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Mapping geology for safe road expansionIn 2014 Maptek surveyed a road corridor and

surrounding cliffs in Oman to help safely design

the roadway expansion. Mountains rising from

the plains of Ras al Khaimah made it virtually

impossible to reach the city of Khasab in the

exclave of Oman until development of a coastal

road from the United Arab Emirates opened

Khasab to the world.

The highway runs alongside a sheer coastal

cliff. Large overhanging rocks are susceptible to

falling, particularly following rainfall. A planned

upgrade prompted officials to commission a study

to ensure the new design would prevent rock falls

and improve road safety.

The challenging regional geology meant that

mapping structures and assessing stability was

crucial to gain a better understanding of the cliff

faces. A Maptek™ I-Site™ 8810 laser scanner was

used for geological mapping and geotechnical

data acquisition. Surveying was fast and safe, with 3 kilometres of road

scanned each day despite the difficult access. The I-Site laser scanner

was mounted on a crane to capture data on high faces where the offset

was even tighter.

Cliff walls were up to 100 metres high. Traditionally, a team of

climbers would scale them and use a handheld compass to map the

rock faces. This was neither fast nor safe. Mounting the laser scanner

on a vehicle allowed the survey crew to scan from a safe distance, away

from large overhangs.

The original project scope required rose diagrams for each of the

thousands of rock faces along the cliff to develop a regional geological

report. Topographic surfaces of the road and cliff face were generated

in I-Site Studio software to create a slope map

POINTS& PIXELS

for identifying steep areas. Stereonet analysis allowed for detailed

geotechnical evaluation.

After data collection finished the contractor requested cross-sections

of the walls and road, along with volumes of rocks at high risk of

coming loose. Traditionally, this would have required time-consuming

new surveys. The I-Site 8810 point cloud data was easily modelled and

exported as cross-sections. This information helped determine where

mesh or shotcrete would be required to stabilise surfaces.

For more information, visit: www.maptek.com

Displayed with permission • LiDAR Magazine • Vol. 5 No. 8 • Copyright 2015 Spatial Media • www.lidarmag.com

http://www.maptek.com

Queens University, Dublin Laser Scan to BIM ProjectPrecision Surveys Limited performed the first outsourced high quality

laser scan to BIM project for Queens University Campus, Belfast, Ireland

on “The Peter Froggatt Building.”

The survey required over 250 colored medium resolution scans

using the Leica C10 and Leica P20 scanners and precise control was

achieved with the use of the Leica Viva Total station.

Deadlines were extremely tight for this project, Precision Surveys

had a two week window during the university break to complete the

project to produced Leica trueview models for each floor in Color. They

had to work closely with a contactors team as every ceiling tile had to

be removed before being scanned. This was an important part of the

project as the M&E were using this as a base to redesign their systems.

GOT NEWS? Email [email protected]

Precision Surveys Limited is a family run company and one of

Ireland’s longest serving Survey Practices started up by Ray Buffini MD.

Precision Surveys Limited offers a comprehensive consulting service

orientated towards providing land related information to both public

and private sector clients throughout Ireland. For almost 40 years, the

company has been successfully satisfying customer requirements in the

domain of surveying, engineering and legal disputes. It has more than

8,000 surveys completed which include building surveys, reference

plans, legal and topographic surveys, laser scans, pointcloud to BIM,

control and engineering surveys, taking in charge, layouts, etc. Their

greatly educated and experienced land surveyors provide the highest

quality of expertise at the best competitive rates.

For more information, contact: PRECISION SURVEYS LTD, Unit 7, Redleaf Business Park, Turvey, Donabate, Co. Dublin., T +353 1 8406252 , [email protected], www.precisionsurveys.ie, www.scantobim.ie


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.precisionsurveys.ie

http://www.scantobim.ie

http://www.scantobim.ie

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LiDAR and Orthoimagery Services, Municipality of Anchorage, AlaskaMerrick & Company was awarded a contract

in April 2015 to provide LiDAR and aerial

orthoimagery services for the Municipality

of Anchorage, Alaska. The Municipality of

Anchorage, through its collaborative GIS

Center of Excellence, has engaged Merrick &

Company to acquire public domain LiDAR and

orthoimagery covering 1,000 square miles of

the Municipality. Municipal departments led

by the GIS Center contributed to funding the

project. The USGS awarded the Municipality

a 50% matching grant as part of the national

3DEP Program in order to complete the

acquisition. The Municipality’s need for the

LiDAR and orthoimagery project was driven

by the need for updated elevation data and

imagery. Municipal applications for the new

datasets include emergency operations

mapping, public safety response mapping,

water/sewer utility support, planning, public

works, watershed management, parks

and recreation, property appraisal, port

management, and others.

