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Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling

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A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 41902

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Dr. Domenico Visintini

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Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
Interests: photogrammetry; laser scanning; HBIM; mobile mapping systems; uncrewed aerial vehicle; geomatics data integration; digital mapping and GIS
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Dr. Filiberto Chiabrando

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Department of Architecture and Design, Polytechnic University of Turin, I-10125 Torino, Italy
Interests: uncrewed aerial vehicle; photogrammetry; laser scanning; 3D reconstruction; rapid mapping; 3D modeling; 360° cameras; GIS and remote sensing; sensor integration
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Dear Colleagues,

At present, terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry are geomatics surveying techniques very widely applied in civil engineering and architecture. Since these applications can be very different in terms of, at least, dimension and level of detail, the employed laser scanning and photogrammetric hardware and software should also be very different. In this sense, surveying using UAV equipped with laser scanning or photogrammetric sensors can be carried out from a single building to a very long bridge, with variable acquisition conditions and problems, though nonetheless with high accuracy requirements.

In any case, the final output of both terrestrial or aerial techniques is a dense cloud of millions (billions?) of points, often obtained from a suitable and non-trivial integration. At this step of the processing workflow, the modeling procedures can produce “surface” or “object” models. The second modeling approach, well known as “scan-to-BIM”, deals with still open problems and requires interventions from the users.

Nevertheless, geomatics results are continuously improving, and geomatics boundaries can more and more go beyond their field, also overlapping other civil engineering and architecture disciplines. Our research topics have to take into account application requirements, and how to fulfil these while avoiding misspending the very high accurate and detailed geomatics output. Emerging and open themes of interest could be optimal integration among systems (UAV and terrestrial data, laser scanner and image/video photogrammetry) and with thermal multi-hyperspectral sensors; suitable integration of geomatic and material data for HBIM applications; metrological analysis of geomatic data for restoration projects; and exploitation of finite elements method (FEM) structural analysis using BIM models.

Dr. Domenico Visintini
Dr. Filiberto Chiabrando
Guest Editors

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Keywords

UAV/terrestrial data integration
Laser scanning/photogrammetry integration
Geomatics/material data integration
Differnet approaches in 3D modelling
Scan-to-BIM
HBIM
Metrological analysis
Structural analysis

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 64419 KiB

Open AccessArticle

3D Data Fusion for Historical Analyses of Heritage Buildings Using Thermal Images: The Palacio de Colomina as a Case Study

by Giacomo Patrucco, Antonio Gómez, Ali Adineh, Max Rahrig and José Luis Lerma

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(22), 5699; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14225699 - 11 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1673

Abstract

In the framework of built heritage monitoring techniques, a prominent position is occupied by thermography, which represents an efficient and non-invasive solution for these kinds of investigations, allowing the identification of phenomena detectable only in the non-visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. This is of extreme interest, especially considering the possibility of integrating the radiometric information with the 3D models achievable from laser scanning or photogrammetric techniques, characterised by a high spatial resolution. This paper aims to illustrate how combining different geomatics techniques (in particular, by merging thermal images, laser scanning point clouds, and traditional visible colour photogrammetric data) can efficiently support historical analyses for studying heritage buildings. Additionally, a strategy for generating HBIM models starting from the integration of 3D thermal investigations and historical sources is proposed, concerning both the multi-temporal modification of the volumes of the building and the individual architectural elements. The case study analysed for the current research was the Palacio de Colomina in Valencia, Spain, a noble palace—now the headquarters of a university—that, during the last few centuries, has been subjected to considerable transformations in terms of rehabilitation works and modification of its volume. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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23 pages, 8833 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Registration of Building Scan with IFC-Based BIM Using the Corner Points

by Noaman Akbar Sheik, Peter Veelaert and Greet Deruyter

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(20), 5271; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14205271 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1744

Abstract

Progress monitoring is an essential part of large construction projects. As manual progress monitoring is time-consuming, the need for automation emerges, especially as, nowadays, BIM for the design of buildings and laser scanning for capturing the as-built situation have become well adopted. However, to be able to compare the as-built model obtained by laser scanning to the BIM design, both models need to use the same reference system, which often is not the case. Transforming the coordinate system of the as-built model into the BIM model is a specialist process that is pre-requisite in automated construction progress monitoring. The research described in this paper is aimed at the automation of this so-called registration process and is based on the dominant planar geometry of most buildings with evident corner points in their structures. After extracting these corner points from both the as-built and the design model, a RANSAC-based pairwise assessment of the points is performed to identify potential matching points in both models using different discriminative geometric invariants. Next, the transformation for the potential matches is evaluated to find all the matching points. In the end, the most accurate transformation parameter is determined from the individual transformation parameters of all the matching corner points. The proposed method was tested and validated with a range of both simulated and real-life datasets. In all the case studies including the simulated and real-life datasets, the registration was successful and accurate. Furthermore, the method allows for the registration of the as-built models of incomplete buildings, which is essential for effective construction progress monitoring. As the method uses the standard IFC schema for data exchange with the BIM, there is no loss of geometrical information caused by data conversions and it supports the complete automation of the progress-monitoring process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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33 pages, 32293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Tools for Urban Analysis: A SLAM-Based Research in Venice

by Beatrice Tanduo, Andrea Martino, Caterina Balletti and Francesco Guerra

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(17), 4325; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14174325 - 01 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1713

