Survey Package Details and Options
PhotoSat’s satellite survey products are equivalent to DEM/DTMs.
Standard Survey Package
The following deliverables are part of the Standard Survey Package:
| Standard Deliverable | Available Format(s) | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Orthophoto | GeoTIFF | Colour or grayscale |
| 1 m elevation grid | Floating Point GeoTIFF
MapInfo Grid ASCII XYZ |
15 cm accuracy
30 cm accuracy |
| Contour | 3D ArcGIS Shapefile
2D MapInfo 3D DWG |
Available contour intervals:
|
| Colour elevation | GeoTIFF | n/a |
| Slope direction | GeoTIFF | n/a |
Optional thinned grid formats
When PhotoSat completes elevation surveys over large areas, the file size can be enormous. To make it easier to open and work with large files, we offer thinned grid formats.
With thinned grids, we remove adjacent points if they have the same elevation. This eliminates redundancy in the data set. The remaining elevation points still form an accurate data set, but the result is a smaller file size.
Thinned grids are especially useful for terrain with low grade slopes, since surveying this type of terrain usually produces more points with the exact same elevation.
Optional Deliverables
In addition to the Standard Survey Package, we also offer:
Mine toes and crests
Hazardous terrain – both natural and manmade – is a reality for many mine sites. We offer detailed surveying of mine toes and crests to pinpoint physical drop-offs and potential rock fall zones in your site. These can be used to improve site safety for employees and equipment, without exposing drone or ground surveyors to the physical risks of these features.
Volume measurement
Precise volume measurement is necessary for invoicing and monthly reporting. Through repeat satellite surveys, our volume measurement is an accurate way of obtaining measurements for:
- Mined ore volumes
- Tailings facility capacity and freeboard
- Cut and fill volumes
All volume measurements are time and date stamped.
Water bodies
For operating mines and oil sands projects, we offer detailed outlines of all surface water. This includes both tailings ponds and naturally occurring water bodies.
Dam breach studies
For mine sites with tailings facilities, we offer topographical surveys of inundation areas. These surveys are an important input for thorough dam breach studies. They make it possible to project likely impacts of potential dam breaches, such as flow arrival times, deposition depths, and inundation areas.