LiDAR and aerial imagery data acquisition

was carried out in May 2015 and final

deliverables will be provided in November

2015. The LiDAR data was collected with a

Leica ALS70-HA to support two separate

LiDAR density requirements. The aerial

imagery was collected with a Leica DMC II to

support creation of 0.5’ – 1.0’ orthoimagery.

The area of interest for both LiDAR density

regions are shown in Figure 1, with the red

areas representing 4 pulses per square

meter (ppsm) density, and the yellow areas

representing 2 ppsm density. All LiDAR data

adheres to the USGS LiDAR Base Specification

1.2 for Quality Level 2 (QL2).

Services under this agreement include

collecting LiDAR and digital aerial imagery

in order to produce a number of products

including: tiled orthoimagery at 0.5’ (6”) resolu-

tion, topographic contours, digital elevation

models and 2D building outlines for the urban

area, and an educational workshop regarding

imagery and LiDAR for Municipal staff.

All products are to be delivered in ESRI

ArcGIS version 10.2 geodatabase in compli-

ance with the latest version of SDSFIE.

In addition, Merrick is working closely with the

Municipality of Anchorage Survey Department

to establish a survey control network for the

entire area that can be used in future acquisi-

tions and mapping efforts. Figure 2 shows the

survey control provided by the MOA.

These datasets address important

management issues because the Municipality

Figure 1: Municipality of Anchorage area showing LiDAR and Orthoimagery acquisition area. Roads are highlighted to show urban area.



Figure 2: Municipality of Anchorage area showing LiDAR and digital aerial imagery acquisition area showing MOA survey control used in the 2015 LiDAR / orthoimagery project.

of Anchorage is the largest city (300,000

population) in the state of Alaska, rapidly grow-

ing, and is in need of updated and accurate

geospatial data to support many uses. Merrick

& Company is providing the following services:

⦁ Color digital aerial imagery acquisition

⦁ 0.5’ Color digital orthoimagery

⦁ LiDAR acquisition

⦁ USGS DEM

⦁ LAS files tiled to MOA guidelines

⦁ Two-foot (2’) contours

⦁ GPS ground control & HICS features

⦁ SDSFIE

⦁ ArcGIS geodatabase

⦁ 2D building outlines

⦁ An Imagery and LiDAR Workshop

Merrick & Company is a multi-disciplinary mapping, surveying, engineering, and archi-tecture firm headquartered in Greenwood Village, CO. The company is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Please visit our website: to learn more about what we do. www.merrick.com/


http://www.merrick.com/

DroneMetrex First UAV Designed Specifically for Photogrammetric MappingDroneMetrex is an Australian company

specializing in high accurate photogrammetric

mapping using TopoDrones. The TopoDrones

are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) specifi-

cally designed and built by DroneMetrex as

a powerful photogrammetric mapping tool to

collect regular, repetitive, rapid and accurate

geospatial data for a wide range of industries

including, but not limited to, civil engineer-

ing, roads and railroads, mining industry,

agriculture, forestry, waste management and

recycling, environmental applications.

DroneMetrex has proved to be the only

UAV company to develop from the start the

true drone mapping system based on photo-

grammetric principles and only then adapted it

to an airframe. The TopoDrone-100 addresses

all known systematic and random geometric

errors (tip, tilt, yaw, forward and lateral motion,

blur) from the start and eliminates them right at

the point of capturing the data.

The TopoDrone photogrammetric mapping

systems capture and process aerial data

with unsurpassed mapping accuracy: 10mm

horizontal and better than 25mm in height.

