HIGH-DEFINITION,
HIGH-DENSITY, HIGH-TECH
Rapid collection, detailed measurements available
through HD laser scanning surveying technique
By Jennifer Schmidt
A
s the saying goes, a picture is worth a
thousand words. In the case of high-definition
(HD) laser scanning, that picture truly is worth
a thousand words – as well as millions of data points.
HD laser scanning (also called terrestrial scanning)
is an innovative measuring technology that can
capture millions of points within minutes, essentially
creating a three-dimensional data set of the
surveyed surface. HD scanning offers a higher level
of detail – and accuracy – than traditional surveying
and is helping clients collect critical data faster, more
efficiently, and with added value.
With most projects, a one-time scan of the site is
all that will ever be needed.
“We may be called in to specifically survey a
certain piece of a whole. HD laser scanning allows us
to pick up that detail but also all the detail around it
– so it limits return trips if there are future surveying
needs,” explained Jason Ingram, survey manager at
Ayres Associates.
Such was the case at the Byllesby Dam in Dakota
County, Minnesota. Ayres was part of a team hired to
evaluate turbine operations and design turbine and
powerhouse upgrades. A survey crew completed an
HD laser scan of the existing powerhouse interior.
Surveyors initially scanned one part of the dam
but, in the process, also collected areas of the dam
that were not the original target, and it was to the
County’s benefit that they did. During construction
the team received a request for data next to the
target to allow for a design-build process. Instead of
having to revisit the site, the surveyors simply used
their previously collected data to provide the design
Cross-sections of the existing dam spillway,
Hatfield (Wisconsin) Dam
AyresAssociates.com
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