MapServe

Customer Stories

How a Structural Engineer Uses Historical OS Mapping to Uncover Site Histories and Solve Structural Issues

John Topp is the Director of O'Brien & Price Stroud, a structural and civil engineering consultancy based in Tintern, Monmouthshire. The firm works across South Wales and Southwest England, focusing on residential, education, healthcare, and heritage projects. For John, understanding the history of a site is key to uncovering the causes of structural issues—and he relies on historical OS mapping from MapServe® to do just that.

Civil Engineer

Before

Needed to assess whether buildings had been extended or altered over time
Faced challenges in identifying past site features like ditches, field boundaries, or historic land uses
Required deeper context to determine causes of structural problems—especially in older buildings
Lacked easy access to accurate, scalable historical maps for engineering analysis

After

Used OS historical mapping from 1870 onwards to understand building evolution and land use
Identified past boundaries, ditches, or previous constructions that may cause foundation issues
Used historical data to better understand site redevelopment, defect locations, and construction history
Digitised and printed maps from DWG downloads via MapServe®, adjusting them for deeper analysis
Supported broader historical investigations—for example, tracking coastline changes in Kent and researching the local histories of pubs

Process

Accessed OS historical maps through MapServe® and downloaded them in DWG format
Used the digital maps as a base for structural analysis, layering them with current site data
Created printed versions for detailed study and mark-ups
Analysed previous land use, field boundaries, and adjacent structures to explain current defects
Applied the same mapping tools to personal historical research, enriching local narratives

Conclusion

For John and O'Brien & Price Stroud, historical OS mapping is more than a curiosity—it's a practical tool that enhances engineering investigations and structural assessments. By uncovering the past, John can make more accurate diagnoses and deliver better solutions for clients, especially on heritage and redevelopment projects. With MapServe®, the past is just a download away.

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