Quarry and stockpile volume surveys
Accurate volume calculation of excavated rock and stockpiles of sand, gravel, coal and other bulk materials by laser scanning and GNSS.
Knowing the volume of rock extracted from a quarry, soil excavated or placed on a construction site, and stockpiles of sand, gravel, slag, coal and other bulk materials is essential both for inventory and for settling accounts with contractors. Visual estimates or measurements at a handful of points lead to significant errors.
Laser scanning records the full shape of a stockpile or quarry face with a dense point cloud. On large open sites static and SLAM scanners are complemented by GNSS RTK and, where appropriate, drone photogrammetry. All data is tied to one coordinate system, so surveys made on different dates can be compared directly.
In the office a digital surface model (TIN) is built and volumes are calculated against a base surface such as original ground, design level or stockyard floor. For periodic surveys the quantity removed or added between two dates is reported separately. Calculations are performed in software such as Civil 3D or Credo.
Thanks to the dense point cloud, the volume error is typically within 1–2% of the total, considerably better than conventional methods.
When you need it
- Monthly or quarterly accounting of quarry output
- Stockyard inventory of bulk materials
- Agreeing excavation and fill quantities with a contractor
- Comparing extraction with the mining plan
- Resolving disputes about material losses or discrepancies
What's included
- Site scanning and GNSS RTK survey
- Drone photogrammetry where appropriate
- Point cloud cleaning and ground extraction
- Digital surface model (TIN) creation
- Volume calculation against a base surface
- Change detection between survey dates
How we work
- Agreeing the base surface and calculation method
- Field scanning and GNSS survey
- Processing and surface modelling
- Volume calculation and checking
- Report delivery
Deliverables
- Volume report (m³) with cut-and-fill maps
- Topographic plan and sections (DWG)
- Digital surface model and point cloud
- Comparison table for periodic surveys
