Gallagher Ltd was contracted to construct a new site entrance for Mercers South Quarry in Betchworth, Surrey. To complete the project, Gallagher used 17 Leica Captivate one person kits and a GNSS unit to ensure accurate measurement of the site and existing utility locations. The Leica equipment helped Gallagher design the new entrance alignment while avoiding utilities and minimizing environmental impact. The project was completed on time, resulting in a fully functioning quarry providing opportunities to the local community.

1. Gallagher Ltd is Kent’s premier
building, civil engineering,
quarrying and property business.
The Gallagher Group started
in 1973 and is based in Kent,
England. The business started
out as a ground works contractor
and has since established into
a main contractor and principal
contractor, offering the best
in civil engineering, property
development, design and build
contracting and quarrying.
Gallagher has a long standing
partnership with Leica Geosystems,
having successfully used Leica
Robotic solutions since the TPS1100
model range. In June 2015 when
Leica Geosystems launched the
new Captivate range, Gallagher was
keen to invest in all the advantages
offered by this new technology.
Gallagher is currently equipped with
17 Leica Captivate one person kits
and a GNSS unit, showing their trust
to the Leica Geosystems brand.
Gallagher was approached by their
customer J & J Franks to work on
the Mercers South Quarry on the
Old Reigate Road in Betchworth,
Surrey. They were awarded the
contract for the construction of
a new site entrance to the quarry
and initial works were undertaken
over a two month period.
A diversion was set up to allow
pedestrians and motorists to access
the villages either side of the access
way. This new access way was
fundamental to J & J Franks Limited,
allowing it to continue operating its
quarry activities.
Site works
The initial stages of the project
were to check for existing
statutory services (BT, UKPN –LV
+ HV and gas) such as water, gas
and telephone lines, adding to
the challenges of the job. Trial
holes had to be made in order
to check the depth of the site,
making sure the site entrance was
deep enough to put in the bell
mouth (site entrance). Using Leica
Captivate solutions meant better
measurement accuracy, providing
even the smallest of details, quickly
and easily.
Company
Gallagher is Kent’s premier building, civil
engineering, quarrying and property
business. The Gallagher Group started in
1973 and is based in Kent, England.
http://www.gallagher-group.co.uk/
Instruments & Software
- Leica Captivate
- Leica Viva TS16
- Leica Viva GS14
- Leica CS35 Tablet
- Leica GS16
- SmartNet
Objective
- To help reduce any unnecessary costs
and delays associated with complex
projects
- To construct a cut and cover tunnel in
order to form the site entrance
Location
Kent, England
Challenge
- Making sure the existing statutory
services were deep enough not to be
damaged
- A footpath which was in the way and
needed to be resited
- Accurate setting out with minimal
environmental impact including
a drainage lagoon
Benefits
A completely new working quarry with
a new access roads and new entrance site
and vital new opportunities to the area
Leica Geosystems TruStory
Gallagher Ltd and J & J Franks Ltd

2. Leica Geosystems AG
leica-geosystems.com
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When setting out on this project,
positional accuracy was paramount,
it was crucial to understand exactly
where the new works might clash
with any statutory services. The
Leica Viva TS16 and Leica Viva GS14
were chosen for this; with the
Leica Viva GS14 also being used for
the basic cut and fill operations.
The Leica Viva GS14 was perfect for
this scenario, as its performance
is purpose made to deal with
such demanding environments
and provide real endurance in
extreme temperatures and weather
conditions. Simple, accurate and
easy to use, the Leica Viva GS14
was partnered with the new
CS35 Tablet running Captivate
software and was connected to
SmartNet for reliable and accurate
GNSS RTK corrections.
The Leica Viva TS16 ‘self learning’
one person total station was chosen
because of its versatility to adapt
to any environmental condition.
Running Leica Captivate software,
the most comprehensive onboard
capability available, the existing
conditions of the quarry site could
be surveyed and recorded. This
provided an understanding of any
potential clashes with the utilities.
Using this survey data from
Captivate, a 3D model was produced
of the site and the design was
determined for the new work. This
survey data helped Gallagher to
decide on the best alignment for
the road. Then with the new design
and services, data was loaded onto
the Leica CS35 tablet and available
on-site in the 3D environment
within Captivate.
Challenges
Making sure the existing statutory
services were deep enough not to
be damaged was imperative to the
project. The Captivate kit made sure
the setting out and allocation of
these services was quick and easy.
Without the surveying equipment
from Leica Geosystems and if the
services were damaged in any way,
it could have set the project back
six months or more. Other obstacles
included a footpath which was in
the way and needed to be moved.
Trees and shrubbery also needed to
be cut down surrounding the quarry.
The contract was completed within
tight time constraints to minimise
the disruption to local pedestrians
and motorists.
Benefits
The project started in July 2015
and the first part of the road
was completed in January 2016.
Gallagher is now returning the
quarry site to complete the access
road to the permanent quarry office
area. It will then become a new
fully working quarry with the access
roads and the new site entrance.
The newly functioning quarry will
benefit the whole community and
provide vital new opportunities to
the area.
The Leica CS35 tablets offer them
so much more than a conventional
total station controller, being
a full Windows 8.1 Computer, the
capabilities it offers for onsite use
are almost limitless. Gallagher has
already installed AutoCad and their
regular IT services onboard. The
Leica CS35 tablets can be used for
everything from setting out and
surveying, to filling in check sheets,
documenting and photographing
as-builts, exchanging important data
and even doing emails. A complete
solution for any engineer on-site.
“We wouldn’t have been able
to complete this construction
project for J & J Franks without the
excellent support and equipment
from Leica Geosystems”, remarks
Ken Mallinson, Technical Contracts
Manager at Gallagher. “We chose
Leica Geosystems solutions for our
surveying jobs as we can rely on the
high quality of the instrument and
the accuracy of the measurements.
Furthermore the support and
excellent after care received
from their Technical Support and
Technical Service teams are second
to none”.