Volumetric surveys

Mining operations, landfills and contractors rely on volumetric surveys to measure and document the amount of material that is being added to or removed from an active mine, cell or construction site.

Surveyors have typically relied on aerial mapping, conventional ground survey, fixed-wing aerial photogrammetry or LiDAR to collect the data needed for volumetric analyses. McKim & Creed was one of the first companies to explore the use of unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology to perform these surveys. A pilot study performed at a North Carolina landfill showed that, on average, employing UAS for volumetric surveys is 10-20 percent less expensive than conventional ground survey, 30-40 percent less expensive than aerial photogrammetry, and 40-50 percent less expensive than LiDAR.