Improving transportation projects using laser scanning

This paper describes a case study investigating the use of laser scanning to acquire design and construction data. It is intended for both industry practitioners and academics who are interested in this relatively new technology. Included is a brief description of the technology, discussion of the case study, lessons learned, and results. Projects in the case study included an intersection, highway, pair of bridges, new pavement, bridge beams, a stockpile, and a borrow pit so that different perspectives (elevation, smoothness, camber, and volume) of the application were tested. The study proved that laser scanning is ideally suited for measuring the volume of soil and rock, determining road surface elevations and bridge beam camber, and assisting in the creation of as-built drawings in a three-dimensional environment. It was discovered that this technique can be used quite effectively for safer and more accurate construction measurement. Time requirements, cost comparisons to photogrammetry, and limitations are also discussed.