GoReport have supported a team of intrepid surveyors on a mission to Ascension Island to prepare 30-year planned maintenance schedules on all the buildings on the 34-square mile volcanic landmass.
Six surveyors from building consultancy and survey firm Trident Building Consultancy travelled to the remote island in the South Atlantic from RAF Brize Norton to work with the local government to create a database of assets. This significant project will enable the authorities to make evidence-based decisions and prioritise work to manage and maintain the island’s properties.
Preparing for success
Before the team set off, GoReport held a series of conference calls and group meetings with the Trident adventurers. This meant that GoReport’s digital survey software could be tailored precisely to meet the unique requirements of the trip.
With everything needing to be completed in one trip and no chance for a second visit, this preparatory work was vital and required both sides to develop a strong working relationship. This teamwork continued once the Trident surveyors arrived on the island, with GoReport becoming a valuable remote partner.
The pre-trip meetings also meant Trident set off with a well thought out strategy and a standardised approach to surveying properties and collecting data.
Meeting remote challenges
Once on the island, the team faced many challenges. Access to basic necessities wasn’t always possible in this isolated environment. There was only one food shipment during the team’s stay and fresh food was limited. Even though the surveyors had to cope with isolation, extreme heat and wild donkeys accompanying them, they were still able to carry out state-of-the-art digital surveying and data collection whilst on the move.
Auditing the assets
The types of buildings that were being surveyed were unlike anything the Trident team had come across in the UK. The limited materials and labour available on the island meant there were a number of prefabricated units, made from lightweight steel and strammit board panels. One of the most interesting properties was Rock Cottage, which had been built using volcanic rock. Despite its derelict condition, its location in Green Mountain National Park with spectacular views made it a memorable point in the mission.
There was a mix of commercial and residential properties right across the island and they were all logged, surveyed and a planned maintenance schedule created for each one.
How GoReport helped
Working in intense heat and in remote locations meant the Trident team were grateful that they could carry out their work with minimal equipment. The GoReport software removed the need to carry around cameras, dictaphones, site plans and other equipment and meant they could complete everything on a tablet device.
GoReport’s intensive preparatory work with the team undoubtedly made life easier and allowed the team to get to work quickly once they arrived. Reports were standardised for all properties, despite the huge variety of buildings and construction materials. Once data was captured, reports could be uploaded live to the system meaning post survey work was kept to a minimum increasing the overall productivity of the project.
The objective was to create a planned maintenance schedule for the next 30 years and this was successfully achieved. The local Ascension Island government now have a robust and straightforward plan and a detailed inventory of all the buildings on their island.