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The Magazine of Leica Geosystems

REPORTER 45

Our cover page shows one of the last century’s best-known structures. TheSydney Opera House is averitable art palace of nearlya thousand rooms. Morethan that – it has become asymbol not only for a city offour million inhabitants, butthe entire continent “downunder“, not to mention a20th-century architecturalclassic. It also marks a milestone in surveying technology. A generationago, the architects,engineers and surveyingprofessionals involved in itsconstruction were pushingthe limits of their respectivedisciplines. As early as 1970,the Sydney Opera Housewas the first in a series ofhigh-profile internationalprojects where a reducinginfrared tacheometer – theWild DI10 – was deployed inthe closing phase of shellconstruction.

The building faces a toughclimate. Its effects must bemonitored, and any damagerepaired. In this respect, the opera house is nodifferent from the giantcathedrals of the middleages, or the Eiffel tower.Today’s technologies may be relative newcomers, yetkeeping an eye on suchlarge-scale buildings wouldnow be inconceivablewithout the help of lasers –from Vienna’s St. Stephen’sCathedral to the SydneyOpera House.

Waltraud Strobl

3

Contents

14

12 The Matterhorn

remains 4478 m

high

16Measurement and

visualisation with Cyrax™

The modern way to

monitor reservoirs

2

Capturing new dimensions – that is Leica Geosystems’ goal for the newmillennium. Not only with help from our large repertoire of instruments,systems and industry know-how, but also through our company’s financial infrastructure, by broadening corporate ownership.

A few weeks ago, Leica Geosystems published successful results for theprevious financial year. 15% higher revenue and sustained earnings growth, accompanied by notable increases in market share, indicate that

Leica Geosystems is on a very positive development course and has created significantadded value for all stakeholders: customers, shareholders and employees alike. Spurred onby this success, Leica Geosystems went public on the Zürich stock market a few weeks ago.This move established the prerequisites for Leica Geosystems to implement strategy evenfaster in its endeavour to continue delivering the latest technologies and broad-based,world-wide sales and support services, and secure its long-term position among the leadingcompanies in our industry.

We feel a historic commitment to customers who use our instruments and systems.Reporter readers already know the degree to which Leica assists customers in achievingbetter infrastructure and carefully documenting our environment, be it through surveying,cartography, GIS/LIS management, industrial measurement, national defence or navigation.We intend to keep things this way, by remaining the leading force for innovation and thepremier vendor within the industry. What we did for EDM and GPS will repeat itself throughthe nurture of promising technologies that translate into products which get the job doneeffectively. Our investment position in Oakland, California-based Cyra Technologies Inc., the world’s leading laser scanning and 3D visualisation company, is a typical example of ourintent.

Should you wish to benefit from Leica Geosystems’ continued development not only as acustomer, but as a shareholder, the opportunity is now yours. “Capture new dimensions“ – I am certain that Leica Geosystems’ declared mission will also be reflected in its share price.

Yours

Hans Hess,

President & CEO, Leica Geosystems

Leica Geosystems –Capture new dimensions.

Editorial

Dear Reader,

Page4 Cover picture: Sydney is an exciting

city for surveying experts, too

19GPS machine guidance

system in open-cast lignite

mining

Publication details: The Reporter is published in English, German,French, Spanish and Japanese three times a year.

Reprints and translations, including excerpts, are subject to theEditor’s prior permission in writing.

The Reporter is printed on chlorine-free paper made by environmentally compatible processes.

© Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg, July 2000, Printed in Switzerland

Editorial deadline for next issue: September 15, 2000

I M P R I N TPublished by: Leica Geosystems AG, CH-9435 HeerbruggPresident & CEO: Hans Hess

Editorial office: Leica Geosystems AG, CH-9435 Heerbrugg,Switzerland, Fax: +41 71 727 46 89 – Internet: Waltraud.Strobl@leica-geosystems.com

Editor: Waltraud Strobl, Fritz Staudacher (Stf)

Layout and production: Niklaus Frei

Translation: Dogrel AG, St. Margrethen

Visit our exhibition booth at INTERGEO, Berlin, 11. – 13. October 2000

5

A gold in architecture beforethe first Olympic gold

Both Australian athletes andspectators were thrilled bythe atmosphere in thisprojecting stadium building,which has already had architectural and ecologicalprizes conferred on it. Stadium Australia could alsoturn out to be a sportingvenue where new recordsare broken – not just inrunning but also in the LongJump, High Jump, Pole Vaultand Triple Jump, the javelin,hammer and discus disciplines, the shot-put,heptathlon and decathlon.The first major Olympic testbefore the Summer Gamestakes place in the middle ofAugust when the nationalOlympic selections are announced in StadiumAustralia. Athletes from Australia and other countriesas well will also be pushingthemselves to the limit hereonce they have overcometheir jet lag. When the Olympic flame is lit in Stadium Australia in the

second half of September itwill spur them on to yetgreater feats.

