RMG Groundworks surveyor Alex Miles on digitalising construction

“Once we’re ready to bring an AGTEK site model to life, we install it on our surveying equipment like our Leica Geosystems ICG70 GPS rover and ICR80 robotic total station, as well as on the excavators that use the MC1 machine control solution, explained surveyor Alex Miles of RMG Groundworks when Peter Haddock met him onsite. 

Alex was on a house building project setting out plots and other key infrastructure using the model the team had already put together for its client. Alex: “Accuracy is at the heart of what we now do to deliver projects.

"For example, with the rovers, we can work quickly and efficiently while maintaining tolerances of 10 to 15 millimetres, which is extremely impressive.” 

“But if we need even finer tolerances, we switch to the ICR80 robotic total station, which can take us down to millimetre accuracy.

"And because we see what the machine operators are seeing on our rover tablets, we are all on the same digital page, which we can both work through.

"This level of automation means operators don’t have to rely on us as much, reducing time and increasing productivity.”

This approach has also improved safety and material efficiency. Alex: “We have worked with the excavator operators to record measurement steps using their buckets, so we don’t need to put people in trenches to take readings. 

“And when we know we have the right levels, we can put the right amount of concrete into footings, for example, which means we have less material wasted, which is critical to delivering a project both on time and within budget.”

By integrating survey data, machine control, and real-time collaboration, RMG Groundworks is achieving greater efficiency, safety, and precision onsite, which is helping the business to deliver ever larger projects.