Relationships and Collaboration Drove Results
On any surveying project, especially those involving the nuances of a higher education setting, we rely on relationships to structure the project for success. For our NCSU project, we continuously met with school representatives and their engineers, creating a forum for open discussion and an avenue to streamline priorities. Due to our strong relationships with NCSU, we were also able to coordinate with staff to plan around scheduled maintenance and campus social events.
Our surveyors’ day-to-day collaboration with our engineering teams gave us a clear understanding of the key considerations needed for the design. We incorporated those needs into the initial survey to minimize the need for follow-up efforts.
Additionally, we brought our firm’s Florida subsurface utility engineering (SUE) team on board to support our Raleigh SUE group in mapping the complex network of campus utilities. With traditional surveying methods, teams must always have a clear line of sight between the equipment and target points. This is difficult on a campus like NCSU’s, which would require multiple setups to account for the dense number of buildings, tight corners, unique architecture, and other obstructed areas. To overcome these challenges, we incorporated global positioning systems (GPS) into much of the SUE work. Our approach reduced both time and costs while still delivering the accurate, high-quality data our client needed.
Expanding Value Through Forward Thinking
Since we had already secured FAA approval to mobilize the aircraft, we saw an opportunity to further strengthen the value we could deliver to our client. In partnership with our aerial consultant, we asked NCSU if there were any upcoming projects that could benefit from aerial data collection. We learned that NCSU set aside funding in the next fiscal year for an updated geographic information system (GIS) map of the south side of campus, an ideal application for aerial surveying. By expanding the flight area, our team captured the additional data at only a small added cost, holding the dataset to complete processing and the necessary ground survey once funding became available. This proactive thinking maximized existing resources to deliver crucial data to support future planning, development, and growth.
The Outcome
Utilizing our vast experience, in-house resources, and creative thinking, our team delivered an innovative solution that helped to address the client’s present and future needs. Following this project, we were awarded an on-call contract with NCSU for surveying, a testament to the relationship we had built and the flexibility of services we were able to offer.
Survey work in campus settings may come with unique challenges, but we look forward to continuing our long-standing partnerships with higher education clients, providing data that serves as the foundation of educational and community improvement.