From paving to excavator control: GeoMapper in action

How the construction company Karsten Oepen optimizes its projects and work processes using innovative, geodetic CAD.

The civil engineering and road construction company Karsten Oepen specializes in paving residential roads, as this construction method requires significantly less maintenance than bituminous roads. In addition to paving, the construction company from Steinhorst in Lower Saxony also offers comprehensive services such as the design of public spaces, the development of construction areas, sewer construction and the final expansion of roads. The main client is 99% of the public sector.

In his own small surveying department, junior boss Dennis Oepen still carries out the surveying services required for the construction work himself: He creates stakeout plans, digital elevation models, settlement DTMs and settlement drawings.

"I was looking for planning software that was easy to use and versatile when it came to creating accounting plans. GeoMapper fulfills all these requirements perfectly. I was quickly convinced of the numerous advantages of the software and I am completely satisfied with it," Dennis Oepen recalls the time when the system was introduced in the company.

GeoMapper combines the advantages of CAD for graphical design with those of a GIS for object-oriented and quality-assured work. The software is therefore ideally suited for cadastral and engineering surveying as well as for GIS data acquisition.

DTM as the basis for excavator control

For the tasks mentioned above, rmDATA GeoMapper is used from the ground up: The young road construction foreman explains his workflow: "We draw the models for sewer construction ourselves if they are not supplied by the client. We create the 3D models for road construction ourselves and transfer them to our excavators as the basis for 3D machine control." The triangulated elevation models from GeoMapper are the basis for ensuring that a crawler blade or excavator bucket does not dig too deep and nasty surprises are avoided.

After completion, Oepen and his team measure again and create the ceiling height plan using the rmDATA software. In the functional scope of the geodetic CAD, he uses the basic module, the DTM module and the text release for classic plan generation. In addition to the plan documents, he also provides profiles for sewer construction sites, which he generates in GeoMapper in no time at all.

Many advantages in the workflow

The software simplifies many details in the processes compared to before. For example, the heights are calculated much better. And there is also the option of inserting a pictogram, a specific symbol or a special hatching in a billing plan for the public client. "Someone who looks at a plan is impressed by the design and that's ultimately what it's all about," says Oepen.

When asked about the differences to traditional CAD, the company owner admits that the object-based way of working was a change at first, but he now finds it much easier, clearer and more intuitive to use. "You just have to familiarize yourself first. But that's the same everywhere, whether it's CAD software or an excavator," he sums it up.

Due to the size of the company with 32 employees, the junior boss still does a lot of the work himself, from acquisition and surveying to drawing up plans and invoicing. This work is to be gradually handed over to his team, who are already carrying out the setting out work.

Satisfied with support and customer care

Dennis Oepen is convinced that he has backed the right horse with GeoMapper, he is "extremely satisfied", as he puts it, and he also expressly includes the "supporters" at rmDATA in this praise - above all Alexander Block and Max Woitge. They are very committed and respond to suggestions for improvement from the field. The close cooperation between users and the development department was something he had never experienced before and he particularly emphasizes this at this point.

Interested in efficient projects in the construction sector? Discover how rmDATA GeoMapper can optimize your construction project. Contact us today for a personal consultation and find out more about the benefits of our innovative software solution for plan creation.