The TopoDrones are the only mapping

UAVs in the world to feature simultaneously:

1. Unique Dynamic-stabilised Active Mount

to ensure near-nadir position of each and

every photo with no “crab” (yaw);

2. Calibrated full-format camera with focal

leaf shutter and Zeiss lens;

3. PPK Direct Georeferencing Solution—

mapping with no ground control;

4. Extended spectrum mapping—using

the same camera and changing three

separate filters the following types of

imagery can be captured:

a. Natural colour;

b. NIR imagery;

c. Bathymetric—mapping under water;

AgricultureIn April 2015, for the first time in the UAV’s mapping history, DroneMetrex captured unsurpassed

quality NIR data with the TopoDrone-100. From the one flight sortie vegetation analysis mapping

was performed as well as accurate 3D contours/DTM mapping. The pixel resolution, data

geometry and radiometric quality were unparalleled. DroneMetrex offered its Extended Spectrum

Mapping (ESM) camera modification as an option with the TopoDrone-100. After ESM modifica-

tion, the camera was supplied with 3 external screw-on lens filters. Using simultaneously the NIR

filter and also high accuracy L1/L2/L5/GLONASS/COMPASS(BeiDou-2) PPK Direct Georeferencing

Solution the TopoDrone-100 captured 3-band imagery, with the near infra-red band recording

unparalleled radiometric quality and chlorophyll discrimination.

PROJECTS

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Railroads and roadsEarlier DroneMetrex has performed a railway project in Australia. The TopoDrone-100 mapped

0,5 km on each of the four sides of the approach to the crossing intersection of the railway and

the bitumen road with the unsurpassed accuracy: 2,5cm GSD aerial imagery with 25mm absolute

accuracy in height. The project was aimed at creating 3D “real world” for obscurity analysis

when approaching an intersection from a train driver’s perspective, and from a vehicle driver’s

perspective. Secondly, high accurate mapping was performed for future civil works involving

repair as well as upgrading of the existing railway.

For more information, contact: DroneMetrex, 9A Crittenden Rd., Findon, SA 5023 Australia Tel: +61 (0)8 8243 1280 | Fax: +61 (0)8 8243 128 | E-mail: [email protected] www.dronemetrex.com

Civil EngineeringIn August 2014, in South Korea, DroneMetrex demonstrated the Direct Georeferencing System

and performed mapping of the golf course with no ground control. Accuracies were independently

checked and verified: 4cm accuracy from the 4cm GSD imagery. At the end of the flight sortie, the

TopoDrone-100 had to land on dirt during light rain. However, this provided no difficulties because

the camera was protected by the TopoDrone’s unique protective door system.

PROJECTS

PROJECTS



mailto:info%40dronemetrex.com?subject=

http://www.dronemetrex.com

Sanborn Aerial LiDAR Point Cloud for Nationals Park and the PentagonSanborn performed aerial data acquisition services for the District

of Columbia Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) in 2015.

Our partner on the project was A. Morton Thomas & Associates, a

Washington, D.C.-based engineering firm.

The project goal was to produce LiDAR, high-resolution (4 band)

orthos, and high-resolution oblique imagery for the Washington, D.C.

metro area. The restrictive nature of flight planning over the nation’s

capital presented a unique challenge for the project, and Sanborn

successfully completed on-time data acquisition for the project by

deploying all three required sensors in one integrated flight.

Final acquisition included USGS QL-1-compliant LiDAR data (actual

nominal point density collected was 40-80 points per square meter),

aerial imagery for high-resolution 4-band orthos (2.7-inch resolution),

and imagery for high-resolution oblique products (4-inch resolution).

The samples included show LiDAR point cloud data for Nationals Park

and The Pentagon.

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For more information contact: Jason Caldwell, Vice President of Business Development and Sales, The Sanborn Map Company, Inc., 1935 Jamboree Drive, Suite #100, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Toll Free: 1-877-368-9702, [email protected], www.sanborn.com, Twitter: @SanbornMap, Facebook: www.facebook.com/SanbornMapCompany


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.sanborn.com

http://www.facebook.com/SanbornMapCompany

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