Contracts Flow following RTK GPS Investment

28 May 2008, 11:51pm

A Stockport based Utility Services company has found that investment in a cm accurate Trimble GPS solution can put you at the top of the list when it comes to winning contracts in the water industry.

John Kitson and Nick Keegan of Kitson Keegan Utility Services (www.kkus.co.uk), an enterprise specializing in As-built plans for the Utility industry, were intent on moving their company forward and recognized that investment in a cm accurate GPS would play a major part in any future growth.

“We know that many Utility companies now use GPS surveys and that the Traffic Management Code of Practice means that higher levels of accuracy will be required in our line of work,” explained John Kitson.

“We heard about Trimble’s UK distributor, KOREC, following their involvement with National Grid Alliance partners through the Pipeline Industries Guild and were aware that they also produced data collection software designed specifically for mapping pipelines. After seeing a demonstration of the cm accurate Trimble R8 GPS receiver with KOREC’s FastMap AsLaid software on a Tablet PC and just how it easy it was to use, the decision to buy was an easy one.”

KKUS combined their Trimble R8 receiver with a subscription to Trimble’s VRS Now Service providing them with cm accuracy on demand. The end result is a system that enables the real-time cm accurate digital capture of all the features they require to produce detailed plans of rehabilitated streets. These include newly installed fittings such as stop tap locations, depths, size and material of the newly installed main. Overall costs are significantly lower, data collection times faster when compared to traditional utility paper based processes and data is of higher quality and consistency.

John Kitson concludes, “We currently have two new contracts that require GPS surveys for As-laid large diameter mains cross-country and have been approached to tender for several more. We do still get the road wheel and hard copy drawings out if a client requests it, but our new GPS system means that we can now survey a pipeline of 1200m in little more time than it takes to walk it!”
ENDS

Photo caption: John Kitson of KKUS using the Trimble R8 to survey locations and depths of fittings for the 710mm Mid-Cheshire Supply Main, Nannys Bridge

www.korecgroup.com

Geo: International