Using RTK for construction betting
The use of RTK for construction staking is becoming increasingly popular among surveyors as it allows for improved accuracy, faster survey time and faster return to the builder to proceed with the construction project in question. Building staking is a critical part of the construction process as it helps identify everything from ground and utility levels to the positioning of corners, structural walls and other building parts according to the site survey. Having a building built in the right place on a plot of land is critical, which is where construction betting comes in handy.
There are many professional surveyors already using RTK to stake out construction sites and it is likely only a matter of time before all surveying professionals rely on this type of information for their surveying needs. The more technology advances, the more advanced tools are created. With advanced tools and methods, surveying can be much more efficient, accurate and less time-consuming than ever before. This allows fewer professionals to do more work and deliver the same or better results due to technology innovations such as RTK measurement tools and processes.
Currently, RTK systems can be integrated with conventional or robotic total stations to allow the surveyor even more options during a construction stakeout.
In practice, RTK systems use a single base station receiver and several mobile devices. The base station rebroadcasts the phase of the carrier it measured, and the mobile devices compare their own phase measurements with those received by the base station. There are several ways to transmit a correction signal from a base station to a mobile station. The most popular way to achieve low-cost real-time signal transmission is to use a radio modem, usually in the UHF range. In most countries, certain frequencies are allocated specifically for RTK purposes. Most surveying equipment has a built-in UHF radio modem as a standard option.
This allows devices to calculate their relative position to the nearest millimetre, although their absolute position is only as accurate as the base station’s position. Typical nominal accuracy for these dual frequency systems is 1 centimeter ± 2 parts per million (ppm) horizontally and 2 centimeters ± 2 ppm vertically.
The use of RTK for building staking depends on the availability of GPS satellites and receivers and overhead cover such as trees and buildings, which is something that professional surveyors must check before they can begin the surveying process. However, there are usually software programs included with surveying equipment that facilitate the prediction of satellite locations and availability to ensure that RTK betting can be used at a specific location during a specific time or day. Real-time staking saves time, energy and human resources in the world of professional surveying, allowing more work to be done with accurate results and fewer man-hours used. At a time when surveyors are in short supply, this is an asset that many cannot afford to live without.
#RTK #construction #betting