In the steep canyons of the Republic of Macedonia, AKTOR ADT, an international construction company based in Athens, Greece, is building a highway that will traverse a natural gorge, cross the Vardar River, and help complete Corridor X, the most important north-south route through the country. Due to the area’s very challenging geomorphology, the survey project is being undertaken with great regard for the environmental conditions.
The effort, which requires construction of millions of cubic meters of earthworks as well as heavy structures, includes two twin tunnels, six bridges, more than 100 culverts, fi ve overpasses, seven underpasses, two interchanges, high embankments and deep cuts. As a result, it requires regular monitoring of the amount of material removed, landslides and other variables, and progress reporting to government ministries.
To conduct the survey, AKTOR ADT has contracted with AVIATOP pc, which employs unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to provide aerial mapping and surveying services. The fi rm is using a Trimble UX5 UAS to fl y over the project corridor and collect data every two months. Equipped with a high-resolution camera, the UX5 captures images needed to measure the slope edges of cuts and fi lls and the surface of the roadway. George Papastamos, a surveying engineer and AVIATOP’s founder and CEO, is the lead on the project.
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