scholarly journals As-Built Inventory and Deformation Analysis of a High Rockfill Dam under Construction with Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Sensors ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 521
Author(s):  
Peiwei Xiao ◽  
Ran Zhao ◽  
Duohui Li ◽  
Zhaogao Zeng ◽  
Shunchao Qi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Upstream Face ◽  
Deformation Pattern ◽  
Processing Pipeline ◽  
Rockfill Dam ◽  
3D Deformation ◽  
Under Construction

The construction of large earth/rock fill dams, albeit its remarkable progress, still relies largely on past experiences. Therefore, a comprehensive yet dependable monitoring program is particularly beneficial for guiding the practice. However, conventional measurements can only produce limited discrete data. This paper exploits the potential of the terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) for an accurate inventory of as-built states of a concrete-faced rockfill dam under construction and for a full-field analysis of the 3D deformation pattern over its upstream face. For the former, a well-designed 3D geodetic system, with a particular consideration of the topography, promises a regulated acquisition of high-quality and blind-zone-free point cloud at field and also eases the cumbersome data registration process while maintaining its precision in house. For the latter, a problem-tailored processing pipeline is proposed for deformation extraction. Its core idea is to achieve a highly precise alignment of the point clouds with Iterative Closed Point algorithms from different epochs in datum areas that displays a featured, undeformed geometry at stable positions across epochs. Then, the alignment transformation matrix is applied to the point clouds of respective upstream face for each epoch, followed by pairwise comparisons of multiple adjusted point clouds for deformation evaluation. A processing pipeline is used to exploit the peal scene data redundancy of the GLQ dam acquired at six different epochs. Statistical analysis shows that satisfactory accuracy for deformation detection can be repeatably achieved, regardless of the scanner’s positioning uncertainties. The obtained 3D deformation patterns are characterised by three different zones: practically undeformed, outward and inward deformed zones. Their evolutions comply well with real construction stages and unique 3D valley topography. Abundant deformation results highlight the potential of TLS combined with the proposed data processing pipeline for cost-efficient monitoring of huge infrastructures compared to conventional labor-intense measurements.

scholarly journals Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Vegetation Analyses with a Special Focus on Savannas

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 507
Author(s):  
Tasiyiwa Priscilla Muumbe ◽  
Jussi Baade ◽  
Jenia Singh ◽  
Christiane Schmullius ◽  
Christian Thau
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Parameter Extraction ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Vegetation Parameter

Savannas are heterogeneous ecosystems, composed of varied spatial combinations and proportions of woody and herbaceous vegetation. Most field-based inventory and remote sensing methods fail to account for the lower stratum vegetation (i.e., shrubs and grasses), and are thus underrepresenting the carbon storage potential of savanna ecosystems. For detailed analyses at the local scale, Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) has proven to be a promising remote sensing technology over the past decade. Accordingly, several review articles already exist on the use of TLS for characterizing 3D vegetation structure. However, a gap exists on the spatial concentrations of TLS studies according to biome for accurate vegetation structure estimation. A comprehensive review was conducted through a meta-analysis of 113 relevant research articles using 18 attributes. The review covered a range of aspects, including the global distribution of TLS studies, parameters retrieved from TLS point clouds and retrieval methods. The review also examined the relationship between the TLS retrieval method and the overall accuracy in parameter extraction. To date, TLS has mainly been used to characterize vegetation in temperate, boreal/taiga and tropical forests, with only little emphasis on savannas. TLS studies in the savanna focused on the extraction of very few vegetation parameters (e.g., DBH and height) and did not consider the shrub contribution to the overall Above Ground Biomass (AGB). Future work should therefore focus on developing new and adjusting existing algorithms for vegetation parameter extraction in the savanna biome, improving predictive AGB models through 3D reconstructions of savanna trees and shrubs as well as quantifying AGB change through the application of multi-temporal TLS. The integration of data from various sources and platforms e.g., TLS with airborne LiDAR is recommended for improved vegetation parameter extraction (including AGB) at larger spatial scales. The review highlights the huge potential of TLS for accurate savanna vegetation extraction by discussing TLS opportunities, challenges and potential future research in the savanna biome.

scholarly journals Revealing Changes in the Stem Form and Volume Allocation in Diverse Boreal Forests Using Two-Date Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 835
Author(s):  
Ville Luoma ◽  
Tuomas Yrttimaa ◽  
Ville Kankare ◽  
Ninni Saarinen ◽  
Jiri Pyörälä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Point Cloud ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Stem Form ◽  
Monitoring Period ◽  
Significant Difference

