Challenging Surveys

walking up a mountain with snow Surveying projects are often undertaken in harsh or remote environments. While this is not always optimal for the land surveyors and other geomatics professionals involved, the projects make great stories in our magazine and on our website.

We’ve picked the finest selection of challenging survey projects from the last couple of years. Keep a close eye on the GIM International website or subscribe to the magazine to stay informed about many more exciting stories in the months and years ahead!

UAS Experiences in Africa: Heat, Dust and Distrustful Locals

When conducting surveys in countries near the equator, environmental conditions can be harsh. Heat, dust and humidity may disrupt sensitive equipment, while distrustful locals may obstruct the undertaking. Read on to learn ab... (read more)

Must Read

Improving Geomechanical Analysis with Terrestrial Laser Scanners

People often describe something hard and immovable as ‘solid as a rock’. But rock does not always live up to its reputation. Depending on its characteristics and local conditions, sections of rock may slip, slide,... (read more)

Challenging Surveys

New Elevation for North America’s Highest Peak

Surveyors, mappers, geodesists and other scientists, as well as climbers and mountaineers from around the world, have long held a curiosity to know the official elevation of D... (read more)

Operation IceBridge

Operation IceBridge completed its 2014 Antarctic field campaign, the sixth in a row, at the end of November. The campaign was aimed at recapturing a part of the Antarctic ice... (read more)

Christ the Redeemer Reconstructed in 3D

The famous statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro has been reconstructed in 3D using a UAV. Challenging weather conditions and the sheer size of the monument meant th... (read more)

Challenging Surveys

Hottest-ever Topographic UAV Survey in Abu Dhabi Desert

Skeye from The Netherlands and Fugro Maps recently completed an aerial topographic survey using a fixed-wing UAV in the desert south of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.... (read more)

Geohazard Management on the Canadian National Railway Corridor

In Western Canada, substantial lengths of the transportation corridors are located within steep mountainous terrain and deeply incised river valleys. This is also the case for... (read more)

Multi-sensor Cave Detection in Bulgaria

Caves are important in a wide variety of fields, ranging from construction engineering to mineral exploration and archaeology. Despite the scientific importance of caves, geol... (read more)

News: Regular Surveys

View all

From the Highest Point: Land Surveying in Mesdag’s Day

Back in 1880, while Dutch maritime painter Mesdag was standing at the top of the highest dune in the seaside town of Scheveningen making sketches for his Panorama, surveyors were travelling the length and breadth of the country to create a new map of... (read more)

Road-Scanner4 Used for Bologna's First Tram Line

FIG Commissions and Their Work Plans 2019-2022

Mark Heine to Succeed Øystein Løseth as Fugro CEO

Ordnance Survey Underpins Driverless Car Testing in UK

Airobotics Joins Israel’s New Seaport Project Partnership

New SR3 Underground Laser Scanner from Maptek

The Profession of Surveying: A Changing One?