Data centre construction demands exceptional accuracy and efficiency. Through its partnership with Aptella and the deployment of HP SitePrint technology, Leading Surveys dramatically improved productivity while delivering richer, real-time construction data to their client.
Founded in 2018 and based in Brisbane, Leading Surveys specialises in measurement and surveying services across construction and infrastructure projects.
Their services include:
Leading Surveys supports projects across civil, commercial, residential and industrial sectors throughout Australia and Asia.
As the company expanded its services into increasingly complex construction environments such as data centres, the team began working with Aptella, a leading provider of positioning and construction technology solutions across Australia and New Zealand.
Through this partnership, Leading Surveys gained access to advanced automation technologies, implementation support and industry expertise that enabled them to modernise their layout workflows.
Data centre construction environments require extreme accuracy. Even minor slab deviations can create alignment issues during server rack installation, potentially impacting both project programme and operational performance.
On this project, Leading Surveys needed to set out and measure 4,300 bolt locations across a 9,000m² slab.
Using traditional workflows, the process would require multiple crews using total stations to manually mark each bolt location and measure floor elevations at the centre of each base plate.
This approach presented several challenges:
The conventional workflow was estimated to require approximately 167 labour hours.
Leading Surveys needed a faster and more efficient way to deliver high-density layout data without compromising accuracy.
Working with Leading Surveys, Aptella introduced HP SitePrint as a way to automate layout and integrate floor level measurement into a single streamlined workflow.
HP SitePrint uses robotic technology controlled by a total station to print layout points directly onto the slab while simultaneously collecting elevation data.
Through Aptella’s guidance and support, Leading Surveys were able to integrate the system into their existing surveying workflows with minimal disruption.
Aptella provided:
This allowed Leading Surveys to maintain the precision of traditional total station workflows while significantly improving productivity.
The result was a single integrated process capable of printing layout points and capturing elevation data simultaneously.
“I was giving the client floor level feedback as we were actually printing. They had sections where the slab was significantly out of tolerance, and I could confirm it right away while we were still on site.”
Clancy Seiler
Director, Leading Surveys
Using HP SitePrint deployed through Aptella, Leading Surveys completed the full layout and measurement scope in just 17 hours.
The system achieved a productivity rate of approximately 252 points per hour, representing a tenfold improvement over the traditional workflow.
Beyond speed, the automated workflow delivered several important advantages.
Layout and elevation data were captured simultaneously, providing immediate visibility into floor deviations while work was still underway.
Previously, crews would manually mark points and store elevation measurements separately. With SitePrint, elevation data was captured at every bolt location, producing four times more measurement data than traditional methods without increasing project duration.
Elevation tags could also be printed directly on the slab, allowing construction teams to quickly identify areas where the slab was outside tolerance.
All data could be exported into formats such as CSV, allowing Leading Surveys to deliver structured reports to their client and improve transparency in the handover process.
The difference between the traditional workflow and the automated SitePrint workflow was significant.
Traditional Layout Method
Aptella + HP SitePrint Workflow
The project delivered:
While HP SitePrint provides the automation platform, successful adoption on live construction projects requires expertise, support and industry understanding.
This is where Aptella plays a critical role.
Aptella works with contractors, surveyors and construction professionals across Australia and New Zealand to implement advanced positioning technologies that improve project performance.
By combining technology with practical field knowledge, Aptella helps organisations:
For Leading Surveys, this partnership enabled the transition from traditional layout to a modern, automated workflow capable of supporting complex construction environments like data centres.
With support from Aptella and the deployment of HP SitePrint, Leading Surveys transformed a traditionally labour-intensive layout task into a streamlined, data-rich process.
What once required 167 hours of manual work was completed in just 17 hours, while delivering significantly more measurement data and immediate insight into slab tolerances.
For high-precision construction environments such as data centres, the combination of Aptella’s expertise and advanced automation technology is helping set a new benchmark for productivity and accuracy.
