It wasn’t quite a greenfield site when we turned up on the 7th January, earthworks had already begun and the temporary offices and stores were on site. The floating access road had just been completed so a 4×4 was no longer required to get to the site.
Our contract was to provide weekly drone video, stills, and 360º panoramas along with time lapse footage of the build. In addition we provided survey services and stockpile volume measurements throughout the build.
We were involved with BAM’s 5G-AMC2 (Accelerate – Maximise – Create for Construction) project where a closed 5G network was provisioned providing full coverage across the site, the first of its kind on a UK construction site. We used the network to live stream drone footage to offices in Glasgow and Sweden, allowing designers and stakeholders to view the progress in real-time without having to travel to the isles during the pandemic. The 5G network was also used for autonomous scanning using “Spot” the dog robot.
Highlights during the build were the delivery and installation of the four large transformers. We filmed them arriving at Lerwick Harbour then followed their journey to the site and finally being installed. We also covered the NKT Victoria as it brought the interconnector cable to landfall at Weisdale, a few kilometres south of Kergord.
We used point cloud change detection surveys on the rock bund at the west of the site to monitor its stability. Using RTK positioning from a local base and several permanent control points we were able to provide < 30mm accuracy with the ability to detect changes as little as 50mm, the size of a small rock in the aggregate. During the two years of surveys there was no unintentional movement of the bund, highlighted in our monthly reports.
As the build progressed the frequency of our visits reduced to every two weeks, and laterally monthly.
