Railway Survey ATR | UK wide

Met used automatic target recognition to survey railway bridges. This sped up the survey time on site and negated the need for special access equipment.

Project overview

Both geophysical and land surveying techniques are proving vital to informing repair and redevelopment plans for track, structures, station, operator and customer facilities. Met Consultancy Group has provided information for many projects over the years, working closely with architects, civil engineers and constructors throughout the UK to deliver real time, cost and health & safety benefits.

We have worked closely with Pell Frischmann Consulting Engineers Ltd on railway bridge surveys throughout the UK. These are generally required for bridge repairs, refurbishment or even demolition and rebuilding.

The bridges are usually sited on busy main or branch-lines and the surveys involve measuring several hundred metres of track, embankments, bridge details, roads, abutments and any other geophysical, structural or topographical detail that may be necessary. The survey data collected is then used to provide plan

information, elevation and section drawings of the existing structure.

Invariably, these surveys are undertaken during night possessions when rail traffic is minimal. Our survey teams use laser instruments with Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) to speed up survey time on site and also negating the need for special access equipment. This technology is delivering both health, safety

and cost benefits. Completion of the surveys within a limited timeframe is always critical to clients and we carefully plan resources to ensure a successful outcome.

Other techniques that can be employed to provide information relevant to railway maintenance programmes include geophysical surveys. These can be undertaken to determine the construction, and access the integrity of structures such as bridges and tunnels without the need for destructive investigation.