Abstract

This research proposes a detailed analysis of the potential of MMS (Mobile Mapping Systems), supported by SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping) algorithms, performed on a multiscale test field in order to make a concrete contribution to the morphological study of cities. These systems, developed with the aim of acquiring a large number of points in a short time, are able to map the surrounding area and automatically localise themselves in real time in relation to a determined reference system. The analysed area, located in Venice, was divided into three different test fields characterised by typical elements potentially comparable to those of other urban realities. The data were acquired using the LiBackPack C50, Kaarta Stencil and Heron Lite systems and compared quantitatively and qualitatively with data obtained from more traditional surveying techniques. Specifically, the data obtained from TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanning) surveys, supported by topographic measurements, were the most accurate basis on which to evaluate the accuracy and completeness of the three different MMS devices. The standard deviation values were initially analysed in the final 3D global models using the C2C (Cloud to Cloud) and C2M (Cloud to Mesh) distance calculation methods. Subsequently, the geometric differences were investigated through the extraction of horizontal profiles, and two more specific 2D analyses were carried out: the first inspecting the residual parameters calculated after the Helmert transformation from two sets of control points obtained from the profiles, followed by a local strain analysis. The study of the local deformation parameters allowed us to validate the results obtained and to identify the real limits of these survey instruments. The aim was to make a concrete contribution to the formalisation of an operative protocol for the morphological study of the city, exploiting the potential of these technologies to overcome the differences in scale and the gap between outdoor and indoor spaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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20 pages, 63893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integration and Comparison Methods for Multitemporal Image-Based 2D Annotations in Linked 3D Building Documentation

by Jakob Taraben and Guido Morgenthal

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(9), 2286; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14092286 - 09 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1903

Abstract

Data acquisition systems and methods to capture high-resolution images or reconstruct 3D point clouds of existing structures are an effective way to document their as-is condition. These methods enable a detailed analysis of building surfaces, providing precise 3D representations. However, for the condition assessment and documentation, damages are mainly annotated in 2D representations, such as images, orthophotos, or technical drawings, which do not allow for the application of a 3D workflow or automated comparisons of multitemporal datasets. In the available software for building heritage data management and analysis, a wide range of annotation and evaluation functions are available, but they also lack integrated post-processing methods and systematic workflows. The article presents novel methods developed to facilitate such automated 3D workflows and validates them on a small historic church building in Thuringia, Germany. Post-processing steps using photogrammetric 3D reconstruction data along with imagery were implemented, which show the possibilities of integrating 2D annotations into 3D documentations. Further, the application of voxel-based methods on the dataset enables the evaluation of geometrical changes of multitemporal annotations in different states and the assignment to elements of scans or building models. The proposed workflow also highlights the potential of these methods for condition assessment and planning of restoration work, as well as the possibility to represent the analysis results in standardised building model formats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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23 pages, 123709 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Church of S. Maria Delle Palate in Tusa (Messina, Italy): Digitization and Diagnostics for a New Model of Enjoyment

by Dario Giuffrida, Sara Bonanno, Francesco Parrotta, Viviana Mollica Nardo, Gianfranco Anastasio, Maria Luisa Saladino, Francesco Armetta and Rosina Celeste Ponterio

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(6), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14061490 - 19 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2695

