Infrastructure & road construction: Digital measurement replaces measuring wheel & paper plan

The clock is ticking in road and infrastructure construction: construction sections run under traffic, closure times are tight - and every invoice is later checked down to the centimeter.

The classic measurement with a measuring wheel, tape measure and paper not only takes a lot of time, but also regularly leads to errors. 

Missing evidence, unclear area calculations or chaotic paperwork lead to discussions with clients. As a result, this usually leads to reductions in the final invoice. 

The question is: how can the problem be solved?

The challenges in infrastructure & road construction

On road construction and civil engineering sites, measuring is one of the biggest time wasters - whether it's laying the base course, asphalting the road surface or constructing sewers and pipes:

• Time-consuming: Measuring with a measuring wheel or cord costs several hours per week.
• Prone to errors: Inaccurate length and area measurements (e.g. for asphalt tracks, cable routes or drainage pipes) lead to incorrect quantities.
• Missing evidence: Photos without GPS data or time stamps are difficult to assign to a construction phase.
• Paper chaos: Notes, sketches and plans are scattered around and are only brought together days later in the office.
• Burden for site management: Construction managers have to rework, recheck quantities and justify supplements - instead of taking care of the construction progress.

At the end of the day, the foreman measures the asphalt surface with the measuring wheel while the truck and roller are still rolling over the construction site. He notes the values on a piece of paper, takes a few photos with his cell phone and writes „curb completed“. 

In the office, it turns out that the sketch does not match the execution plan, the photos have no reference point and the area calculation is incomplete. Result: Discussions with the client and a reduction in the invoice. 

Digital measurement solution for infrastructure and road construction

With the SitePlan Trial the complete measurement and documentation can be carried out directly on the construction site - via smartphone or tablet, accurate to the centimeter with a GNSS antenna.

Functions at a glance:

• Record points, lines and areas - Ideal for kerbs, asphalt surfaces, manholes or trenches.
• GPS Photo Documentation - Each photo is automatically provided with a coordinate, viewing direction and time stamp and georeferenced on the map or on the satellite map.
• Layer logic - Photos and measurements can be sorted by construction stage (e.g. base course, surface course, drainage).
• Simple staking out - Objects from the plan or imported point lists can be staked out and marked directly on site.

Practical examples

1. Capture complex areas at the touch of a button
   Whether traffic islands, bends or road widening: With digital surveying, even irregular surfaces can be recorded directly on site with centimeter accuracy - without paper, sketches or conversions. The detour via CAD is no longer necessary and the calculation is documented in a verifiable manner.
2. Seamless documentation of installation layers
   Base course, binder course and surface course can be recorded as separate layers directly during paving - including GPS photo and time stamp. This makes it possible to trace what was paved where and when at any time - without the need to ask the client.
3. Precise detection of curbs and line objects
   Classic length measurement is prone to errors, especially with long or repeatedly interrupted installations such as kerbs, gutters or kerb depressions. With the app, every line is recorded as a continuous, measured object - completely and accurately.

4. Line construction with evidentiary character
   Cable routes, protective pipes or drainage pipes are measured to the centimetre before backfilling and documented using GPS photos. This creates a digital as-built plan including photographic evidence - ideal for billing and later inspection.
5. Immediate measurement creation and export
   Measured objects (areas, lines, points) are available directly in the office and can be exported to a verifiable measurement report or CAD file with just a few clicks. No more post-processing, no more paperwork, no more detours.

Results: 5x faster measurement and no discussion during billing

Companies that Digital measurement methods report on:

• Up to 5x faster measurement compared to the measuring wheel
• Significantly less rework in the office
• Clear billing basis - No discussion with the client

Document infrastructure projects digitally

Infrastructure and road construction projects are complex - but this is precisely where digital surveying and digital documentation pay off. 

SitePlan not only makes measuring faster, but also more traceable and verifiable - a digital solution that takes the strain off foremen, accountants, site managers and clients.

Try SitePlan for 30 days free of charge - and experience how easy digital surveying in road construction really is.