How Woods uses world-leading integrated software to de-risk your land development projects

Worker looking into the sky where the drone is flying

Land development project requirements can change at the drop of a hat. Fortunately, advancements in mapping and design software have enabled us to quickly make changes or amend a design without having to go back to the drawing board. 

The history of surveying and engineering software at Woods
When I first started at Woods as a surveyor, we used SDR Map which was a feature of the SDR Mapping and Design software which has now been discontinued. Since then, we have seen massive advancements in technology that have enabled us to shift from CAD packages or drawings done by hand to 3D designs and modelling. Woods integrated the world-leading 12d surveying and engineering design software into our systems and processes which enables us to streamline and de-risk your land development project.

What is 12d software?
A New Zealand industry-standard software, 12d software is a complete software package for surveying and civil engineering design. It was designed to enable surveyors and engineers to easily manage the design and delivery of land development projects including infrastructure, roading, stormwater, wastewater, and drainage. It enables the creation of 3D design, 3D modelling and documentation of all types of civil infrastructure.

Interfacing with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), 12d software enables surveyors to extract approved data from the Landonline database. Surveyors can also compute and upload cadastral survey information into Landonline via the 12d software. 

Integrating 12d software at Woods to de-risk projects 
All of our survey projects and a good portion of our detailed engineering design projects are completed within the 12d platform. From uploading plans and 3D models to GPS controlled machines to outputting 3D models to contractors or drawings to be submitted for council approvals, the fully integrated software enables us to seamlessly manage and de-risk projects. 

Benefits of using 12d software for land development projects
The use of 12d software allows us to integrate the surveying and engineering workflows and create 3D modelling outputs. This provides many advantages including:

Increased accuracy and detail of plans: Surveyors and engineers can model and design with a higher level of accuracy and detail which minimises the risk and errors in a project.

Increased accuracy in the field: Machine operators, surveyors, and engineers all work from the same plan so there are fewer errors and rework. 

Ground set up is diminished: Project plans and 3D modelling of the terrain can be uploaded to GPS controlled machines. This enables machine operators to work from a device screen rather than traditional boundary pegs set out by surveyors.

Reduced risk, rework, and costs: – if something changes it can be quickly amended in the plan and the project team can see the impact of a change very quickly. It is easier to look at different scenarios and spot the issues or conflicts that occur before construction begins.

Increased accessibility: Clients and staff can visually see what the project site looks like (and will look like) with 3D modelling, rather than needing to learn how to read 2D plans or drawings. This also helps ensure that everyone is on the same page and the project will achieve the client's vision.

Seamless integration & project management: Surveyors and engineers work from one platform to design fully integrated roading and infrastructure systems including Stormwater, Wastewater, and pipe networks. All of the data, plans, and design can be found in one place.

Enhanced data transfer and data management: Cadastral survey work is computed and loaded directly into the LINZ database via the 12d software platform. We can also output engineering drawings for council approvals or 3d models for contractors and civil engineering works. 

The future of surveying and engineering software
As I mentioned previously, we've seen massive advancements in the technology and software available to us. However, I think the next innovation will be less to do with the software and more to do with the opportunities for the younger generation of surveyors and engineers. 3D designs and modelling allow you to visually see the current terrain and the intended project – it reduces the complexity of learning how to read 2D plans or drawings but also opens up the possibilities for how these models can be used.