Drone-based aerial capture that maps large or hard-to-reach sites quickly and safely — high-resolution orthophotos, surface models and topography from the air.
For sites that are large, rugged or unsafe to traverse on foot, capturing data from the air is faster and safer. Survey House uses UAV (drone) photogrammetry and aerial methods to produce georeferenced orthophotos, digital surface models and topographic data over open-pit mines, dumps, infrastructure corridors and greenfield areas.
Tied to GNSS ground control, aerial data delivers survey-grade accuracy across wide areas in a fraction of the time of ground survey — with the bonus of a visual record. The outputs feed straight into volumetrics, open-cast reconciliation, planning and progress monitoring.
Because the aircraft does the traversing, exposure to hazardous terrain — pit edges, active faces and steep dumps — is minimised while coverage and detail increase.
Ground control points are surveyed and laid out before flight, then identified in the imagery to tie the photogrammetric model to the project coordinate system. Independent check points not used in processing provide the measure of achieved accuracy, which is reported rather than asserted.
Photogrammetry models the top of what it can see. It cannot penetrate vegetation to the ground beneath, and it resolves hard detail less reliably than ground survey.
Ground sample distance is not accuracy. GSD is the ground area represented by one pixel; positional accuracy is a separate measure governed largely by control. The two are frequently conflated in quotations.
Tied to GNSS ground control, UAV photogrammetry routinely achieves centimetre-level accuracy suitable for topographic mapping, volumes and progress monitoring across large areas.
For large, rugged or hazardous sites, aerial capture is far quicker, reaches ground a survey crew can't safely traverse, and produces a rich visual record alongside the measured data.
Georeferenced orthophotos, digital surface and terrain models, contours and volumes — the inputs for open-cast reconciliation, planning and monitoring.
They tie the photogrammetric model to the project coordinate system. Points used in the adjustment are not themselves an independent check — accuracy is measured against separate check points withheld from processing, and both should be reported. On-board GNSS alone does not deliver survey-grade absolute accuracy in most configurations, though correctly configured PPK and RTK workflows can reduce or remove the need for control points used in processing. Independent validation remains necessary either way.
The real-world size represented by one pixel — a 3 cm GSD means each pixel covers 3 cm on the ground. It determines what can be resolved in the imagery. It is not the same as positional accuracy.
7-year project — site infrastructure, vertical & decline shaft, start to handover.
Surface infrastructure, decline & 2× vertical shaft surveys.
Vertical shaft equipping & 3D scan of 730 m reamed shaft.
GPS and UAV drone volumetric survey with ongoing monitoring of slimes dams.
Aerial surveying can provide broad coverage of accessible sites, corridors and material areas. The right choice depends on the surface to be measured, vegetation, structures, required outputs and operating constraints—not simply the size of the site.
Describe any areas where the ground is obscured and any features that require particular attention. Supplementary ground observations may be needed where imagery does not provide the required information.
Orthophotos, point clouds, surface models, terrain models and contours serve different purposes. Tell the survey team whether the output will support planning, detailed design, progress comparison or quantities, and identify the receiving software and coordinate reference.
A terrain model intended to represent the ground requires appropriate treatment of above-ground features. An image or surface model should not be assumed to supply bare-earth information in every part of a vegetated or developed site.
For repeat surveys, agree coverage, reference systems, reporting dates and how changes will be compared. Image resolution and positional accuracy are different specifications. Ask for the verification relevant to the intended deliverable rather than treating a small pixel size as a guarantee of accuracy.
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