Tree growth is a multidimensional process that is affected by several factors. There is a continuous demand for improved information on tree growth and the ecological traits controlling it. This study aims at providing new approaches to improve ecological understanding of tree growth by the means of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). Changes in tree stem form and stem volume allocation were investigated during a five-year monitoring period. In total, a selection of attributes from 736 trees from 37 sample plots representing different forest structures were extracted from taper curves derived from two-date TLS point clouds. The results of this study showed the capability of point cloud-based methods in detecting changes in the stem form and volume allocation. In addition, the results showed a significant difference between different forest structures in how relative stem volume and logwood volume increased during the monitoring period. Along with contributing to providing more accurate information for monitoring purposes in general, the findings of this study showed the ability and many possibilities of point cloud-based method to characterize changes in living organisms in particular, which further promote the feasibility of using point clouds as an observation method also in ecological studies.

scholarly journals Measuring the Contribution of Leaves to the Structural Complexity of Urban Tree Crowns with Terrestrial Laser Scanning

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2773
Author(s):  
Georgios Arseniou ◽  
David W. MacFarlane ◽  
Dominik Seidel
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Box Dimension ◽  
State University ◽  
Leaf Removal ◽  
Quercus Macrocarpa ◽  
Methodological Considerations

Trees have a fractal-like branching architecture that determines their structural complexity. We used terrestrial laser scanning technology to study the role of foliage in the structural complexity of urban trees. Forty-five trees of three deciduous species, Gleditsia triacanthos, Quercus macrocarpa, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, were sampled on the Michigan State University campus. We studied their structural complexity by calculating the box-dimension (Db) metric from point clouds generated for the trees using terrestrial laser scanning, during the leaf-on and -off conditions. Furthermore, we artificially defoliated the leaf-on point clouds by applying an algorithm that separates the foliage from the woody material of the trees, and then recalculated the Db metric. The Db of the leaf-on tree point clouds was significantly greater than the Db of the leaf-off point clouds across all species. Additionally, the leaf removal algorithm introduced bias to the estimation of the leaf-removed Db of the G. triacanthos and M. glyptostroboides trees. The index capturing the contribution of leaves to the structural complexity of the study trees (the ratio of the Db of the leaf-on point clouds divided by the Db of the leaf-off point clouds minus one), was negatively correlated with branch surface area and different metrics of the length of paths through the branch network of the trees, indicating that the contribution of leaves decreases as branch network complexity increases. Underestimation of the Db of the G. triacanthos trees, after the artificial leaf removal, was related to maximum branch order. These results enhance our understanding of tree structural complexity by disentangling the contribution of leaves from that of the woody structures. The study also highlighted important methodological considerations for studying tree structure, with and without leaves, from laser-derived point clouds.

scholarly journals Combined Use of Terrestrial Laser Scanning and UAV Photogrammetry in Mapping Alpine Terrain

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 2154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ján Šašak ◽  
Michal Gallay ◽  
Ján Kaňuk ◽  
Jaroslav Hofierka ◽  
Jozef Minár
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Point Cloud ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Mutual Orientation ◽  
Close Range Photogrammetry ◽  
Combined Use ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Close Range

Airborne and terrestrial laser scanning and close-range photogrammetry are frequently used for very high-resolution mapping of land surface. These techniques require a good strategy of mapping to provide full visibility of all areas otherwise the resulting data will contain areas with no data (data shadows). Especially, deglaciated rugged alpine terrain with abundant large boulders, vertical rock faces and polished roche-moutones surfaces complicated by poor accessibility for terrestrial mapping are still a challenge. In this paper, we present a novel methodological approach based on a combined use of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and close-range photogrammetry from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for generating a high-resolution point cloud and digital elevation model (DEM) of a complex alpine terrain. The approach is demonstrated using a small study area in the upper part of a deglaciated valley in the Tatry Mountains, Slovakia. The more accurate TLS point cloud was supplemented by the UAV point cloud in areas with insufficient TLS data coverage. The accuracy of the iterative closest point adjustment of the UAV and TLS point clouds was in the order of several centimeters but standard deviation of the mutual orientation of TLS scans was in the order of millimeters. The generated high-resolution DEM was compared to SRTM DEM, TanDEM-X and national DMR3 DEM products confirming an excellent applicability in a wide range of geomorphologic applications.

scholarly journals Deformation Monitoring of Earth Fissure Hazards Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunfeng Ge ◽  
Huiming Tang ◽  
Xulong Gong ◽  
Binbin Zhao ◽  
Yi Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Vertical Displacement ◽  
Deformation Monitoring ◽  
Earth Fissure ◽  
Displacement Analysis ◽  
Remote Sensing Technique ◽  
Noise Data