Abstract

Cultural places represent the tangible part of the identity and historical heritage of a civilization as well as an extraordinary driving force for the economic development of a country. Within its huge asset, Italy counts a wide number of archaeological sites and monuments which, despite their cultural value, are totally cut off from the most important cultural routes. This paper aims to demonstrate how specific actions of digitization can contribute to valorize (restoring a cultural value) ‘marginal’ landmarks, promoting their knowledge and inclusion. The case study described is represented by the Church of “Santa Maria delle Palate”, located inside the well-known Archaeological Park of Halaesa Arconidea (Tusa, ME). The church, built in 1551 and subject to several renovations throughout the centuries, has been investigated as part of an interdisciplinary training and skill transfer project carried out by a CNR-IPCF research team. During the activities, the group of trainees approached a multi-analytic method for the study of many Sicilian places using different techniques such as laser scanning, photogrammetry, thermography and spectroscopy and collecting a large amount of information and data. In 2019, the building in question was the object of a complete architectural survey in order to obtain an accurate digital replica; moreover, the wall painting representing St. Francis, preserved in the southern nave, was investigated through non-invasive investigations (IR-imaging, XRF and Raman spectrometry) with the intention of collecting information about its state of preservation and nature of pigments used and help the restoration work, which would have been carried out in the following months. The result of the work is a combined “digital archive” useful not only for the purposes of conservation, monitoring and dissemination, but as a container of information enjoyable at different levels of depth. In addition to the scientific outcomes achieved for the study of the painting, relevant from the historical and artistic point of view, we must underline the importance of the work for the implementation of a web-based platform where expert and inexpert users can virtually access the church virtual tour and search for specialized contents (e.g., measures, analyzes results). Media such as this are finally demonstrated to be able to promote the inclusion (e.g., for people unable to reach the place or with reducing mobility) and accessibility to cultural places during ordinary (maintenance, closure) or extraordinary events (pandemic). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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17 pages, 11326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Experimental HBIM Processing: Innovative Tool for 3D Model Reconstruction of Morpho-Typological Phases for the Cultural Heritage

by Vincenzo Barrile, Ernesto Bernardo and Giuliana Bilotta

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(5), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14051288 - 06 Mar 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3011

Abstract

In this paper, we want to propose an investigation and a re-reading of the “Conventazzo” of San Pietro di Deca in Torrenova (ME), through the use of geomatics techniques (laser scanner, UAV—Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-photogrammetry and BIM—Building Information Modeling) and a reconstruction and representation of different morpho-typological phases that highlight the numerous changes that this structure has undergone over the years. Particular attention was given to the BIM/HBIM (Heritage BIM) construction, bearing in mind that, in particular, the use of HBIM software for cultural heritage cannot perfectly represent old buildings with complex notable and particularly detailed architecture. Specifically, a new methodology is presented in order to replicate the complex details found in antique buildings, through the direct insertion of various 3D model parts (.obj) (point cloud segmentation from laser scanner and UAV/photogrammetry survey) into a BIM environment that includes intelligent objects linked to form the smart model. By having a huge amount of information available in a single digital model (HBIM), and by including all the information acquired during the survey campaign, it is possible to study the morphotypological evolutions of the building without the need to carry out subsequent survey campaigns. The limit of the proposed methodology, compared to the most used methodologies (despite the good results obtained), is that it requires the use of many types of software and is very slow. The proposed methodology was put to the test on the reconstruction of the “Conventazzo” in San Pietro di Deca, Torrenova (Messina). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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22 pages, 12304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Geomatics Approach in Scan to FEM Process Applied to Cultural Heritage Structure: The Case Study of the “Colossus of Barletta”

by Vincenzo Saverio Alfio, Domenica Costantino, Massimiliano Pepe and Alfredo Restuccia Garofalo

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(3), 664; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14030664 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3146

Abstract

Artistic, architectural and Cultural Heritage (CH) structures are often exposed to a high risk of damage caused by seismic events, natural disasters and more by negligence and poor state of preservation and conservation; the use of a series of technologies, based on digital acquisition and high-level data processing, allows the realisation of a three-dimensional model of high detail. In order to preserve structures of particular historical and architectural value, it is necessary to assess their structural stability. In addition, many structures, such as statues, have rather complex geometries. Therefore, it is necessary to identify a methodology able to transform the point cloud generated through a geomatics approach into a model suitable for FEM (Finite Element Analysis) analysis. This process, known as Scan to FEM, is addressed in this paper. The paper shows the case study of the “Colossus of Barletta”, a bronze statue dating back to the 5th century A.D. located in the city of Barletta, Italy. To analyse this structure, a suitable methodology has been developed which is based on the optimisation of the surface model of the structure; in this way, it is possible to obtain an efficient transformation from a digital photogrammetric model with complex geometry into a model suitable for structural finite element analysis. The digital photogrammetry technique was applied for the survey of the structure, which allowed us to obtain a very high-resolution dense point cloud and a geometrically accurate three-dimensional mesh model, i.e., in a TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network) model. Subsequently, the TIN was transformed into a quad mesh model (identifying a suitable reduction value) and finally into NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational Basis-Splines) to be optimised and imported into a finite element calculation software. This geomatics approach has validated an efficient Scan to FEM process; in fact, thanks to this methodology, it is possible to elaborate three-dimensional models with complex geometry and draw a series of considerations related to structural behaviour or specific restoration interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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28 pages, 7434 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Documentation of Complex Environments Using 360° Cameras. The Santa Marta Belltower in Montanaro

by Lorenzo Teppati Losè, Filiberto Chiabrando and Fabio Giulio Tonolo

Remote Sens. 2021, 13(18), 3633; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13183633 - 11 Sep 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2335

