The potential of terrestrial laser scanners for digital ground surveys

Digital ground surveys are typically conducted by total station prior to road (re)construction to obtain a three‐dimensional model of natural and man‐made features within the corridor. A study has been undertaken to ascertain whether two types of terrestrial laser scanner could meet the Main Roads Western Australia accuracy standard for digital ground survey Results indicate that the Standard can be met for surfaces and interpolated points on feature strings, such as lane markings and kerb gullies, but not for other point and linear features such as those located flush to the ground or requiring human interpretation to extract their position.