LiDAR Articles

How to Use Aerial LiDAR For Land Development Projects

Watch this 3-Minute Case Study Video for Land Development Projects

In this 3-minute Case Study video, see how the UAV Surveying Team at Caulfield and Wheeler is using drone LiDAR surveying equipment from GeoCue to conduct aerial surveys at a 4,752-acre sustainable community located in prestigious Palm Beach Gardens.

Aerial Surveying allows the survey team to conduct more surveys and provide land development data to their customer quickly and more efficiently.  What normally might take weeks with traditional surveying methods, they anticipate completing in 2 days. See how in this 3-minute case study video:

Welcome to Avenir, one of the most innovative developments to happen in Palm Beach County in a generation. A vast 4,752-acre endeavor that aims to create 3,900 new homes, a resort-style clubhouse, working farm, golf cart paths, dog parks, and over 300 acres of serene lakes. This ambitious development is set to span five years, requiring the top-notch surveying services of Caulfield & Wheeler, Inc.

Caulfield and Wheeler have embraced TrueView LiDAR technology to handle their surveys more efficiently, deploying the TrueView 635 3D Imaging Sensor and processing, analyzing, and visualizing point cloud data in LP360 Drone.

Andrew L. Beckwith, the Director of Special Projects & UAS Operations at Caulfield and Wheeler,  oversees the drone surveying project and acts as a visual observer during aerial surveys.

Andrew L. Beckwith and Jason Cloninger finalize the flight plans for the drone surveying project.

Jason Cloninger, the UAS Pilot & LiDAR Technician, skillfully pilots the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and remains focused on flying the drone. It’s no easy task, given the challenges presented by a busy construction site with multiple vehicles and low-flying planes from a nearby airport. But, by working together, and following the plan, they successfully collect the project data and head to the next flight area.

Moving to the rear of the development, the team faces further hurdles, including railway transportation, a local highway, and additional aerial traffic. The landscape has shifted from an active construction site to a wetland with dense vegetation, creating lower visibility.

Beckwith emphasizes the importance of pre-analyzing their flights to steer clear of public roads and maintain safety. After successfully completing their fieldwork, the team returns to the office, where they process the data and generate deliverables in LP360.

Andrew L. Beckwith uses LP360 to process the drone LiDAR data collected from the land development project

This pointcloud software allows them to quickly create the deliverables needed to keep the Avenir Land Development project on time and on-budget.

According to Beckwith, “We’ll be able to generate a ground surface, .las point cloud that contains millions of points across some 700 acres. It will be almost infinitely more than you would ever be able to gather with a traditional surveying crew.”

The Team from Caulfield and Wheeler was able to use the TrueView 635 in conjunction with LP360 to complete the survey in three days, including planning, operations, processing and deliverables.

For more information with one of our LiDAR experts.