about coopergeomatics

About coopergeomatics

coopergeomatics Managing director / setting out engineer / engineering surveyor David Cooper has been supplying site engineering and surveying services for the last 15 years working on a wide variety of infrastructure, civil engineering and building projects along the south coast. I have a BEng(Hons) in Civil Engineering and SMSTS and CSCS qualifications. I have been on various inhouse safety courses, many of which have now probably lapsed. I have held permanent positions as a Senior Engineer, but to be honest I'm not a senior engineer if that make sense. I have no interest "managing" or "supervising" or "coordinating" or "ensuring" or "checking" or "organising" or writing about. I am a do-er.

The bulk of my work is setting out, surveying, and creating machine control files.

Companies are now are expecting that little bit more when they hire an engineer. Its not enough to just be able to set out....

They expect you to turn up with your own instrument and tools.
They expect that you can work your magic from nothing. ie make something useful out of 2d pdf's. Most of the time I can!.
Site managers expect you to provide and be able to use autocad, scale and rotate drawings, remove all the clutter and extract what you need.
They expect that you are able to interrogate drawings to find survey stations from old topo's.
They expect you to be able quantify cut and fill.
They expect you to be able to use GPS.
They expect you to be able to quantify stockpiles.
They expect you to be able to create machine control files, input them into the machine, set up the base station and get the machines working correctly and to fix issues.
They expect you be able to create fancy as builts and cad drawings.
Some of them expect you to be a site manager as well!!!!
Luckily, coopergeomatics can do all of these (except the site manager bit)

Once people find out I am skilled in the use of autocad, I am asked to produce site plans, crane plans, overlay engineers and architects drawings and check for clashes etc. I have amassed a huge library of autocad blocks which enable me to produce proper scaled site plans which include most types of large plant and civil engineering details. For example if the site haul route needs to pass under overhead cables, I can survey the levels of the cables and the ground then add a block of a 40t Moxy, all scaled and sized correctly and you can see instantly the clearance you have and make the necessary ground level alterations.

Lift plans nowadays are so much more in depth - I can help with these. I have plenty of experience placing the crane blocks on the site then obtaining coordinates so the outrigger pads can be set out to avoid buried services or preparing the area prior to the crane arriving - taking the guess work out it, and more importantly that the crane is positioned as per the lift plan and not where the driver feels like it.

I am also proficient in the use of LSS digital terrain modelling software. The Company pays the £900 per year for a licence. Providing I can survey the muck pile and have OGL survey in 3d format I can quickly and more importantly accurately quantify muck heaps, stockpiles, cut and fill volumes etc. This is particularly useful for muckshift purposes, as I can compare what muck we have on site versus what muck needs to be kept and properly advise the earthworks foreman as to which piles stay and which can be taken away. I can prepare data for machine contol. LSS will provide a report and produce a 3d representation of the stockpiles - if you really want it it will produce a 3d fly through!!!!

coopergeomatics ltd carries its own PI and public liability insurance.

coopergeomatics ltd has invested in a Trimble S5 robotic instrument, a Trimble r10 gnss receiver, a 4x4 pick up truck, a laptop and all the software (autocad, LSS and various surveying, data manipulation and machine control software) to get the job done.

Please note, this is very important and it will save wasting everyone's time!!

If you require the hired in engineer to....

provide their own instrument
provide their own laptop with Autocad and other expensive specialist software
provide their own 4x4
provide their own laptop to access drawings which are held on 4projects or BC or similar
provide their own phone to liaise with the designer or architect
to do the setting out and keep the operatives and machines busy
get stuff done
to do surveying, drawings, as builts, volumes, create 3d surfaces, materials quantities, monitor stockpiles, create 3d machine control models, upload to the machine, educate the operator, set up the base station and resolve problems- You've come to the right place!!

You dont need to provide me with anything just somewhere to sit .... and blue spray paint as I cant see red and materials to make profiles n stuff.

If you require an engineer to do "a bit of checking", write / review / approve method statements, talk and write about stuff, do inductions, spend hours in pointless meetings, be an RFI mailbox, take on management safety responsibilities and wants to be a site manager, I am not your man. I have no interest in any of the "coordinator" duties that get shared out - some hiring people wont like that! I don't do meetings - especially on teams!! I prefer to be doing the setting out and surveying rather than paper shuffling and colouring in for main contractors whilst the subcontractors engineers do the work.

If we get this right I make myself indispensible and everyone's happy! I prefer working for the Company that does the work, for example, the likes of Mackleys, J A Burke, Wooldridge, Harringtons, Soldi, Henry, Careys as opposed to the company who "delivers" ie basically administers other people doing the work......and lots of colouring in, obtaining signatures and laminating!!!!

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