Ireland’s largest and most successful survey company, Murphy Surveys, recently celebrated winning the award for ‘Innovation in Construction’ at the Irish Construction Industry Awards for its entry on Tank Scanning. The award comes on the back of the establishment of three new divisions within the company – Tank Scanning, MurphyUAV and Specialist Inspection Services (SIS).
There were jubilant scenes at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Dublin on June 2 last when Murphy Surveys was among the big winners at the Irish Construction Industry Awards. Associate Director Barry O’Keeffe and Senior Tank Scanning Surveyor James Buckley were present to receive the award for their Tank Scanning entry which highlighted a revolutionary Tank Scanning Process using cutting edge 3D Laser Scanning Technology by applying the skills and expertise of the Geomatics Surveyor in assessing the dimensional tolerances of steel storage tanks, developed by Murphy Surveys.
The development of the Tank Scanning Process was driven by the desire to provide an innovative and technical service to the oil and gas industry. The most significant outcome of this innovative service is that, from its clients’ point of view, Murphy Surveys has now changed the industry standard for these essential services. Murphy Surveys took an innovative approach to Tank Surveying by combining advanced technology with existing guidelines to raise stringent industry standards, positively impact their clients’ bottom line, reducing time and risk on site while significantly increasing their own profitability and turnover.
“We were delighted to receive this accolade as innovation is in the DNA of Murphy Surveys. We are constantly evolving and moving forward. We’ve always been at the cutting edge of technology and this really stood to us during the recession. By placing a strong emphasis on R&D, we’re able to offer new solutions to our clients’ problems,” Managing Director Ray Murphy says.
“It is also great to see the team’s hard work being recognised by our industry with this award.”
Murphy Surveys was established in 1983 by Ray’s father Peter; a visionary of his time in the field of surveying. He believed that the future of the industry lay in technological progression, and from the very beginning he knew that the key to Murphy Surveys’ success was to leverage this to deliver a more efficient and quality-focused service, with precision as the cornerstone. Murphy Surveys has grown from a small, family-run business to the largest survey company in Ireland. When faced with adversity upon Peter’s sudden passing in 1995, his sons Ray and Niall (Financial Director) took the reins and a new generation of Murphy Surveys began; the ethos for continual progression remaining firmly in the company culture.
Over 30 years later, Murphy Surveys has offices in Kildare (Kilcullen), Dublin, Cork, Belfast, London, Warrington and Scotland. It employs more than 200 staff and offers world-class solutions globally to public and private sector clients, including government bodies and blue chip companies. The company has grown year on year – even through recession – because of its innovation and core understanding of its clients’ needs.
The formation of the new Tank Scanning, UAV and Specialist Inspection Services (SIS) divisions has seen further investment in cutting edge technology like 3D laser scanners, UAVs and GPS systems along with the IT infrastructure to support this. This, coupled with strong growth in the UK, will require Murphy Surveys to hire a number of technical people. Indeed, recruitment is currently taking place.
Murphy Surveys is the leader in the provision of High-Definition As Built and Engineering Surveys of upright cylindrical tanks, horizontal vessels, spheres and spheroids. As one of the first companies to apply HD Laser Scanning technologies and techniques, Murphy Surveys has set new standards in the surveying industry.
Tank Scanning services provided include Tank Maintenance, Tank Calibration, 3D Modelling, Finite Element Analysis, Inspection Services, Asset Management and Environmental Surveys. Clients include Phillips 66, Exxon Mobil, Vopak, Zenith Energy Management, Rhyal Engineering, Dimoin Caldereria SA and the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA). More details can be found on the newly-launched website www.tanksurveys.com or call Murphy Surveys’ Cork office on +353 (0)21 489 5704.
The Co. Kildare-headquartered company is a one-stop shop for all general, principal and specialist inspections. The SIS division is available to clients operating in the rail, highway, marine, energy and construction industries to provide them with innovative and alternative methods to assist difficult and unusual inspections, providing a full range of surveys and inspections for your assets.
Supported by in-house Chartered Engineers / Project Managers and specialist Divers, Murphy Surveys can now provide you with support in inspections which require underwater, rope access or confined space inspection techniques. Continuous investment in the most up-to-date surveying technology and staff training ensures clients benefit from the most efficient, cost-competitive and risk averse inspections on the market, while providing the most rigorous standards in detail and accuracy.
Business Development Manager Gerry Hennity is the latest addition to the ever-growing Murphy Surveys team. Gerry is a Chartered Civil Engineer (MICE) who has over 36 years’ experience in the construction industry across a broad spectrum of civil and structural engineering projects. This has included the project management of construction / inspection of bridges, marine projects, power stations (both construction and decommissioning), site investigations, site redevelopments and building refurbishments.
Gerry will be supported by Kerrie Gillen, who is a commercial trained HSE Diver with over 10 years’ experience. As a civil engineer, she has focused her career around structural inspections, specialising in underwater inspections. Kerrie has managed a broad range of inspection projects and programmes throughout Ireland and the UK.
Murphy Surveys’ UAV division recently took delivery of a Falcon 8 from TopCon Ireland, making it the first company in Ireland to have this state-of-the-art equipment. The Falcon 8 is an Octocopter that has been proven across many industries from surveying to oil and gas. It has the efficiency of a fixed wing system, but the versatility of a rotary system.
“MurphyUAV is taking a pragmatic approach to the industry within Ireland. We believe that data is the most important aspect of our business and the only way our customers are going to get high-quality data is by us investing in both the highest quality equipment and software. MurphyUAV is another tool that is utilised across the Murphy family and beyond,” Ray Murphy explains.
Implementing the latest in innovative technology, combined with experienced and skilled personnel, MurphyUAV will also enhance the Specialist Inspection Services division in terms of how it can deliver solutions. High wind capabilities will enable faster, more flexible and efficient data collection as well as reducing man hours for cost-efficiency and improving the targeted delivery by reducing time used by men on the ground.
Topcon Ireland’s Declan Byrne said of the endeavour: “We are delighted to be working with Murphy Surveys / MurphyUAV. Murphy’s investment in a proven UAV platform will allow them to offer a broad range of UAV-based services, including surveying, mapping and inspection. It’s exciting times ahead for the new MurphyUAV division and all of us here in Topcon Ireland are delighted to be part of this journey with them.”
A member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, Murphy Surveys is a chartered geomatics company that works with all aspects of geospatial data. In short, the company captures the world around you, be that by air, ground or subsurface solutions. By using non-intrusive methods and technology, Murphy Surveys’ minimise the impact on the day-to-day operations of the survey area. One of the projects it is currently undertaking involves looking after all the geospatial needs of the Luas Cross-City project in Dublin.
The affable Managing Director, who hails from Ballymore Eustace in Co. Kildare and is a keen cyclist, concludes by saying: “We are innovators and as a result when you come to Murphy Surveys you are benefiting from our continuing focus on R&D and this will in turn reduce costs and deliver a higher level of service for your project.”
Murphy Surveys
(Ireland Head Office)
Global House
Kilcullen Business Campus,
Kilcullen,
Co. Kildare
R56 K376
Telephone: 045 484 040
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.murphysurveys.ie
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, August 2016, Vol 2 No 4