Abstract

Low-cost and fast surveying approaches are increasingly being deployed in several domains, including in the field of built heritage documentation. In parallel with mobile mapping systems, uncrewed aerial systems, and simultaneous location and mapping systems, 360° cameras and spherical photogrammetry are research topics attracting significant interest for this kind of application. Although several instruments and techniques can be considered to be consolidated approaches in the documentation processes, the research presented in this manuscript is focused on a series of tests and analyses using 360° cameras for the 3D metric documentation of a complex environment, applied to the case study of a XVIII century belltower in Piemonte region (north-west Italy). Both data acquisition and data processing phases were thoroughly investigated and several processing strategies were planned, carried out, and evaluated. Data derived from consolidated 3D mapping approaches were used as a ground reference to validate the results derived from the spherical photogrammetry approach. The outcomes of this research confirmed, under specific conditions and with a proper setup, the possibility of using 360° images in a Structure from Motion pipeline to meet the expected accuracies of typical architectural large-scale drawings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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34 pages, 10423 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From the Semantic Point Cloud to Heritage-Building Information Modeling: A Semiautomatic Approach Exploiting Machine Learning

by Valeria Croce, Gabriella Caroti, Livio De Luca, Kévin Jacquot, Andrea Piemonte and Philippe Véron

Remote Sens. 2021, 13(3), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13030461 - 28 Jan 2021

Cited by 81 | Viewed by 6727

Abstract

This work presents a semi-automatic approach to the 3D reconstruction of Heritage-Building Information Models from point clouds based on machine learning techniques. The use of digital information systems leveraging on three-dimensional (3D) representations in architectural heritage documentation and analysis is ever increasing. For the creation of such repositories, reality-based surveying techniques, such as photogrammetry and laser scanning, allow the fast collection of reliable digital replicas of the study objects in the form of point clouds. Besides, their output is raw and unstructured, and the transition to intelligible and semantic 3D representations is still a scarcely automated and time-consuming process requiring considerable human intervention. More refined methods for 3D data interpretation of heritage point clouds are therefore sought after. In tackling these issues, the proposed approach relies on (i) the application of machine learning techniques to semantically label 3D heritage data by identification of relevant geometric, radiometric and intensity features, and (ii) the use of the annotated data to streamline the construction of Heritage-Building Information Modeling (H-BIM) systems, where purely geometric information derived from surveying is associated with semantic descriptors on heritage documentation and management. The “Grand-Ducal Cloister” dataset, related to the emblematic case study of the Pisa Charterhouse, is discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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Review

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28 pages, 2585 KiB

Open AccessReview

Urban Traffic Monitoring and Analysis Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): A Systematic Literature Review

by Eugen Valentin Butilă and Răzvan Gabriel Boboc

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(3), 620; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14030620 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 46 | Viewed by 9744

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are gaining considerable interest in transportation engineering in order to monitor and analyze traffic. This systematic review surveys the scientific contributions in the application of UAVs for civil engineering, especially those related to traffic monitoring. Following the PRISMA framework, 34 papers were identified in five scientific databases. First, this paper introduces previous works in this field. In addition, the selected papers were analyzed, and some conclusions were drawn to complement the findings. It can be stated that this is still a field in its infancy and that progress in advanced image processing techniques and technologies used in the construction of UAVs will lead to an explosion in the number of applications, which will result in increased benefits for society, reducing unpleasant situations, such as congestion and collisions in major urban centers of the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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52 pages, 4472 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Fusion Strategy of 2D and 3D Information Based on Deep Learning: A Review

by Jianghong Zhao, Yinrui Wang, Yuee Cao, Ming Guo, Xianfeng Huang, Ruiju Zhang, Xintong Dou, Xinyu Niu, Yuanyuan Cui and Jun Wang

Remote Sens. 2021, 13(20), 4029; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13204029 - 09 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4811

Abstract

Recently, researchers have realized a number of achievements involving deep-learning-based neural networks for the tasks of segmentation and detection based on 2D images, 3D point clouds, etc. Using 2D and 3D information fusion for the advantages of compensation and accuracy improvement has become a hot research topic. However, there are no critical reviews focusing on the fusion strategies of 2D and 3D information integration based on various data for segmentation and detection, which are the basic tasks of computer vision. To boost the development of this research domain, the existing representative fusion strategies are collected, introduced, categorized, and summarized in this paper. In addition, the general structures of different kinds of fusion strategies were firstly abstracted and categorized, which may inspire researchers. Moreover, according to the methods included in this paper, the 2D information and 3D information of different methods come from various kinds of data. Furthermore, suitable datasets are introduced and comparatively summarized to support the relative research. Last but not least, we put forward some open challenges and promising directions for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry in Civil Engineering and Architecture: Beyond 3D Modeling)

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