3D laser surveying is the most modern and accurate measuring method
Enormous precision and fast working are the two most important factors that distinguish 3D laser surveying. Various sectors have benefited from the introduction of this technology. For example, enormous savings can be achieved in laser scan surveying of the earth’s surface in preparation for road, bridge and tunnel construction. A decisive advantage here is that laser surveying devices can now also be carried by drones. Flying over the areas to be surveyed with helicopters and airships, which involved far more effort, is therefore a thing of the past.
Do you need accurate terrain data for planning new infrastructure? – Then request an individual quotation for laser surveying from us!
When surveying with 3D laser scanning, the choice of device depends on the object to be surveyed. Not every surveying laser is suitable for every distance and size. For 3D laser surveying of the earth’s surface, laser surveying devices that use the pulse measuring method are generally used. They can determine distances of up to 1,000 metres to within a few millimetres. They are therefore also suitable, for example, for capturing the building structures of entire cities from the air. Such surveying lasers even perform well in the field of renewable energies, as they can identify suitable sites for solar power plants or the future reservoirs of hydroelectric power stations.
The second variant of 3D laser scanning surveying uses the phase comparison measuring method. Such a laser surveying device is particularly well suited to determining the dimensions of smaller objects. The number of measuring points possible per second is ten to fifty times that achieved by a laser surveying device using the pulse measuring method. In this way, even buildings with highly fragmented surfaces can be surveyed in a flash. Surveying lasers with pulse measuring technology are also preferred for surveying machine components as part of the individual manufacture of spare parts.
What else is 3D laser surveying suitable for?
A very important field of application for laser scan surveying is risk management. Wind pressure, for example, can cause the decks of suspension bridges to oscillate so strongly that they collapse completely. One example is the collapse of the old Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940. With a surveying laser, the oscillations can be recorded to the millimetre in real time. With this data, architects are able to assess the structural safety of the bridge decks. Thanks to its enormous precision, such 3D laser scanning surveying also provides highly meaningful results on models in the wind tunnel.
3D laser surveying is also indispensable for hazard management at the dams of hydroelectric power stations. As the measuring points are extremely small, even the finest cracks in the dams can be detected and repaired in good time. During flood waves, the surveying laser can monitor the dimensional stability of the dam walls in real time. Depending on the size of the dam, both lasers using the pulse measuring method and lasers using the phase comparison method can be deployed. If deformations are detected early, timely evacuations can prevent loss of life when a dam threatens to fail.
Geologists also benefit from laser scan surveying, using the fast and accurate measurement results to assess the hazards posed by volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions are heralded not only by so-called earthquake swarms: the ground in the volcanic crater and the flanks of the volcano also rise under the pressure of the ascending lava flows. Here, too, the aim is to be able to evacuate the regions around the volcanoes in good time.
3D laser surveying in reverse engineering
Especially with older vehicles and machinery, it is often difficult to obtain urgently needed spare parts. This is exactly where reverse engineering comes in. A surveying laser precisely captures the shapes of the worn components. The shapes derived from the resulting point cloud can be edited as required before being used as design documents or as a digital template for a 3D printer. In this way, the laser surveying device helps to ensure that complex systems do not have to be scrapped entirely because of a single part that can no longer be obtained.
Conclusion: Laser scan surveying has a number of decisive advantages. These include the following factors:
Measurements can be taken very quickly and precisely in real time.
Both large and small objects can be surveyed.
Laser surveying devices help to protect human lives.
Surveying lasers can extend the service life of complex systems.
With 3D laser scanning, land surveys can also be carried out using drones.
Would you like to use one of these advantages for your future projects or for safety assessments? Then let us advise you on all aspects of 3D laser surveying!