Deformation monitoring is a powerful tool to understand the formation mechanism of earth fissure hazards, enabling the engineering and planning efforts to be more effective. To assess the evolution characteristics of the Yangshuli earth fissure hazard more completely, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), a remote sensing technique which is regarded as one of the most promising surveying technologies in geohazard monitoring, was employed to detect the changes to ground surfaces and buildings in small- and large-scales, respectively. Time-series of high-density point clouds were collected through 5 sequential scans from 2014 to 2017 and then pre-processing was performed to filter the noise data of point clouds. A tiny deformation was observed on both the scarp and the walls, based on the local displacement analysis. The relative height differences between the two sides of the scarp increase slowly from 0.169 m to 0.178 m, while no obvious inclining (the maximum tilt reaches just to 0.0023) happens on the two walls, based on tilt measurement. Meanwhile, global displacement analysis indicates that the overall settlement slowly increases for the ground surface, but the regions in the left side of scarp are characterized by a relatively larger vertical displacement than the right. Furthermore, the comparisons of monitoring results on the same measuring line are discussed in this study and TLS monitoring results have an acceptable consistency with the global positioning system (GPS) measurements. The case study shows that the TLS technique can provide an adequate solution in deformation monitoring of earth fissure hazards, with high effectiveness and applicability.

scholarly journals Entropy-Based Registration of Point Clouds Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Smartphone GPS

Sensors ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maolin Chen ◽  
Siying Wang ◽  
Mingwei Wang ◽  
Youchuan Wan ◽  
Peipei He
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds

scholarly journals TLS and SfM Approach for Bulk Density Determination of Excavated Heterogeneous Raw Materials

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Blistan ◽  
Stanislav Jacko ◽  
Ľudovít Kovanič ◽  
Julián Kondela ◽  
Katarína Pukanská ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bulk Density ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Raw Material

A frequently recurring problem in the extraction of mineral resources (especially heterogeneous mineral resources) is the rapid operative determination of the extracted quantity of raw material in a surface quarry. This paper deals with testing and analyzing the possibility of using unconventional methods such as digital close-range photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning in the process of determining the bulk density of raw material under in situ conditions. A model example of a heterogeneous deposit is the perlite deposit Lehôtka pod Brehmi (Slovakia). Classical laboratory methods for determining bulk density were used to verify the results of the in situ method of bulk density determination. Two large-scale samples (probes) with an approximate volume of 7 m3 and 9 m3 were realized in situ. 6 point samples (LITH) were taken for laboratory determination. By terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) measurement from 2 scanning stations, point clouds with approximately 163,000/143,000 points were obtained for each probe. For Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, 49/55 images were acquired for both probes, with final point clouds containing approximately 155,000/141,000 points. Subsequently, the bulk densities of the bulk samples were determined by the calculation from in situ measurements by TLS and SfM photogrammetry. Comparison of results of the field in situ measurements (1841 kg∙m−3) and laboratory measurements (1756 kg∙m−3) showed only a 4.5% difference in results between the two methods for determining the density of heterogeneous raw materials, confirming the accuracy of the used in situ methods. For the determination of the loosening coefficient, the material from both large-scale samples was transferred on a horizontal surface. Their volumes were determined by TLS. The loosening coefficient for the raw material of 1.38 was calculated from the resulting values.

Terrestrial laser scanning and structure-from-motion photogrammetry concordance analysis for describing the surface layer of gravel beds

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J Neverman ◽  
Ian C Fuller ◽  
Jon N Procter ◽  
Russell G Death
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Structure From Motion ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Gravel Beds ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Sampling Biases

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and structure-from-motion photogrammetry (SfMp) offer rapid, non-invasive surveying of in situ gravels. Numerous studies have used the point clouds derived from TLS or SfMp to quantify surface layer characteristics, but direct comparison of the methods for grain-scale analysis has received relatively little attention to date. Comparing equivalent products of different data capture methods is critical as differences in errors and sampling biases between the two methods may produce different outputs, effecting further analysis. The sampling biases and errors related to SfMp and TLS lead to differences in the point clouds produced by each method. The metrics derived from the point clouds are therefore likely to differ, potentially leading to different inputs for entrainment threshold models, different trends in surface layer development being identified and different trajectories for physical processes and habitat quality being predicted. This paper provides a direct comparison between TLS and SfMp surveys of an exposed gravel bar for three different survey periods following inundation and reworking of the bar surface during high flow events. The point clouds derived from the two methods are used to describe changes in the character of the surface layer between bar inundation events, and comparisons are made with descriptions derived from conventional pebble counts. The results found differences in the metrics derived using each method do exist, but the grid resolution used to detrend the surfaces and identify spatial variations in surface layer characteristics had a greater impact than survey method. Further research is required to understand the significance of these variations for quantifying surface texture and structure and for predicting entrainment thresholds and transport rates.

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