Potential of terrestrial laserscanning in load test measurements of bridges

Abstract

The state-of-the-art geodetic and remote sensing techniques can prove their potential through particular engineering applications. Besides the traditional surveying terrestrial laserscanning broadens its application field in civil engineering projects. The Department of Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics has long experience in the measurement methods, accuracy analysis and applications of terrestrial laserscanning. This paper deals with the potential of the technology through the examples of load test measurements of Danube bridges. Prior to the particular bridge surveying projects accuracy analysis has been carried out in laboratory measurements, the results validated the accuracy and reliability of the laserscanned data. The paper discusses the complex measurement procedure, the main steps of the data processing and results. Remote sensing can provide data about specific (e.g. with limited accessibility) areas of the structure that cannot be measured with traditional techniques during the short period of the load test measurements. The post-processing includes comparison analysis using ground-based geodetic measurements (such as high precision leveling) as reference in defining displacements. By computing the accuracy measures of the terrestrial laserscanning the overall technology can be qualified and calibrated.