of 10mm. The shape of each apartment also added an extra layer of complexity for the team. Each room used three separate grid systems, with one taking an arch shape to match the original designs of the building, making it difficult for the team to set out gridlines.
To help overcome this, the JRL Group used Topcon GT robotic total stations. The GT series offer users a high-performance solution that provides the efficiency of a single-operator robotic system and the power of long-range reflectorless measurements. The GT robotic total stations are also a third smaller than others in size, making them ideal for use in the confined working areas.
“We selected Topcon as a one-stop solution to set out and produce as-builts,” explains Trevor Homes, construction survey manager at JRL Group. “The field controller set up is completely intuitive — we had an intern working on the Regents Crescent project and within a day she was up and running, setting out in applications.”
The Topcon MAGNET field controller was used alongside the GT robotic total stations, to control and verify the points set out during the initial phase of the project. The controllers offer a full range of connectivity and instruction options, allowing JRL Group to control job file layers and select different options, such as the circle centres of line intersections, remotely.
