Keywords
Citation
(2004), "“Aerial” surveying", Structural Survey, Vol. 22 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.2004.11022cab.004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
“Aerial” surveying
“Aerial” surveying
Keywords: Photographic surveys, Access
Hot on the news is that the highways agency is to introduce new methods of surveying on the UK's motorway and trunk road network from aircraft comes which as a news of another innovative technique. Aerial Close-up Ltd has come up with a novel solution which they call “aerial photography from the ground”. This unique service was in action recently at Lulworth Castle in Dorset where there was the need to complete the survey with minimum damage to the building and minimum disruption to the daily flow of visitors to the castle and gardens. Traditional methods of carrying out an external photographic survey of the castle meant scaffolding the entire building or abseiling down from the roof. Both are expensive options, requiring skilled staff and days of preparation before the survey can safely get under way. Aerial Close-up Ltd provided the solution needed to perform a meticulous external survey without physical contact with the building or the need for the setting up of external structures. Aerial Close-up Ltd specialises in low cost, low level aerial photography by operating a remote control 35 mm camera or digital video camcorder attached to a telescopic mast mounted on a 4 × 4 vehicle. The mast can operate up to a maximum height of 22 m (70-feet) and is amongst the highest in the world. The mast can reach any location accessible by a 4 × 4 vehicle enabling photography of sites that can be extremely hard to reach. In this particular instance, Aerial Close-up Ltd were able to position their equipment within metres of the building which enabled them to complete the photographic survey of all four sides of the castle within a single day. The architect for the survey, Reg Ellis, was able to view the condition of large areas of the external faces and zoom-in on those areas of most concern whilst standing firmly on the ground.