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4

Welcome to Sydney’s "Stadium Australia” sports arena

Distance measurements in record timeFebruary 2000 marked the dress rehearsal, with 1250 athle-

tes competing at the Australian Open Athletics Champion-

ships held in the newly-built Olympic stadium. Leica

Geosystems total stations were deployed to measure

jumping and throwing distances in Sydney’s new

“Stadium Australia“. At the meeting, athletes were for the

first time able to realistically assess sporting conditions in

an arena with a seating capacity of 110,000. The stadium

managers also made good use of this opportunity to test

the efficiency of proceedings, and see how state-of-the-art

measurement and transmission technologies could work

together.

To measure athletes' jumpsand distances, Swatch-Timing has deployed, for thevery first time Down Under,a new generation of lasersurveying instruments deve-loped by Leica Geosystems,Heerbrugg, Switzerland.These instruments focusautomatically on the exactlanding point and measurethe distance at the speed oflight. One Australian discusjudge said, “With this newlaser equipment we wereable to determine thedistances significantly faster,more accurately and morereliably. Now we won't haveto worry about sagging tape

measures and unclear callsany more!“

“Just a few seconds afterthe measurement had beentaken, our jury had the resultin digital form to the nearestcentimetre.“ This will pleasetelevision audiences in September – and during thefinals we are talking aboutmore than a billion peoplefollowing the competitionson their screens.

A bold sports arena in thehuge Olympia Park

Conditions in StadiumAustralia are ideal for TV

transmissions: maximumoverhead coverage is possible and cameras can be set up in the optimum locations for all the differenttypes of event. For example,the glass panels in the twocurved roofs over the sidestands have four differentlayers of tinting, ensuringthat the light and colourtemperature are balancedfor TV transmissions andthat spectators are protectedthrough filtering of ultra-violet light. Lines have beenlaid in the stands, enablingindividual spectators in85,000 seats to be connectedto electronic equipment. Stadium visitors are struckby the excellent view of thevarious competition areaswhich are available fromevery seat position. On theintermediate tiers, which are conveniently accessible,there are areas speciallydesigned to accommodatewheelchairs, not just for theParalympic Games in thesecond half of October, butfor all events held inStadium Australia.

Sydney's Olympic Park istwenty kilometres from thecity centre. Over the last tenyears, additional largetraining centres and compe-tition areas for tennis,basketball, hockey and trackathletics have simultaneous-ly been erected aroundStadium Australia on thesame site in Homebush Bay.As well as the coveredSuperDome with its 20,000seats for sporting and entertainment events, theOlympia Park's Aquatic Centre is also very impressive. It is one of thelargest covered swimmingpool and water sportscomplexes in the world.World records fell here evenbefore the Olympic Games.

Stadium Australia is the moststate-of-the-art athletics competition venue of our time. It can seat 110,000 spectators.The enormous roofs over the sidestands are covered with four layers of tinted glass panelsaimed at optimising the tele-vision picture quality.

Foto

: Dav

id M

adis

on

/Sto

ne

Setting sights on the 2000summer Olympics at StadiumAustralia: SwatchTiming keepstrack of times and distances,with help from Leica Geosystemsinstruments.

6 7

Thanks to high-precision chronometry, 75 metre throws can bemeasured at the speed of light to an accuracy of one millimetre!

Time is the single most accu-rately defined and repro-ducible variable in modernphysics. The distancemeasuring technology whichis being used in Australia isalso based on high-precisionchronometry combined withlaser technology. With laserdistance measurement,

quartz crystal oscillationsare used to determine thetime it takes for a laser lightpulse to travel from the startline or throw line to the spotwhere the athlete or theobject thrown lands. Suchan invisible “infra-red lightflash“ covers almost 300,000 km in just onesecond. The outbound andreturn paths of a 75 mthrowing distance are covered in just half amillionth of a second(0.0000005 sec.). But thespeed at which the lightpulse travels is also affectedby temperature, humidityand brightness. Hence theLeica laser tacheometer,which automaticallyperforms hundreds of suchmeasurements simultane-ously within 1-2 seconds,takes these parameters intoaccount. It uses these

measurements to computethe exact distance to anaccuracy of 2 mm. Yet themeasuring software storedin the Leica TCA views theresults only" as a roughinput: at the same time anoblique distance lasermeasuring capability alsodetermines the angles opto-electronically. These valuesare combined with theresults of distance measure-ment by geometry. The combination of these twomethods means that a 75 mthrowing distance can todaybe resolved to an accuracyof 1 mm with a single keypress. But because theimpact point of the objectthrown can only seldom bedefined so accurately,distance measurements aregenerally rounded to thenearest centimetre atathletics competitions.

In the disciplines which involve throwing from a throwing-circle,such as discus, hammer or shot, theautomated Leica TCA tacheometer isset up before the start of the competi-tion in a location near the throwing-circle (K). The centre of the throwing-circle (point M) is then determinedand angle Hz 0 and laser distancemeasurement are used to measure its relative position (P) from theinstrument midpoint. The competitioncan now begin. The discus fliesthrough the air and lands in the marked sector. At the point where thediscus strikes the ground, the judgelightly places the target mark (pointZ) in the ground. The competition surveyor roughly aligns the telescopeand presses the start button. Theautomatic system now seeks themidpoint of the target mark, activatesmillimetre-precise laser beammeasurement of the distance (D) bet-ween instrument and target mark (Z),and determines the horizontal angle(Hz) between the centre of thethrowing-circle (M, Hz 0) and the target (Z). The software calculatesthe first throwing distance (W) bytrigonometry, deducts the radius ofthe throwing-circle and rounds theresult to the nearest centimetre. Afew seconds after the start button hasbeen pressed, the validated distanceappears on the judges' screens auto-matically. All they have to do is pressa button to confirm the result and thedistance is automatically transmittedto the ranking lists, stadium displayboards and television screens.

The laser triangulation principleused to measure distances inSydney.

Neville J. Thomson: “It was great to be part of the project!“

The 2000 Olympic SummerGames began early forsurveyor Neville J. Thomson– in 1996, to be exact. Thatwas when De Martin & Gas-parini awarded ThomsonsConstruction Surveys PtyLtd a constructional surveycontract for Stadium Austra-lia’s entire foundations andconcrete structures. NevilleJ. Thomson says: “For twoyears, we had a couple ofsurveying teams on-site,plus occasional visits by ourquality control measurementteam. We used our softwareto electronically transfer theplan data directly to our fourLEICA TC1010s with GRM10Rec Modules.“ According to Neville, the most demanding measurementchallenge from a technicalstandpoint was pinpointingthe anchor points for thegigantic steel suspensions

supporting the roof struc-ture. With a tight schedule,on a hectic construction site,reliability and precision arewhat matter. Says Neville: “I have gained experiencewith instruments fromvarious vendors over theyears – which is why wenow use only LeicaGeosystems kit.“ Thomsonalso used Leica instrumentsfor surveying Sydney’sAquatic Center and theSuperDome for AbigroupLtd. Stf

Below: Speed, leaping powerand take-off angle are thecritical factors. In September110,000 spectators and over 5000 media representatives willbe following the results in the stadium live. Billions of peoplewill be doing the same on television broadcasts.

Projecting side stands, spiral-shaped multi-tier access rampsand the magnificent curved roofstructure over the side stands arethe distinguishing architecturalfeatures of Stadium Australiawhich visitors notice as theyarrive.In this picture building surveyorNeville Thomson is checking thepositions of the huge concreteabutments. Their anchoringswere determined in 1998 usingLeica Geosystems’ measuringtechnology.

8 9

Leica survey instruments in Sydney also used under-ground on major environmental protection projectsFrom marking out of the entire Olympic Park inHomebush Bay through tocompletion of building workon Stadium Australia,Australian surveyors usedthe same Leica laser surveyinstruments (type TCA) asSwatchTiming is now usingin the stadium to measuredistances during athleticsevents. Australian surveyorsfrom Hard+Forester super-vised the surveying activitiesinvolved in creatingSydney's Olympic Park onbehalf of the OlympicCoordination Authority. Surveyors from Hard+ Forester have previouslyassisted constructionengineers with positioningand orienting concreteimmersed tube units for theSidney Harbour Tunnelusing instruments fromLeica Geosystems. They alsosurveyed the vast under-ground Opera House carpark adjacent to the harbour.

Left: For control and monitoring,targets are set up in the tunnelsat precise, known coordinates.Working in dust, wet and darkness stretches both men and machines.

Centre: Various tunnel construc-tion techniques were used,including four large tunnelboring machines with 6.3 m / 6.57 m diameter.

Bottom: Cameron Mills with hisLEICA TCA1800 equipment in thecavern at Scotts Creek, wheresite access and tunnels from fourdirections converge. Excavatedmaterial is transported aboveground in barges – the work isvirtually inaudible to residents ofnearby Tunks Park.

Games in Stadium Australia.As the best athletes in theworld, they deserve that thebest measuring instrumentsshould be used. Only in this way can their accom-plishments be determinedaccurately, quickly andfairly“. Bruce Foresterknows what he is talkingabout: just a few monthsbefore the SummerOlympics get underway, ateam led by Cameron Millsused exactly the sameinstruments to steer fourgiant tunnel boringmachines from variousdirections over kilometre-long curved paths at preci-sely defined inclinations upto 80 metres underground,with centimetre precision.Now, the water in SydneyHarbour remains clean evenafter a cloudburst. Stf

16-kilometre Northside

Storage Tunnel

For the past two years, 28 year-old Hard+Foresteremployee Cameron Millsand more than a dozensurvey specialists have beenguiding four giant tunnelboring machines on a routethat follows the northernforeshore of SydneyHarbour and passes belowMiddle Harbour to the coastat Manly. The machines areexcavating through sand-stone to create a wastewaterretention tunnel 16.1 kilo-metres long and 6.30/6.56metres in diameter. The project is important for environmental protection inthe Sydney Harbour area.

Bruce Forester says, “I amhappy for the athletes thatthese laser devices will beused to take the measure-ments at the Olympic

Right: The Northside Storage Tunnel collects rainwater fromthe northern Sydney district, witha population of over one million.The entire tunnel complex is around twenty kilometres long.

Below: 28-year-old surveyingengineer Cameron Mills (left) isresponsible for all the surveywork involved in the project.Bruce Forester (right): "Theseyoung lads have certainly gotwhat it takes!”. When it comes toinstrumentation, Bruce Foresterhas trusted Leica Geosystems fordecades.

10 11

Sydney’s landmark: built and monitored with Leica instrumentsMillions of people have seen

it in books and on post-

cards; millions more have

seen it at first hand during a

visit to Australia. Survey

engineer Steve Denning

also knows it from above

and below: a quarter-

century after the Opera

House was inaugurated, his

know-how was needed to

assess the effects of

weather and sea-water on

the structure, and fix the

wear and tear. The initial

task was to restore the

granite promenade

surrounds and sea wall of

the Opera House.

Deep down…

Positioning new piles required Steve Denning andhis staff to survey theexisting promenade decks atsea level. From there theyco-ordinated a team ofdivers for placement of thenew piles. After piling, thedivers assisted the surveyteam to locate and recordthe final position of thepiles.

…and high up

Steve Denning also had toscale the Opera House,reaching areas that arenormally the preserve ofroofers and seagulls. TheSydney Opera House is amasterpiece of architectureand engineering. Steve Denning: “We needed tomeasure and record all ofthe building’s constructionaldetails, in order to spotshifts and deviations in goodtime, and facilitate repairwork.“ As with any large

building, running repairs are a necessity: given themillions of visitors eachyear, nobody can afford totake risks.

Three-dimensional

recording

Closer examination of theOpera House roof revealsthat it is covered inthousands of light grey, textured ceramic tiles thattrace the contours of thethree-dimensional buildingstructure like a skin. Theyhave differing shapes, meaning that each one mustbe individually identifiable in order to effect a custom-made replacement. Yetgaining access is a trickybusiness: the surroundingspace is no longer adequatefor cranes, and regular scaffolding is out of the question.

Therefore, Steve Denningmade a three-dimensionaltacheometric recording ofthe outer skin and fasciabeams for the roofing andfitting company. A multi-segmented scaffoldingsystem was then developed,which could also becombined in a way thatwould allow work on theoverhanging front façades –only highly experiencedextreme climbers would beable to gain access other-wise.

Theodolite and LEICA DIOR

Steve Denning: “We alsoneeded to identify theexisting holes in the fasciabeams for securing themodular scaffolding andhoist platform. The LEICADIOR 3002 distancemeasure, with its visible target point, provedunbeatable: we would sightthe theodolite telescope on a securing hole to determineits position, and the mount-on DIOR 3002 gaveus the precise distance. Itsbeam ran parallel to thetheodolite’s, but landed fivecentimetres above the hole,meaning that it wasreflected from the concretesurface. A combined angleand distance measuring

telescope of the kind foundin our LEICA TCR703 wouldhave measured right to thebottom of the hole, andhence always a little too far.It’s one of those rare caseswhere a separation of angleand distance measurementinstruments is superior to anintegrated solution.“

Service is crucial

Steve Denning has otherlarge-scale projects underhis belt, for example theconstructional survey for theAnzac Bridge (previouslyknown as the Glebe IslandBridge): “All these projects demanda lot of adaptation to circumstances. I use LeicaGeosystems instruments,because I get the accesso-ries I need as well as first-class service right here inSydney – even when I haveto work deep underwater, atdizzying heights, or targetholes that begin exactlywhere I want them to,regardless of their depth.“

Stf

Above: Sydney Harbour Bridgeand the Opera House – internatio-nal symbols of an exuberant,multi-cultural, world-class city.The most beautiful route from thecity centre to the Olympic park isby water, passing beneath the“coathanger“, as Sydney-sidershave dubbed the harbour bridge.

Center: The Opera House’s spherical elements each havetheir individual forms. TheSwedish ceramic tiles are finelytextured.

Below: Here, the ceramic tileshave just been stripped off. Steve Denning records their exact coordinates using remotemeasurement with a theodoliteand a LEICA DIOR 3002.

Left: Steve Denning uses hisLeica TCR703 to verify the roofpositions and the modularscaffolding elements in the background. Everything must bein perfect order in time for theSummer Olympics!

Above: Classic Wild T3 and T2theodolites were used inconstructing the Opera House,seen here in a picture from 1966.Steve Denning: "It is amazing that the experts of the day wereable to build something this com-plex in the pre-electronic era.” AWild DI10, the world’s first infra-red tacheometer, was used in thecompletion stages of the shell.

12 13

No change in the height of the Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is precisely 4477.54 metres high – and

remains at 4478 metres according to the maps. In the

September 1999 re-survey featured in a recent “Reporter“,

Italian geology professor Giorgio Poretti was the first to

position a GPS surveying system on the peak, with

LEICA GPS500s at reference points in the valleys on either

side. All points were additionally measured using optical

laser triangulation.

Left: The measurement setup atthe peak of the Matterhorn: LEICA GPS500 and reflectors forthe tacheometers in the valleyson either side.

allowing height and positionchanges of this prominentSwiss-Italian landmark to be precisely tracked. It isapparent that this part of theAlps will continue risingfaster than the annual rate of erosion.

27 centimetres betweencountries

According to Urs Marti ofthe Swiss Federal Survey,the height of the Matterhornwas originally determined inthe 1920s. Back then,Zermatt’s local landmarkwas measured at 4477.50metres and declared on official Swiss maps as being4478 metres above sea level. Yet as Zermatt-basedgeometrician Klaus

The highest mountains on the six continentsContinent Highest mountain Height above

sea level

Asia Mt. Everest 8846 metres * America: Aconcagua 6959 metres ** Africa: Kilimanjaro 5892 metres * Antarctica: Mt. Vinson 5140 metres ** Europe: Mont Blanc 4808 metres ** Australia: Mt. Kosciusko 2230 metres **

* Surveyed using LEICA GPS 300/500 during the last decade; ** Surveyed using Leica Geosystems theodolites during the last century

Aufdenblatten points out,“the measurement uncert-ainty of the cumbersomeopto-mechanical triangula-tion methods then in usewas several decimetres atthese distances“. In additionto greater precision, suchcross-border surveying projects have also providedevidence of discrepanciesbetween national geoids,which could be reconciledover the medium term.Poretti detected a “borderstep“ of 27 centimetres between Italian and Swissgeoid data.

Ancient African rock

Confirmation of the 4478metre height means that theMatterhorn, formed of rockoriginating from what isnow Africa, has been sparedthe numerical indignityrecently suffered by Kiliman-jaro (see Reporter 44).

In October 1999, an expedi-tion led by EberhardMessmer also used LEICAGPS500 systems to deter-mine a new height of 5892metres, superseding the earlier figure of 5895 metres.And eight years ago, GiorgioPoretti and Yun-Jong Chenused a similar measurementconfiguration – with instru-

ments on the peak and inthe Nepalese and Tibetanvalleys – to redefine theheight of Mt. Everest at8846.10 metres above sealevel. Problems with metre-high layers of snow and icecovering the peak of Everestwere not an issue on theMatterhorn.

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A century of surveying history Experts with an eye for surveying history saw the Matterhorn measurement as symbolic of a technologicalrevolution. It was here in canton Valais, within sight of the Matterhorn, that Heinrich Wild, topographer and laterinstrument designer, used an enormous, mechanical repetition theodolite on the Dents-du-Midi to chart thelower Valais in 1902. Struck by the laboriousness of thismethod, he went on to develop lighter, opto-mechanicalinstruments like the Wild T2 is the forerunner of themodern electronic tacheometer – give or take little extraslike laser technology, electronic angle measurement andsophisticated software.

Giorgio Poretti took a WILD T2 along with a LEICA GPS500to the peak of the Matterhorn and used it to sight down to the valley, where further GPS500 systems werecomplemented by LEICA T2002, LEICA DI3000 and LEICATCA2003 electronic theodolites and infrared distancemeasurement equipment. Giorgio Poretti was alsointerested in comparative measurements as a means ofdetermining whether, and by how much, rays in variousparts of the electromagnetic spectrum (GPS microwaves,DI3000 infrared laser light, T2 visible light) were affectedby the atmosphere at great differences in altitude as theytravelled to and from a prominent and isolated mountainlike the Matterhorn, and whether these effects could beused to indicate meteorological changes.

The Swiss Federal Survey mapwas used to pinpoint theprecisely defined station pointin Zermatt for the Matterhorn re-survey.

Drifting continental plates caused ancient African rock to

tower up into what is now the Matterhorn.

Taking up position at the peak ofthe Matterhorn.

Measurements from the valleyon the Swiss side (Zermatt)were taken simultaneously witha LEICA GPS500 and TCA2003.

One of the points used in thesurvey was the cross at the peakof the Matterhorn, shown herewith an SR500 lashed to it.

A LEICA GPS500 in the valley onthe Italian side. The “Cervino“, as the Matterhorn is known inItalian, looks completelydifferent from this viewpoint.

The Matterhorn is theworld’s third mountain, afterMt. Everest and Kilimanjaro,to be re-surveyed using thelatest technology based onGPS, the Global PositioningSystem. The height of theMatterhorn is now knownwith centimetre accuracy,

1514

Stephanie Walter and tutor: mission accomplished.

Millimetre-precise GPS reservoirmonitoring on wheels

The dams and water reservoirs in the German province of

Baden-Württemberg are resurveyed every five years as part

of an ongoing monitoring programme. One of the sites

being checked is the Hornberg reservoir, located in the

southern Black Forest on a mountain peak 1050 m above

sea level. The reservoir feeds the Wehr hydroelectric power

station, 630 metres further down and operated by

Schluchseewerk AG. A study by the Geodetic Institute of

the University of Karlsruhe set out to determine whether

GPS measurements using Leica Geosystems’ new System

500 might be an economical and sufficiently accurate

alternative to conventional terrestrial methods.

The existing control networkat the Hornberg reservoir isdesigned for classical surveytechniques, with referencepoints chosen primarily forgood line-of-sight condi-tions. This kind of networkdoes not meet the require-ments of a well-reconnoitredGPS network, so three additional reference pointswere created.

Getting around on inline skates

Setting up and levelling thereference points took half aday. Thereafter, four LEICAGPS System 500 receivers

were deployed for two daysto take intentionally complexmeasurements: two rapid-static measurements (obser-vation rate 10 seconds,persistence 30 minutes) at21 points, and six stop&gochains with an observationrate of two seconds and persistence of one minute at12 points along the dam.Measurement conditions onthe dam were ideal, not justbecause of clear sight-linesin all directions, but alsobecause the operators couldcarry the light-weight mobilegear around on inline skates.

terrestrial network observa-tions of superior accuracyusing a LEICA TCA2003tacheometer (median pointerror for unrestrainednetwork compensation: 0.6 mm) immediately afterthe GPS measurements. The table below shows indi-vidual residual discrepanciesfor seven identical points.

Median height error 1.8 mm

Analysing the heights of thedam points gave a medianheight error of 1.8 mm(max. 2.4 mm) with un-restrained compensation ofthe overall solution. Therapid-static solutionresulted in 2.1 mm (max.3.1 mm), while stop&gomeasurements gave 2.8 mm (max. 3.7 mm).With a compensating planepositioned through six ofthe twelve dam points forheight integration, theremaining points indicate amaximum deviation of fivemillimetres compared to

Median point error just 1.3 mm

The new SKIPro softwarewas used for pure GPS analysis, with further GPSposition and height dataprocessing by softwaredeveloped at the GeodeticInstitute. Integrating sessionresults of all observations at17 points (problems werefound with four referencepoints in satellite shadows)gave an overall solutionafter network compensationwith a median point positional error of 1.3 mm(max. 2.1 mm). The rapid-static measurements aloneprovided similar 1.3 mmmedian accuracy (max. 1.6 mm). Analysing the sixstop&go measurements inisolation gave a medianpoint error of 2.5 mm (max. 3.3 mm).

High GPS precision

A Helmert transform of thecoordinates for the GPSoverall solution against theNational Survey coordinatesconfirmed the high precisionof GPS, with residual deviations between 0.2 mmand 1.6 mm.This comparison was possible because theNational Survey made

No, not the Olympic torch: student Stephanie Walter holdsthe GPS500 antenna.

The survey control network around the Hornberg reservoir.

The Hornberg reservoir: surveying this vast structure inthe southern Black Forest usingthe GPS stop&go technique.

Rapid-static with a LEICA GPS500

Residual deviations in position for identical points from the Helmert transform

Height differences betweenNA3000 levellings and GPS measurements

the levelled heights obtained by the National Survey’sLEICA NA3000 digital level.

Manning levels andsurveying time required forthe National Survey measu-rements were just marginal-ly higher; however this doesnot take account of time-consuming preparatorywork to clear visual obstac-les. From an economicstandpoint, as well as theachievable accuracy, GPSmeasurements appear tooffer a genuine alternative to conventional terrestrialtechniques.

Michael Illner, Stephanie Walter,Wolfgang Zick

Ident. Residual deviations (mm)Points Y X

7 0,7 -0,612 1,1 0,214 -0,4 -0,916 -1,4 1,018 0,5 -0,620 -0,7 1,622 0,2 -0,3

Point Differencenumber (mm)

12 114 -216 018 120 022 -1

101 -2107 -5113 -3118 2123 3129 0

Cyrax™ makes digital laser measurement and visualisationeasy

Cyrax is a portable, auto-scanning laser system includinga laptop PC and software. It measures, visualises andmodels large structures and sites with an unprecedentedcombination of speed, completeness and accuracy. Simp-ly orient the scanner toward the scene, select the desiredarea and measurement density via the laptop, then auto-scan. Complete surface geometry of exposed structuresand sites is remotely captured in minutes in the form ofdense, accurate "3D point clouds", ready for immediateuse.

Cyrax 3D point clouds are a valuable, new "deliverable".They represent a highly detailed, instantaneous 3D"virtual model" of an existing site or structure, completewith survey-grade measurements. As soon as Cyrax hasscanned a structure or site, integrated software lets youuse the 3D point clouds to rotate and fly around anexisting site or structure to view it from any perspectiveand to dimension between any points. You can also usethe 3D point clouds to create wire meshes, 3D models,and 2D drawings for export to popular CAD, rendering orother software.

1716

The scanned-in points appear as a “cloud“ of variously-shadedpixels, which render individual objects visible.

Objects can then be rotated and viewed from various angles.

Cyrax system

Selected area

3D visualisation

3D model for CAD

processing

2D Plan

With Cyrax, the first step is to select an area of the scene. It thentakes just a few seconds to scan-in the associated surface points.

Leica Geosystems takes investment positionin Cyra Technologies, Inc.The history of modern surveying is in many ways the

history of Leica Geosystems. Whenever new technologies

made it possible to simplify the work of surveyors and

engineers, the company came up with breakthrough

solutions: the electro-optical tacheometer, infrared laser

distance measurement and GPS are all witnesses to this

pioneering role.

The principles established inthe last century will endureinto the new millennium. For this reason, Leica Geosystems decided on 20thMarch 2000 to acquire afinancial minority position inCyra Technologies, Inc. (Oakland, CA, USA). The sig-nificant capital investmentfrom Leica Geosystems willenable Cyra to accelerateproduct development andmarketing programs. Cyra™products such as theCyrax™ 3D Laser ScanningSystem ideally complementand enhance the Leica Geosystems range. Cyraxmelds the benefits of state-of-the-art laser technologyand 3D software for digitalremote capture, visualisa-tion and analysis of solidobjects.

A technology with great future potential

“Leica Geosystems’ decisionto invest in Cyra is very im-portant to us in two ways“,said Cyra CEO Ben Kacyra.“First, the significant sumbeing invested will allow usto realise our product andmarketing plans even fasterand more comprehensively.This makes excellent sense,given the highly encourag-ing market response to ourbasic technology. Second,Leica Geosystems’ involve-ment sends a clear signal tothe professional communityabout an up-and-comingtechnology that is set togrow in importance. Afterall, Leica Geosystems issynonymous not just withsurveying and measure-ment, it is also a byword forhigh quality, innovation andprofessionalism.“

Capturing growth markets

“This investment reflects theshared vision of Cyra andLeica Geosystems about theupcoming fundamentalchange in the survey andmeasurement industry, achange that will require theindustry to move rapidlyfrom being tool centric tobecoming information tech-nology centric“, said LeicaGeosystems CEO Hans Hess.

“Leica Geosystems believesthat the 3D laser scannersand the capabilities of Cyra’sintegrated suite of softwarewill become a main catalystin the upcoming change.These new technologicalbreakthroughs bring very

advanced and value-addingsolutions to our customersand represent a significantopportunity to open newmarkets“, added Hess.“Cyrax features high added-value software content, withpromising extensions intoweb-based and enterprise-based solutions. This invest-ment fits very well with themission statement of LeicaGeosystems and our dedication to bringing inno-vation and adding value toour customers.“

Enthusiasm for the newtechnology goes beyondCyra’s customers and LeicaGeosystems. It has beenrecently heralded by severalsurvey industry editors asthe next major breakthroughin the surveying, mappingand CAD markets, and hasbeen cited as opening upsignificant new markets forprofessionals in these areas.Many have compared Cyraxwith such technological breakthroughs as EDM (Elec-tronic Distance Measuring),GPS (Global PositioningSystem), CAD (ComputerAided Design), or even theinvention of photography.

Already a multiple award-winner

Rapid availability of all-digital 3D representationsbrings numerous user benefits: low cost, rapid project execution, increasedsafety, and effective enforce-ment of building regula-tions. Since the first productlaunch nearly two years ago,Cyrax has won various innovation and technologyawards sponsored by prominent industry magazi-nes and associationsassociated with lasertechnology, computergraphics, chemical plantdesign, construction, CAD,3D construction and visualisation.

Example Chevron LNG

plant: creatingan “as built“model of the

facility

Example Renovation of

San Francisco’shistorical

City Hall

Example Starship

Troopers™cavern:

visual effects

Example P&M Coal:

mining industry

Example CalTransfreeway:

bridge checks

Example East Bay

district municipal

works: watertreatment

plant model “as built“

Representative examples oftypical Cyrax applications(see also: www.cyra.com):

Cyrax systems are already

deployed on numerous

projects, e.g.:

- complex construction site

and control measurements

- monitoring and comparing

construction progress with

plan specifications

- 2D and 3D cartography

and modelling for architec-

ture, constructional and

plant engineering

1918

Leica GPS machine guidance systems boost Texanbrown coal mining productivityThanks to a new GPS-based

machine guidance system

supplied by Leica Geo-

systems, The North

American Coal Corporation

has achieved significant

savings in annual operating

costs at its San Miguel

Lignite Mine in South Texas.

The San Miguel LigniteMine, south of San Antonio,has served as one of severaltest sites for Leica’s newDozer 2000 GPS machineguidance system. The Dozer2000 is a satellite-based,machine guidance systemthat permits a bulldozer operator to control thevehicle and blade preciselywithout the need for surveystakes.

Investment amortised inunder one year

According to Doug Darby,Operations Manager forNorth American Coal at theSan Miguel Lignite Mine, thecompany expects to save asmuch as $200,000 annually.These savings are generatedby eliminating the need forsurvey staking in pond, roadand drainage construction,reducing rehandle in spoilgrading, subsoil and topsoilrespread, and improvingdragline bench heightcontrol. “We estimate thatwe can save some $56,000on each machine byachieving a 5% reduction inrehandle caused by cuttingtoo deep,“ said Darby. “Weexpect to save as much as$72,000 per machine byreducing dragline rehandleby 3% due to better controlover bench height. TheDozer 2000 system is anexcellent investment. Weproject to have payback inless than 24 months on theinitial four units. As we inve-stigate other uses of thegrade control and guidancesystem, the payback couldwell drop below one year.“

Graphically unambiguous,easily understood information

The Dozer 2000 system usessignals from the U.S. GlobalPositioning System (GPS) todetermine the position ofthe vehicle with centimetre-level accuracy in real time.Position data from a vehicle-mounted Leica GPS receiveris fed to an AutoCAD-basedengineering software package running on a ruggedised touch-screencomputer in the vehicle’scab. The computer clearlydisplays the vehicle’s position and movement inrelation to a predetermineddesign surface and guidesthe operator with graphicinstructions for left/rightsteering and cut and fillvalues.

“Dozer 2000 is designed toassist the operator by providing real-time naviga-tion information and easy-to-follow instructions forsteering and blade control inthe cab,“ stated Rod Eckels,business director for Leica’sOEM GPS systems. “The system uses intuitivegraphic displays to show cutand fill values betweenactual position and designsurface. The operator canselect cross-section and forward/backward views,plus other useful displays.“

Darby reports that thesystem has been very wellreceived by machine operators at the San MiguelMine, due to its easy-to-follow graphic displays andits proven accuracy. “We areaccomplishing finish gradework that is accurate towithin ±2 inches with amachine that has a 13 feethigh and 25 feet wide blade– all without the use ofsurvey stakes,“ he said.

21 systems already in thefield“The Falkirk MiningCompany, a wholly ownedsubsidiary of The NorthAmerican Coal Corporation,installed two Dozer 2000systems for evaluation in1998. We now have 21 systems in servicethroughout North AmericanCoal managed mines,“ saidDarby. “We will continueexpanding our use of thisadvanced technology in2000.“

The San Miguel Lignite Mineis the lowest cost supplier oflignite in the state of Texas.The company produces over3 million tons of ligniteannually.

Leica Geosystems’ Dozer 2000steers the bulldozer simply andprecisely. The driver has a real-time graphical display of all control data, e.g. cut and filldifferences.

North American Coal is theeighth largest coal miningcompany in the UnitedStates, with seven miningoperations in 5 states and1000 employees. It is a sub-sidiary of NACCO Industries,Inc.

Leica GPS selected for the Xian-Ankang Railway Project

China’s railway system is developing fast – and precision

instruments are playing an increasingly important role

throughout this major construction undertaking. The Leica

GPS SR350 sets deployed on the Xian-Ankang Railway

Project are an excellent example of the trend.

Under the terms of aconstruction loan agreementbetween the Ministry of Foreign Trade and EconomicCooperation of the People'sRepublic of China and theOverseas EconomicCooperation Fund of Japan,China’s National TechnicalImport & Export Corporation(CNTIC) was authorised toissue an internationalcompetitive tender for theequipment. Following extensive tests and bidderevaluation, Leica Geo-systems won the order for16 SR350 sets, not least

because nation-wide service coverage meant thatsupport would be availablewhenever and whereverneeded.Leica SR350s were deliveredto the Ministry of Railways:the Professional DesignInstitute, the First and Third

Training Chinese Leica Geosystemsservice specialists in GuangzhouIn order to continue providing Leica Geosystems customers

in the People’s Republic of China with the highest possible

standards of service, the company is making massive

investments in ongoing training of service personnel, and

their equipment. Here, Anton Schneider of the Service and

Training Centre in Heerbrugg instructs Chinese service

specialists in Guangzhou about the GPS500, TPS300 and

TPS1100 systems.

A detailed introduction andsystematic training in operatingtheory and practice ensured thatRailway Ministry engineerswere thoroughly familiar withthe Leica SR350.

Survey & Design Institutes,and the Bridge ConstructionBureau. These organisationswill use GPS to perform awide range of surveying andmapping tasks, acceleratingconstruction of thisimportant railway link whileboosting measurement reliability.

The cleverest workhorse: With the TPS700 Performance Series from Leica Geosystems you will leap over all

obstacles - faster, more skilfully, and without a reflector. Just think about what you can measure without

a reflector - frontages, interiors or profiles, for example. And, with a coaxial distancer that needs no

reflector, the clever new TPS700 Total Stations make this all possible. Of course, you can also use the

TPS700 to perform all of your other survey tasks; rapidly, conveniently and with the usual Leica

Geosystems quality. There is a large display and an alphanumeric

keyboard, and a laser plummet for quick and precise centring. See for yourself. Go right ahead

now and ask for more information about the new TPS700 Performance Series.

30 40 50 TPS700 Performance Series

Leica Geosystems AG, CH-9435 Heerbrugg (Switzerland), Phone +41 71 727 3131, Fax +41 71 727 4673, www.leica-geosystems.com