Before any construction project begins, a property survey is generally conducted to produce different types of maps. This crucial step in a project aids the building process by providing accurate data regarding any property and new advancements in technology have made the process smoother and more efficient. Read on to learn all about the various map kinds created with the help of a land survey, and the importance of survey and mapping.
What is a Land Survey?
Property survey, land survey or site survey, is a process that involves evaluating multiple physical, biological and environmental factors relating to a site. Qualified land surveyors carry out this process through mechanical means (such as the use of theodolites, measuring tapes and total stations) as well as digital equipment (such as cameras, drones, scanners and GPS receivers). Providing important and accurate data about a land parcel, land survey maps guide the process of designing and constructing buildings and projects of all scales.
Why is Land Mapping Important for Construction Projects?
- Dispute Resolution: A property survey determines the correct boundaries and land parcel of a site. This helps resolve any existing property disputes and prevents any possible future ones.
- Real Estate Transactions: Real estate transactions like buying, selling, leasing, renting and obtaining home loans also rely on site maps to determine property values and to verify the validity of other property documents.
- Efficient Planning: Accurate dimensions and angles in site boundaries, level differences in the property and other topographic data are provided by maps. This helps designers create plans that optimise the available space and offer comfortable living conditions.
- Environmental Preservation: Land survey mapping often involves the identification of protected wetlands, floodplains, natural site contours, endangered flora and fauna and other environmental and biological elements present in a site. Once identified, the protection of such elements can be ensured through good planning.
- Land Use and Development: Municipal and city development authorities utilise land survey maps to determine the routing of public infrastructure like railway lines, plumbing and electrical lines and roads. These maps also help them track whether construction projects are being carried out in compliance with the local land use and building regulations. Property owners, on the other hand, can use them to prove that their project is legally developed.
Types of Maps in Site Survey
Some of the different types of maps produced by land survey processes are:
Topographic Map
A special topographic survey is conducted to create this map, which depicts various physical features of a property such as natural land levels (contours), buildings, roads, latitude and longitude and magnetic and true North directions. Types of topographic maps include complete topographic maps and separated features topographic maps. In a complete topographic map, each type of feature is represented with different annotations and colours. For example- contours in brown, water bodies in blue, land grids and important roads in red and other lines like minor roads, railways and boundaries in black.
Cadastral Map
A ‘cadastre’ refers to a registry that maintains data regarding properties. A cadastral plan depicts information like official property boundaries, ownership and monetary value. Combined sets of cadastral plans form a cadastral map, which is usually commissioned by a municipal or government authority and prepared by a licensed cadastral surveyor. Such maps help maintain legal records of properties, which is especially beneficial for taxation purposes.
Photogrammetric Map
Photogrammetry is the science of obtaining data from photographs and depicting this data in the form of maps. Photogrammetry is of two types- aerial (photos taken from above the ground) and terrestrial (photos taken or near the ground). Photogrammetric maps are used to classify the types of soil in an area, determine the regional topography, for vehicular and pedestrian traffic mapping and recording completed projects. A Geographic Information System (GIS) surveyor uses integrated computer software and data acquisition techniques to obtain, analyse and represent such data in visual forms.
Planimetric Map
Commonly referred to as a general reference map, a planimetric map is a two dimensional depiction of important physical features as seen from above. This map only denotes the horizontal positions of features along their x and y axes and does not include vertical height representations. The location and layout of natural features like vegetation and water bodies, as well as man-made elements like roads and buildings are shown in this type of map.
Profile Map
A profile map represents the land topography as a side view when cut along an axis. This axis may be along the horizontal plane or an existing or imaginary path. Different levels in the land parcel along the cut axis are plotted on a graph with x and y axes, ensuring easy visualisation of land contours. Such maps are beneficial for mapping sites with tricky terrain conditions, where management of floodplains and water drainage are important design factors.
Hydrographic Map
A hydrographic map represents water bodies like seas and rivers, along with their depths, nearby land heights and coastlines. Although more useful for very large coastal properties, smaller properties located near lakes and rivers, or properties with a water body inside them also find such maps beneficial. It is also useful when underwater structures need to be constructed.
Thematic Map
A thematic map is based on a specific theme, topic or statistic that is not visible or easily tangible. It may depict objective features like climate, population, political boundaries and numeric measurements or subjective themes like cultural influences, design interpretations and religious or language-based mapping. The data from such a map is typically used by architects to design buildings that respond to local physical and intangible influences.
Hiring Land Surveyors and Builders
Although mapping in surveying is required for every building project, hiring qualified land surveyors in India can be a wearying task. However, Brick & Bolt, a tech-enabled company in India, provides end-to-end construction services including site survey conduction. All types of maps required for property evaluation are produced by experienced collaborators with the company, whose team of expert architects then utilises the data to create customised floor plans for every project. Get in touch with Brick & Bolt today to ensure that your project is designed and built based on accurate property map kinds!
Hemali Patel