Castle Surveys was engaged by Fisher German to undertake a topographical and measured building survey of Mount Saint Bernard’s Abbey located in the heart of rural Leicestershire for planning, maintenance and conservation purposes. The abbey was founded in 1835 and flourishes today as a Cistercian monastic community, in 2017 it opened a brewery producing Britain’s only Trappist beer.
The Equipment
We were asked to carry out a series of surveys to create a set of master plan drawings in AutoCAD of the entire site to ensure cost-effective building maintenance and conservation of the abbey and its buildings; while also supporting plans to extend its brewery in the future.
To carry out the work, cutting-edge technology was deployed by our Midlands-based surveying team including a Leica P40 Scan Station, three high-definition Leica RT 230 scanners and drones, providing the rapid capture of precise and accurate data of the Grade 11 listed abbey both internally and externally. The aim was to create dimensionally accurate, digital models to document and visualise the abbey.
Site Challenges
With the entire abbey, including 30 monks in residence, outbuildings and a state-of-the-art brewery to work around, they presented quite a challenge. Our team of surveyors completed the project in 25 days, scanning the entire site and then another month creating a 3D point cloud from which they were able to deliver 2D AutoCAD plans and a high-definition 3D ‘digital-twin’ Revit model.
Where 2D CAD plans reveal key structural features, a 3D ‘digital twin’ Revit model is dimensionally accurate, the model can be used to design and document the abbey, which together would provide a set of master plan drawings for future works.
Solution
The laser scanners can survey building features in incredible detail due to the density of measurements over a given area. Scans include accurate measurements of building features that were notoriously hard to survey using traditional equipment, for example, architraving, arches and other quirky features.
The laser scanners can capture a lot of data – providing helpful contextual information very quickly, while on-site which means there was less disruption to the daily routine of the abbey.
As complex roof plans were required, drone technology was deployed to rapidly capture photogrammetry data over the entire site, overcoming access and safety concerns. Using drones our surveyors were able to access hard to reach parapet walls and valleys without putting themselves at risk.
Paul Jackson, Managing Director of Castle Surveys, explained: “By combining 3D laser scanners, GPS and drone technology we are ensuring the accuracy of data collection, measurement and mapping. The Revit model provides visual walk-throughs giving complete confidence for our client at just the click of a button. The data we are collecting will assist in preserving this historic building and will support plans to extend the brewery, ensuring the future sustainability of the abbey.
“Carrying out a measured building survey in a building like Mount Saint Bernard’s Abbey is not an easy task. We worked in difficult, hard-to-reach areas of the building and around all sorts of interruptions from church services, meetings and of course a working brewery on-site to get the project completed on time and within budget.”
Summary
- Service: Land and Measured Building Survey
- Timescales: 25 scans days and one month to deliver the 3D Revit Modelling
- Equipment: A Leica P40 Scan Station, 3x RT 360 scanners and drones
- Output: 2D CAD plans and 3D ‘digital twin’ Revit Model of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey