59The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems
2 | Reporter
Dear Readers,
In traditional project management managers have to
consider three constraints: Finance, Human Resour-
ces and Time. If you decrease one, you increase the
need for the others. If a project has to be finished
sooner than planned, you need more money. Or
more staff. Or maybe more of both.
Time is money – a truism we all know from our daily
work. We at Leica Geosystems want to provide our
customers with products and solutions that enable
them to do their job more productively, more effec-
tively, in less time and with lower manpower require-
ments – but with no concessions in terms of quality.
You can find one very impressive example of how our
customers save time and money starting on page 19:
Australian customer Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) has
standardized its national survey services equipment
portfolio, and now completely relies on Leica Geo-
systems’ products from total stations to laser scan-
ners. SKM surveyors benefit from a short learning
curve, ease of use and minimized risk of errors – and
so do SKM’s customers.
Productivity paired with quality – in addition to the
projects highlighted in this edition of the Reporter,
you can also see the outcome of our recent efforts
at Intergeo 2008 in Bremen. We would be pleased to
welcome you to our booth in Hall 5!
Enjoy reading!
Ola Rollén
CEO Hexagon and Leica Geosystems
Editorial
Imprint
Reporter: Customer Magazine of Leica Geosystems
Published by: Leica Geosystems AG, CH-9435 Heerbrugg
Editorial Office: Leica Geosystems AG,
CH-9435 Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Phone +41 71 727 34 08,
Contents responsible: Alessandra Doëll
(Director Communications)
Editor: Agnes Zeiner
Publication details: The Reporter is published in English,
German, French and Spanish, twice a year.
Reprints and translations, including excerpts, are subject to
the editor’s prior permission in writing.
© Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg (Switzerland),
September 2008. Printed in Switzerland
Cover: The "Spiegelsee" (Mirror Lake) at the
Berchtesgaden salt mine, © Emanuel Raab
CO
NTEN
TS In the Kingdom of White Gold
Mission Service
Leica ADS40: 700 people saved
The Great Ancona Landslide
World's Largest Trimaran
Laser Dots and Lines for Living History Recording World Heritage
Excavating in the Brisbane River
Standardization: Strong Return on Investment for SKM
City-Tunnel Leipzig
A City on the Move 3D Measuring for Building Refurbishment
Documenting a Subsea Tunnel
Training & Service in Guatemala
Terrain Measurement in Japan
Accuracy for the Agriculture Industry
03
06
08
09
12
14
16
18
19
22
25
28
32
34
35
35
>>
In the Kingdom of White Gold
by Agnes Zeiner
Museum? Tourist attraction? High-tech mine?
The Berchtesgaden Salt Mine is something of all
of them. The show mine attracts around 400'000
visitors per year. Every day, the 28 solution min-
ing boreholes produce about 2'000 cubic meters
of brine, which yields over 530 tonnes of high-
value raw salt. And for surveying specialists,
too, the salt mine is a fantastic journey through
time.
Wolfgang Lochner, Mining Surveying Manager and
leader of the five-person strong surveying team in
the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine, knows that not only is
his workplace especially exciting; it is also extremely
beautiful. When he is not actually underground, he
has a direct view of the Watzmann, the third high-
est mountain in Germany: “Who else can say that?”
Berchtesgaden is one of the last working salt mines
in Germany. It began in 1517 with the founding of
the Petersstollen works by Prince Provost Gregor
Rainer. “The Celts knew about salt production and
salt has been mined in neighboring Bad Reichenhall
since prehistoric times. In Berchtesgaden too, there
had been earlier salt mines, but it had to wait until
1517 and Gregor Rainer to make salt mining its major
activity,” recounted Lochner as he delved into the
area's treasure trove of history. Since then 100 km of
mining tunnels have been driven into the mountain.
The earliest plans he has been able to lay his hands
on stem from the mid-1800s. “But the first survey
maps had already been drawn by the 16th century!”
Despite this long tradition of mining here, he has
no need to worry about the salt running out any-
time soon: the deposits for the next 30 years have
been identified, it is known that there are sufficient
deposits for a further 100 years, and experts esti-
mate there is capacity for the next 300. Each year
approximately 600 meters of tunnels are driven and
28 solution mining boreholes worked through about
30 km of open caverns (tunnels) – with each of these
works having a useful mining life of about 30 years.
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 3
Drawing of the Dietrich plant at the Berchtesgaden salt mine from 1855.
4 | Reporter
One centimeter per day
Berchtesgaden produces brine, a liquid solution con-
taining the valuable raw salt. This brine is transported
along a pipeline to the salt works at Bad Reichenhall.
There the solution is heated until all that remains of
the Berchtesgaden brine is pure food-grade salt. Each
cubic meter of brine contains up to 26.5 % salt. “Wet
salt mining, the process we use here to extract our
salt, is relatively expensive,” explains Lochner. The
salt is not in discrete blocks in the rock; it must be
washed out by the introduction of fresh water. “This
takes place in the wet mining works: we pump drink-
ing water quality water from above into the works to
wash out the salt, which then, in solution form, sep-
arates from the lighter fresh water, because of the
higher density of the brine. Then the salt water can
be brought to the surface and pumped into the pipe-
line using a submersible pump.” What sounds simple
is actually quite a lengthy process – the water level
rises by only about 1 cm per day in each wet mining
works. At the same time a typical wet mining works
is about 125 m long, 65 m wide and 120 m high.
Laptops and Lederhosen
Mine surveying, taking measurements underground,
is almost as old as mining itself. “Today our main
tasks revolve around monitoring the existing tunnels
and works, taking measurements for tunnel driving,
general underground surveying and – above ground
– surveying for building construction and for man-
agement of the salt work's land and real estate,”
explains Wolfgang Lochner. “This makes my job
very stimulating – it encompasses practically the
whole spectrum of engineering surveying: we are
never bored!” It includes surveying and drawing up
the existing excavations; surveying, monitoring and
recording the mining works; planning and setting out
the drives; surveying during driving, similar to tun-
nel construction, and surveying and plotting ground
movements. “The accuracies we can achieve today
are less than 1 mm standard deviation in leveling
underground, approx. 0.5 mm standard deviation in
leveling above ground and less than 15 mm position-
ing accuracy in the network of control points in the
underground control network,” adds Lochner.
Our mining surveyors work closely with in-house and
external geologists, as well as cooperating with the
national mining authorities. “This is why we need to
maintain two data systems: on the one hand we still
keep existing drawings of the local mining authority
up to date by hand using ink, pens and color washes
on paper. But of course we use modern CAD draw-
ings for our own design and record drawings. Thus
the turn of phrase 'Lederhosen and laptops (old and
new)' is very apt,” points out Lochner with a smile.
Old and new in peaceful coexistence greet visitors
to the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine. And not only in the
show mine, where around 400'000 visitors from all
over the world can experience the subterranean
world of salt mining on the newly opened salt time
travel tour. There are also glass display cabinets con-
taining modern instruments like the Leica TPS1200
as well as old mining surveying instruments such
as an alidade dating from the mid-19th century and
a Wild T2 theodolite. These Wild instruments were
manufactured from 1926 to 1996 by Wild Heerbrugg
(today Leica Geosystems).
From Reichenbach to Leica Geosystems
Lochner and his team also rely on a mixture of old
and new: on the one hand the latest technology,
such as the Leica DINI03 digital level, total stations
Leica TCRA1100 and System 1200, or the Leica DIS-
TO™ laser distance meter. But on the other hand
they still find some ancient instruments indispens-
able, such as the suspended mine surveying com-
pass that has been used in virtually unaltered form
since 1897 and has only recently been replaced by a
specially designed digital compass with a Bluetooth®
interface link to a portable computer. “Most of the
instruments, like the tasks we perform, have changed
over time – in earlier days, mining surveyors worked
underground with alidades and goniometers, while
today we have digital levels and total stations. But
some can simply never be replaced,” maintains Loch-
ner. “Some of the oldest instruments were made in
the Reichenbach workshops in the 1800s.” These
masterpieces of technology are naturally no longer
in use but: “They continue to work perfectly – the
advantage of mechanical devices!”
The process of mining also has some older devices that
are still essential today. For example, the “Röhrlkas-
ten”, a wooden box that provides a simple way of
measuring the flow of water through the solution
mining works to an accuracy of <1 %. “A 1756 model,
precise and with no signs of wear,” laughs Lochner.
Next to it stands – as if from another world – an ultra-
modern computer cabinet with contents controlled
from above ground through fibre-optic cables.
Although the past is still very much alive, Wolfgang
Lochner's thoughts are directed towards the future.
His team has recently carried out trials with Leica
Geosystems high definition scanners, the results of
which are currently being evaluated. Underground
survey information is presently captured as level and
positional data but not yet as 3D models. “This is
certainly adequate to create a reference to the above
ground surveying but we have even higher aims!”
The tradition of salt mining has shaped life in the
region over many centuries. The salt time travel tour
in the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine brings this history
to life for everyone with the help of state-of-the-art
entertainment, edutainment and infotainment tech-
nology. An exciting visitor guide system, active and
interactive control modules, lighting installations,
sensing experiences and educational exhibits take
the visitor through a completely new subterranean
experience.
Further information:
Salzbergwerk Berchtesgaden
Bergwerkstraße 83
D-83471 Berchtesgaden, Germany
Phone +49 (0)86 52-6002-0
Fax +49 (0)86 52-6002-6,
www.salzzeitreise.de, [email protected]
Opening hours:
1st May to 31st Oct. 2008: 09.00 to 17.00 hrs*
2nd Nov. 2008 to 30th April 2009: 11.30 to 15.00 hrs*
(* last admittance)
This underground world
is open to everybody
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 5
6 | Reporter
by Agnes Zeiner
Leica Geosystems instruments and solutions
are in use with our customers in all parts of
the world. At the same time we are committed
to providing the best support and service – no
matter where the customer and instrument are
located. A balancing act that our Central Tech-
nical Services Team and its partners perform
every day.
In the office of Peter Ammann, Manager of Central
Technical Services (CTS) this morning the blinds are
pulled half-way down as protection from the bright
Swiss summer sun. “In the afternoons it can be
almost unbearable in here,” he laughs – no special
treatment for the manager of this 30+ strong CTS
Team.
Ammann is a missionary. Not in the religious sense,
but in the sense of his job, for all too often the duties
of his team are equated with repairs. But technical
service is only one part of the range of services that
Leica Geosystems offers its customers. “We also
define the framework for the scope of these ser-
vices, ensure that it is implemented and continuously
Mission Service
monitor performance. The time it normally takes a
customer to decide on a Leica Geosystems instru-
ment is actually very short. But in the years that
follow he will work with this instrument, upon which
often his livelihood will depend. Therefore we are
doing the right thing by focusing our efforts on this
latter period,” explains Ammann.
The customer obtains a complete solution com-
prising product and service: With Leica Customer
Care Packages, short CCPs , each customer can be
offered a service package that corresponds exactly
to his requirements – anything from a simple soft-
ware update package right up to a “Gold Package”
with comprehensive hard- and software service and
extended warranty.
Leica Geosystems and its partners maintain a total of
over 200 certified service centers worldwide. Every
three years, these centers are audited to ensure that
the specified standards are being observed. This
task is performed during a service audit as part of
the quality assurance system. “These audits are also
used as an opportunity to discuss any issues with
our partners, since this is a way of bringing about
improvements in working processes, e.g. by mak-
CTS staff member Guido Grossmann ajusting a Leica
TCP1205+ total station.
ing small changes in infrastructure or investment.
And that has a direct effect on the throughput of
instruments received for servicing and repair,” adds
Peter Ammann.
How to ensure that all our customers – wherever
they may be in the world – receive the same service?
Not so simple, admits the head of CTS. “We are of
course often out in the field to see that our service
standards are kept universally high. And our part-
ners also invest a great deal.” He leads us through
to a large room – a workshop, we assume. Ammann
laughs: “No, it's a training room. Every new techni-
cian appointed by a Leica Geosystems service part-
ner comes first to us here in Heerbrugg, Switzerland.
Here the technicians learn about all our instruments,
so that servicing can take place locally without any
problems and the customer receives his instrument
back as quickly as possible. Our experienced techni-
cians also become involved when Leica Geosystems
brings a new, innovative product to market.” For
this knowledge gained from servicing is first hand
information, which then flows back into new product
developments.
“Factors such as Customer Care Packages, the assured
quality in our certified service workshops and contin-
uous education of our globally active service techni-
cians create trust. And if our customers trust Leica
Geosystems now, they will decide in our favour in the
future too,” says Peter Ammann confidently.
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 7
8 | Reporter
Leica ADS40: 700 people saved by Rüdiger Wagner
700 people could be saved in Cao Ping after their
message “SOS700” was discovered in imagery
collected with a Leica ADS40 airborne digital
sensor.
In the aftermath of the devastating May 12th earth-
quake in Sichuan, China, local authorities coordinat-
ing disaster relief efforts required a fast, accurate
and comprehensive overview of the damage and the
affected areas. Following a request from the Chinese
Academy of Science (CAS), Taiyuan Aero Photography
Co. Ltd immediately agreed to dispatch their Leica
ADS40 digital airborne sensors to Chongqing near
Chengdu in the Sichuan province. Starting on May
13th, fifteen flights were undertaken in the earth-
quake area, taking full advantage of the efficiency
of the Leica ADS40 sensor system. Supported by
Leica Geosystems staff, terabytes of continuous high
quality image data were acquired and processed on a
daily basis and sent overnight to local authorities and
the President’s Office for analysis and updates.
On May 16th, after processing a flight undertaken
earlier that day, Leica Geosystems’ support staff
sent the corrected image data to the China Central
Government Earthquake Salvation Centre for inspec-
tion. Whilst analyzing the image strip, staff attention
was drawn to a sign stating “SOS700” on a rooftop
in the village of Cao Ping near Yingxiu town. Although
nobody in the Salvation Centre immediately under-
stood the message, a rescue team was quickly dis-
patched to the village. Upon arrival in Cao Ping, the
rescuers encountered seven hundred villagers with-
out food and water, many of them wounded.
Says Sam Chen, Vice President of Leica Geosystems,
China: “This is truly a case in which the superior Leica
ADS40 sensor technology helped save lives. At Leica
Geosystems we are honoured that in a combined
effort with our customers and local authorities, we
could assist our people and our country in this time
of need. Using our technology we will continue to
help rebuild the lives of our people in Sichuan.”
The discovery of the villagers’ colourful call for help
was only made possible by the unique performance
features of the Leica ADS40. The state-of-the-art
line sensor technology of Leica ADS40 permits fast
data collection of large areas with equal resolution,
in all multispectral bands and without loss of quality
or information. In combination with a fast and simple
workflow, the Leica ADS40 delivers real production
efficiency when time is of the essence.
About the author:
Rüdiger Wagner is Product Manager Airborne Sensors
at Leica Geosystems in Heerbrugg/Switzerland.
The Great Ancona Landslide
by Carlo Bonanno and Massimo Magnani
On 13th December 1982, a very large zone of
the city of Ancona was devastated by a huge
landslide, affecting 11 % of the urban area.
Homes and infrastructure were seriously dam-
aged, about 3’000 people had to be evacuated.
The railway and state highway were blocked,
and water and gas supplies interrupted. After
years of study authorities decided that consoli-
dation was not a feasible option. This was due
to both the cost and the environmental impact,
which would have devastated the areas’ natural
character. Therefore, the City Council decided
to ensure the safety of the local population by
designing and installing a complex integrated
monitoring system to provide constant control
of the landslip area.
The affected area of Ancona consists of an entire
hillside, approximately 341.5 hectares in total. It
ranges from an approximate height of 170 metres
above sea level down to the sea itself. During the 15
days prior to the landslide on 13. December, 1982,
the rainfall in the area was not exceptionally high
in absolute terms but was persistent. This caused a
significant rise in groundwater levels.
In response to the landslide, a series of specific laws
were passed at both a regional and national level.
This enabled the allocation of funds needed for the
emergency operations, as well as to complete the
clean-up and rehabilitation of the affected area and
provide aid to the local people.
After the initial emergency operations, a detailed
study was done of the landslide area, in order to
draw up a plan for the repair or reconstruction of the
affected homes. Preparation of a plan for continuous
monitoring of the landslide area using geodetic and
geotechnical instrumentation also began. This was
used as the basis for a Civil Defence Emergency Plan. >>
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 9
View of the "Great Ancona Landslide" today.
10 | Reporter
The Monitoring Plan was subdivided into 2 parts; the
first of these, relating to the geodetic instrumenta-
tion, was put out to tender in 2006. The contract
was awarded to Leica Geosystems Italy for the sup-
ply and installation of a high-precision continuous
integrated topographic monitoring system.
In association with the Ancona City Council engineers
installation of the monitoring system began at the
end of 2006 and was completed in the summer of
2007. In October 2007 local and national govern-
ment representatives officially presented the system
to the public. This coincided with the system start-
up and calibration stage. This stage, currently still
underway, has enabled those responsible to analyse
the main results and to use them as a basis for set-
ting the alarm thresholds in the Civil Defence Plan.
Three steps for maximum safety
Due to the large area to be monitored and the com-
plex morphology of the landslide zone, the system
was designed on the basis of three monitoring levels.
The first (alarm) level is comprised of three main
stations outside the landslide area each with a
robotic total station, dual frequency GPS and dual
axis inclinometer .
The second level is comprised of five monitoring
stations inside the landslide area, with identical
instrumentation.
The third level is comprised of a network of 26 sin-
gle frequency GPS sensors and 200 prisms installed
on homes, with all prism points measured by robot-
ic total stations.
Each station in the 1st and 2nd level network was
installed on reinforced concrete piles. Each pile is 1
meter in diameter, sunk into the ground to depths
varying from 10 to 25 meters, with about 3 meters
above ground level. Each concrete pile has a Leica
TCA2003 robotic total station installed on top.
The AX1202 GPS antennas together with the Leica
GRX1200 GPS receivers were installed by means of
stainless steel posts, 10 cm in diameter, with variable
heights. Each station was completed with wiring for
communication and power supply.
The 3rd level network stations, were created by
installing single frequency GPS antennas and solar
panels on the roofs of private homes. Each station
was wired to protect the power supply and installed
in positions allowing easy access for possible mainte-
nance work. Approximately 200 prisms were installed
on the homes in the area, for measurement by the
seven Leica TCA2003 robotic total stations.
No significant movements by May 2008
The system runs automatically and is managed by
the Control Center in the City of Ancona, about 3 km
from the monitoring area. A WLAN – HyperLAN main
communications line provides complete and continu-
ous real-time control of all the field sensors. The
Control Center has a network of computers running
Leica GeoMoS and Leica GNSS Spider software. The
software controls the sensors and performs analy-
ses of the acquired data. Custom software modules
were specially developed for the management of the
alert, pre-alarm and alarm thresholds and the subse-
quent triggering of warning systems to protect the
population. Remote access to the system is possible
via the Internet to enable relevant personnel to man-
age and oversee the system at any time.
The Leica TCA2003 robotic total stations perform a
measuring cycle to the prisms every 4 hours. The
GPS receivers record measurement sessions lasting
6 hours, with a 15 sec. acquisition rate. Analysis of
the results obtained between October 2007 and May
2008 revealed that no significant movements of the
structures in the risk area occurred. One year after
the start-up of the surface topography monitoring
system, the engineers in charge have been able to
analyse the first results. This period of fine-tuning
of the system has been fundamental in allowing
the definition of the alert, the pre-alarm and alarm
thresholds.
Future implementations
The tender for the second functional stage of the
monitoring project includes supply and installation
of underground geotechnical sensors and extremely
high precision surface dual axis inclinometers. The
combination of different sensors and technologies
allows for the most effective monitoring of complex
gravitational phenomena, such as the Ancona land-
slide. This will allow the landslide phenomenon and
its evolution over time to be studied by analysing the
acquired measurements. Therefore helping to make
targeted, effective planning of any future consolida-
tion work possible.
In Ancona, the local government and local population
have taken an active approach to living with a huge
landslide. This new philosophy is a fresh, dynamic
response to a complex problem: the solution moves
beyond the usual static concepts of ordinary engi-
neering solutions, unfeasible or unaffordable in this
case, while simultaneously reducing the risk level for
the people living in the affected areas.
About the authors:
Massimo Magnani is Engineering & Solutions Sales
& Technical Support, Carlo Bonanno is Engineering &
Solutions Sales Manager. Both work at Leica Geosys-
tems SpA in Italy.
7 Leica TCA2003 robotic total stations
7 Leica GRX1200 L1/L2 GPS sensors
26 Leica GX1210 L1 GPS sensors
230 Monitoring prisms
40 Power supply systems
Installation "Great Ancona Landslide“
1 WLAN – HyperLAN communications system
1 Center for Real-Time Control and Management of
the Monitoring System, with Leica GeoMoS and
Leica GNSS Spider software
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 11
12 | Reporter
World's LargestTrimaran
by Hélène Leplomb
With a wealth of experience acquired through
the construction of a long line of racing boats,
the Banque Populaire has gained considerable
notoriety in the field of sailing. The “Sailing
Bank” is staying its course with a new challenge:
the construction of the world’s largest trimaran
– the Banque Populaire V. Designed with the
aim of beating the major sailing records, it con-
sists of a forty-meter-long central hull, floats
measuring thirty-seven meters in length and a
forty-five-meter mast. The “Sailing Bank” has
chosen the French company Ecartip to measure
and test the manufactured parts using a Leica
Geosystems 3D laser scanner.
Technological choices are essential in the race for
performance. Consequently, for the structure of
the Banque Populaire V, the technical team relied
on tried-and-tested technology: a layer of Nomex
(strong synthetic fibres in honeycomb structure)
between two layers of carbon. There was a risk that
the components of this immense prototype would
warp during this process due to the heat. That is why
Olivier Bordeau, a member of Team Banque Populaire
and responsible for monitoring compounds, called
on Ecartip, a company originally consisting of land
surveyors, but now also working in the shipbuild-
ing industry, to measure and test the boat’s compo-
nents using a 3D laser scanner. The aim was to test
the deviation between the manufactured parts and
the theoretical digital model in order to identify any
distortion and to take appropriate action to ensure
that the performance of the boat complied with the
initial plan.
Scan of the hull and floats
Two employees at Ecartip were called upon to scan
the different components and process the data on-
site in order to save time. During these operations,
Eric Rabaud, project leader at Ecartip, appreciated
the full dome of the Leica HDS3000 laser scanner:
“The full dome meant that the bottoms of the hulls
could be scanned quickly and with no restrictions
by placing the scanner on the ground. Without this
characteristic, we would have had to raise the floats
and that would have been impossible!”
The thirty-seven-meter-long floats required 10 scan
positions each. These multiple scans enabled Ecartip
to obtain a level of precision of ± 4 mm in assem-
bling a scatter plot and ± 2 mm in modelling. Ecartip
could therefore provide sections, 3D views, reports
presenting the deviations obtained and verification
plans in order to check the conformity of the boat’s
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 13
components. By modelling the hulls, they were able
to define the real axes and planes of symmetry of the
boat. The different parts of the boat could therefore
be repositioned precisely taking into account the dis-
tortions observed and the mechanical characteristics
of the boat. This precision operation was decisive in
positioning the centreboard well, foils, rudder blade
and other parts of the boat.
Finding himself five days ahead of schedule, the
leader of Team Banque Populaire was entirely con-
vinced: “Before, we didn’t know why the boat was
pulling more to the right or to the left – we used a
plumb line and a decameter to check the manufac-
tured parts. This technology allows us to save time,
increase the reliability and precision of the measure-
ments and, above all, correct the axis of symmetry
before the launch!” exclaimed Olivier Bordeau.
Providing help in assembly
Assembling this type of component is not easy and
precise positioning is essential. In the past, the com-
ponents were guided into position on the central hull
using a projection on the ground, a plumb line and a
spirit level. This meticulous work could take days to
be completed. Then the part in question would be
cut and positioned and these operations would be
repeated until it was perfectly fitted.
Already won over by the service provided by Ecartip,
Team Banque Populaire decided to test the assembly
of the arms on the central hull using a Leica HDS3000.
Eric Rabaud identified the zone to be cut on model
elements of the boat before marking the outline on
the hull using a theodolite. “We are used to work-
ing with a safety margin”, explains Olivier Bordeau.
“Initially we didn’t want to take the risk of cutting
exactly along the outline…” However, from the very
first cut, the team had to accept the obvious: the
outline was perfect. As a result, the scanner moni-
tored the entire progression of the boat’s assembly,
providing invaluable aid in assembling the hulls and
positioning the foils.
This first 3D laser scan service has revolutionised
measurement techniques in the field of racing boats:
“In the past, there was no real culture of measure-
ment in this domain, it is a revolution in our measure-
ment system”, confirms Olivier Bordeau. The test and
assembly operations took only a third of the time
allowed for in the very tight construction schedule
for this prototype, enabling the installation of the
elements on the central hull to be adapted to ensure
optimum geometry of the boat.
The availability and commitment of Ecartip were
greatly appreciated by Team Banque Populaire, who
will be sure to contact Ecartip when they make future
modifications to the boats in the fleet of the “Sailing
Bank”. For his part, Eric Rabaud from Ecartip could
feel the team spirit which reigned around the boat,
giving him the feeling that he too was part of this
great adventure.
About the author:
Hélène Leplomb is responsible for Marketing at Leica
Geosystems in France.
Type: Crewed Oceanic Maxi Trimaran
Skipper: Pascal Bidégorry
Length: 40.00 m
Breadth: 23.00 m
Displacement: 23 t
Draught: 5.80 m
Clearance: 45 m
www.voile.banquepopulaire.fr
www.ecartip.fr
Banque Populaire V
14 | Reporter
by Daniel Stettler
High on a sunny slope on the Eastern border
of the Engadin Valley in the Swiss Canton of
Graubünden is a small mountain village, home
to 175 people. Its name is Tschlin. The economic
prospects of this village would be bleak, were
it not for a spirit of enterprise and innovation
among its people. But no change without chal-
lenges: How can you stem the demographic
bleeding of a dying town and sustain a viable
population by providing young families with a
livelihood? How can you restore and maintain
the iconic buildings without turning them into
museums? How can you adapt historic farm
houses to become vacation homes without los-
ing the village’s character?
Tschlin is a perfect example of a European moun-
tain village in transition and was chosen to serve as
a case study for architecture students at the Uni-
versity of Washington in Seattle. As initiator of the
study, I came here with a group of students to spend
the summer of 2007 to lend a hand in addressing
the village’s challenges. For two months we engaged
in a number of concrete projects intended to help
the community in its planning for the future. Some
Laser Dots and Lines for Living History
instruments from Leica Geosystems played an impor-
tant role in this effort.
Challenging measuring conditions
One of our projects was to make an accurate inven-
tory of the existing buildings in Tschlin. This called
for making precise drawings of the current struc-
tures and public spaces of the village as a base for
future planning. As simple as this may sound, the
steep topography of the community combined with
the irregular shape of buildings created challenging
measuring conditions. It would be cumbersome and
unsafe to attempt the use of ladders with primitive
measuring equipment such as poles and tapes. The
well known Engadiner house with its complex form
and vast size only compounds the problem. Leica
Geosystems’ lasers allowed us to measure these
buildings safely from the ground.
We used three specific instruments, the Leica
DISTO™ A5, Leica DISTO™ A8 laser distance meters
and the line laser Leica Lino L2. The Leica DISTO™
A5 and A8 served to take overall height and distance
measurements while the Leica Lino L2 set horizontal
and vertical reference lines. The Leica DISTO™ A5
proved to be the most reliable in taking point-to-
point measurements. As a basic measuring device
the simplicity of the instrument was very welcome.
But at critical times of low light and long distance,
the Leica DISTO™ A8 offered an additional feature.
It has a digital viewfinder that allows zooming into
the target in three stages and to precisely locate the
measuring point.
Fast and accurate measurements
Due to the village’s topography the measuring plane
was not always plumb and leveled. Therefore the
trigonometric functions in the Leica DISTO™ were
not applicable at all times. Here the Leica Lino L2
was a real asset. In fact, it turned out to be an essen-
tial piece of equipment for our purposes. The self
leveling function made what would be a constantly
tedious and time consuming task fast and easy. The
instrument provided accurate level and plumb lines
that when photographed and assembled digitally,
created grid lines on the building facades. These
grids were vital to the reconstruction of these build-
ings as line drawings.
In order to document our proceedings with photo-
graphs, including grids from the Leica Lino L2, and to
increase our productivity, we quickly decided to work
also by night. The villagers were surprised to see
us working in the dark as we determined this to be
the most efficient way to take the measurements. It
occasionally called for some explanation when locals
were perplexed by the red gridlines on their homes.
They were relieved to discover the next day that the
lines were no longer there.
Inside measurements during summer 2008
By the end of the summer 2007 thanks to the effi-
ciency and accuracy of the Leica Geosystems’ instru-
ments, our team of six had been able to fully measure
and draw thirty buildings in Tschlin. This data collec-
tion continued during the summer of 2008. Indeed,
new students from the University of Washington have
started to make additional measurements inside the
buildings this time. The Leica Lino L2 has been most
useful in determining horizontal and vertical lines
inside the old Engadiner houses where few things
are plumb or level. The Department of Architecture
at the University of Washington expresses its sincere
gratitude to the Leica Geosystems team and looks
forward to working with their instruments on this
project for several more years.
About the author:
Daniel Stettler works as an architect in Seattle, is a
lecturer at the University of Washington Department
of Architecture, and Director of the Studio Tschlin
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 15
16 | Reporter
Recording World Heritageby Paul Burrows
CAP, the Cyrene Archaeological Project, is devot-
ed to recording the remains of the Greco-Roman
city at Cyrene in Libya and is a joint venture
between Oberlin College (USA), the University of
Birmingham (UK) and the Department of Antiqui-
ties (Libya). The site is part of the Green Moun-
tain Conservation and Development Area, which
was recently established by the Libyan govern-
ment under “The Cyrene Declaration”. CAP’s aim
is to record the standing structures and bur-
ied features within this UNESCO World Heritage
Site in a systematic, traceable and comprehen-
sive method using a combination of land-based,
aerial and sub-surface measurement techniques
– amongst them a Leica ScanStation and a Leica
HDS6000 scanner.
Nestled in the heart of the University of Birming-
ham is VISTA, the Visual and Spatial Technology Cen-
tre, part of the Institute of Archaeology and Antiq-
uity (IAA). This archaeological group is committed to
the capture, analysis and preservation of 3D data
through the creation of digital environments, with
data capture projects ranging from object to land-
scape modeling.
VISTA has been in existence since 2003 and has nur-
tured relationships with universities and professional
institutions around the world. These global ties have
supported large open-ended research projects which
require dedicated teams of highly skilled experts using
the latest technology to capture data – this is where
Leica Geosystems High Definition Surveying™, ter-
restrial total stations and GPS (TPS/GPS) technology
have been utilized by VISTA to achieve an accuracy of
data collection thought near impossible a few years
ago. “Our aim as an historical group is to capture and
integrate all data types with cutting edge technology
into the largest volumetric and sub-surface model
ever captured for archaeological purposes,” says
“Our aim as an historical group is to
capture and integrate all data types
with cutting edge technology into
the largest volumetric and
sub-surface model ever captured
for archaeological purposes.”
Prof. Vince Gaffney, head of the
VISTA group Chair in Landscape
Archaeology and Geomatics.
Prof. Vince Gaffney, head of the VISTA group Chair in
Landscape Archaeology and Geomatics.
VISTA and the CAP project
As one of the best funded groups in Europe, VISTA
was well placed to take part in the CAP project. The
2007 season was undertaken between the 17th and
28th June and the Leica HDS6000, in conjunction
with an external camera solution, was used to record
data from several key sites. In addition, a Foerster
magnetometer array, combined with a Leica SR530
differential GPS solution, was used to carry out the
vast geophysical survey.
The Leica HDS6000 was chosen as it represented the
most advanced phase-based scanning technology on
the market. “The unit performed excellently in unsea-
sonably high temperatures of over 35 °C whilst its
relatively light construction and high battery capac-
ity meant the unit was highly mobile – it can be worn
in its transport case like a rucksack too”, stated Dr.
Helen Goodchild, Project Geomatics Manager.
Using both the Leica HDS6000 and the pulse based
scanner Leica ScanStation, over 120 scans were car-
ried out over the two week period and over 150 GB
of data were collected, representing billions of sur-
vey points. Registration was carried out using Leica
Cyclone Register and the data was geo-referenced
using GPS data control-points acquired with the Leica
SR530 DGPS base station and rover.
Full 3D surface models
The data acquired by the Leica HDS6000 has been
used to generate animated fly-throughs, 2D sec-
tions and slices of the data for interrogation. Full 3D
surface models have also been generated that have
helped aid the investigation and provide an irreplace-
able document of the area. In addition, the data has
been incorporated into the VISTA GIS software suite
alongside GPS, Magnetometry, GPR and environmen-
tal survey data so it can be analyzed in context.
Birmingham Archaeology is a long standing user of
Leica Geosystems survey technology, so its foray
into the world of High Definition Surveying is a natu-
ral technological progression. Without the use of the
Leica HDS6000 or Leica ScanStation, the CAP team
would not have been able to capture the data from
ancient standing structures with the same level of
detail in such a short period of time.
VISTA is currently working with IBM (UK) in developing
procedures for the analysis, manipulation and display
of these types of datasets using Birmingham’s Blue-
BEAR, one of the largest University computing facili-
ties in the UK (www.bear.bham.ac.uk).
About the author:
Paul Burrows is Project Engineer for High Definition
3D Laser Scanning at Leica Geosystems in the UK.
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 17
18 | Reporter
Excavating in the Brisbane Riverby Stefana Vella
Clean water is a precious commodity – espe-
cially when there just isn’t enough. Unfortu-
nately this is the case in the eastern parts of
Australia which have been experiencing signifi-
cant drought over the last two years. As part of
an overall plan to forestall the effects of any
future drought, and to buffer the effects of
the current one, the Queensland Government’s
Western Corridor Recycled Water Project was
implemented. When it is constructed, it will be
the largest recycled water scheme of its kind in
the southern hemisphere – no small feat.
Caldme Excavation Pty Ltd., specialists in long reach
excavation and under water work, was involved in
this project as a subcontractor. The challenge was to
excavate a 60 m outfall pipe with three diffusers that
was installed at the Goodna Waste Water Treatment
Plant – in up to 14.5 meters of water in the Brisbane
River. An important requirement was the ability to
operate in all tide conditions, to maximize the time
available to complete the vital works.
Caldme turned to the Leica Geosystems 3D GPS sys-
tem to simplify an otherwise difficult excavation.
With a Leica 2D MC300 DigSmart system already per-
manently installed on their Hyundai R290LC-7 LR long
reach excavator, Caldme simply rented the 3D GPS
system from Leica Geosystems distributor CR Ken-
nedy for the duration of the project. The systems
integrated smoothly, made the low visibility of the
work far less of a problem and sped up the progress
of the job.
The excavator worked from a spud-anchored barge
supplied by QPort Marine Services, and the GPS sys-
tem was used to assist the tug in positioning the
barge for work. This simplified the barge set-up and
provided significant time savings. The primary aim of
the work was to construct a level pad on the bed of
the river and install the diffusers in a sarcophagus.
The scope of work also included placing rock armor,
and shaping the river bank with a 1 in 4 slope.
Although the excavator was operating at its maxi-
mum depth, the Leica Geosystems 3D GPS system
allowed Caldme to complete the work well within the
required tolerance, and in around half the allotted
time. When limitations occurred due to reach, the
barge, guided by the excavator’s GPS, was reposi-
tioned to allow the excavator to complete the work.
Despite the work being classified as high risk, it was
completed without a single scratch to the pipeline or
any Lost Time Injury.
About the author:
Stefana Vella is Business Development Consultant
and Marketing Manager for Machine Automation at
C.R. Kennedy, Leica Geosystems’ distribution partner
in Australia.
Surveying the historical Port Arthur penitentiary, Hobart, Tasmania, with Leica HDS and Leica TPS units.
Standardization: Strong Return on Investment for SKMby Alison Stieven-Taylor
Known for its leadership and innovation in spa-
tial information products and services, Sinclair
Knight Merz (SKM) is once again forging a new
path – this time in the delivery of its spatial
services. On a scale not often seen in Australia
SKM has standardized its national survey ser-
vices equipment portfolio after entering into a
significant contract with Leica Geosystems Aus-
tralian distributor CR Kennedy.
This ambitious project, which has seen the company
replace its entire survey equipment catalogue with
new Leica Geosystems equipment and firmware, has
enabled SKM to realize a new level of interoperability
and efficiency by working on a common platform.
Leigh Finlay, Spatial Manager New South Wales and
SKM Practice Leader for Surveying, explains: “The
decision to standardize our survey services equip-
ment portfolio was really influenced by two main
factors – the issue of operator familiarity with the
various brands we were using, and the need to >>
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 19
20 | Reporter
update aging equipment.” The fundamental reason-
ing behind the plan was to try and achieve a level
of standardization across the country to remove
the barriers that prevent the efficient movement of
resources, both staff and equipment, to areas where
the work is required.
“In addition, this approach has enabled us to lock in
an efficient national long term plan with a supplier
that delivers a clear and cost effective provision of
the most up to date and technically advanced survey
equipment that is updated on a regular basis. The
major beneficiary will be our clients”, Mr. Finlay said.
“When you have a variety of brands and a mobile
workforce you can’t always guarantee the employee
and the equipment will match. We don’t have the
luxury of learning on the job. Any time taken up with
familiarization becomes another operational cost.
We strongly believe these improved efficiencies in
delivering survey services will benefit our projects
and clients. We believe that by working with the one
brand and one supplier we can streamline our pro-
cesses, work more collaboratively across regions and
remove the barriers we had previously encountered
by having a range of brands.”
Technology, Service and Support
Mr. Finlay admits it wasn’t an easy sell internally with
various brand loyalties within the company. “It’s a
bit like trying to sell a Ford to a die-hard Holden fan.
There are those who would rather stick with an old
Holden than drive a brand new Ford.” The decision
followed a rigorous evaluation process of the various
distributors that involved SKM representatives from
all regions and also included an assessment of the
back-up service and ongoing support the respective
distributors were prepared to offer. At the end of the
day it came down to a very simple equation – lead-
ing edge technology combined with a comprehensive
national service and support package.
“Over the past decade technological developments
in the spatial survey sector have literally altered the
way we work. In my mind Leica Geosystems has really
Left: Robinson River, Northern Territory,
land lease survey for Australian Government.
Right: Hobart Smelter, Tasmania.
As the smelter could not be closed down the
Leica HDS6000 was placed in a specially built cage
and lowered into the smelter works.
28 Leica GPS1200 GNSS units
18 Leica TCRP1200+ Total Stations
12 Leica RX1250 T Robotic Control Units
7 Leica SmartStations
6 Leica DNA03 Digital Levels and
1 Leica HDS6000 3D Laser Scanner to
augment their existing Leica HDS3000 Scanner
www.skmconsulting.com
www.crkennedy.com.au/survey
The deal included
been the true innovator in survey technology. It was
the first to introduce barcode levels – a concept that
was totally out of the box. The recent introduction
of the Leica SmartStation, which combines both GPS/
GNSS and TPS into a single instrument, was another
major step forward and Leica Geosystems’ 3D laser
scanning technology has revolutionized the way we
capture data. We’ve been extremely satisfied with
the Leica Geosystems equipment and in particular
the Leica 3D laser scanner which has opened doors
enabling the expansion of our client base. Working
with Leica Geosystems technology enables us to
deliver above client expectations and meet our own
meticulous standards.”
Confidence to take on new projects
On the issue of service and support Mr. Finlay said CR
Kennedy went above and beyond the call of duty. “It
would be true to say we have enjoyed good relation-
ships with all our suppliers in the past. In this instance
CR Kennedy came through with an outstanding pack-
age to meet our needs. Their training, supply and
service solution gives us the confidence to take on
new projects knowing we are fully supported.”
CR Kennedy’s package also includes a rental agree-
ment which initially Mr. Finlay didn’t believe SKM
would require. But business has been brisk and SKM
is already taking advantage of its ability to hire addi-
tional equipment to supplement its own catalogue,
which is consistently in use. “We are already seeing
the benefits of standardization. The service offered
us by CR Kennedy combined with the fact that every-
one is familiar with the equipment means the spatial
group can react very quickly in the delivery of ser-
vices across all of SKM’s business units. It’s given
us renewed confidence in knowing that whatever
projects we take on we have the right combination
of skills, equipment and back up that enable us to
deliver on our promises.”
About the author:
Alison Stieven-Taylor is a Melbourne based journalist.
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 21
22 | Reporter
by Michael Amrhein, Guido von Gösseln
and Dieter Heinz
Ranked among the largest stub terminals in
Europe, Leipzig's main rail station is one of the
most important transportation nodes in Cen-
tral Germany's regional and long-distance public
transport system. The stub terminal certainly
offers travellers easy access and convenient
connections but its architecture makes changes
in the direction of travel very time-consuming
and takes up a much greater area than a through
station would. One of Germany’s most complex
tunnel projects shall end this situation: The
City-Tunnel Leipzig.
During the construction of the main station (1902-
1915), the possibility of a direct connection to
Leipzig's Bayerischer Bahnhof (Bavarian station) to
link the north and the south of the city was already
being explored, but two world wars prevented this
idea from being realised. With the establishment of
S-Bahn Tunnel GmbH (SBTL) in 1996, the City-Tun-
nel Leipzig project was resurrected and preliminary
investigations conducted into its feasibility and
financial viability. In 2003 a green light was finally
given for the works to go ahead.
The City-Tunnel Leipzig project (CTL) consists of
three sections: the entry section to the south of the
Bayerischer Bahnhof (Contract A); the main part of
project (Contract B) with two shield-driven tunnels
(each approx. 1'500 m) and 4 stations; and the third
section (Contract C) comprising the route under the
main station after which the tunnel emerges to con-
nect to the existing track system. The completion of
such a project represents an extreme challenge to all
engineers involved, especially if – as in the case of
the CTL – work is carried out below a city of half a
million people.
All surveying for the three contracts was under-
taken by Angermeier Ingenieure GmbH (Contract B
in a joint venture with Geodata ZT). This task also
included the relocation of the porticus at Bayerisch-
er Bahnhof. The relocation of this listed structure
City-Tunnel Leipzig
was necessary to build one of the four stations and
its progress was keenly followed by Leipzig's popula-
tion and media alike.
All the surveying work is based on surveying pro-
grammes in which all the geodetic tasks are precisely
described and specified. Approval is given by a rep-
resentative of the client, DEGES (Deutsche Einheit
Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH). The scope of
the surveying programmes – there were more than
20 in all – makes clear the scale of this project and
impressively demonstrates the high demands placed
upon the work of the surveying engineers.
The geodetic network
The starting point for all measurements was the
highly accurate geodetic network provided by the cli-
ent. The basic network was made more detailed with
two further large networks extending over all the
works contracts, each surveyed in three separate
and independent surveying campaigns. The resulting
information was used to control the tunnel boring
machine (TBM) and the surveying for all the defor-
mation monitoring and construction setting out.
Positional surveying was performed using Leica TCA
2003 total stations in conjunction with GPH1-P preci-
sion prisms and GPS surveys (Leica GPS 500, Leica
GPS1200). Level surveys were carried out in 2 cam-
paigns using digital levels (Leica DNA03) using invar
staffs and the BFFB-levelling method. The network
survey data provided accuracies of approximately
1-2 mm in position and 0.5 mm in level.
The surveying tasks on the City-Tunnel Leipzig gen-
erally fell into one of two principle types. On the
one hand, there was surveying for construction and
the subsequent checking of the constructed works
against the drawings. And on the other hand, there
was surveying for the monitoring of movement and
deformation, since, with a project of this magnitude,
deformation at surface level and subsidence of build-
ings must be taken into account.
Minimising risk
The reduction of risk to a minimum was accomplished
using a comprehensive safety and monitoring con- >>
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 23
The tunnel boring machine just before deployment.
24 | Reporter
cept in which more than 60 buildings and items of
engineering infrastructure were precisely monitored
using tacheometric surveying and precision levelling.
Upon completion of the approximately 6 km long
project, it is estimated that up to 8'000 km of lev-
elling will have taken place. Compensation grouting
is used to counteract any building subsidence. This
process involves drilling horizontally under all build-
ing foundations from a total of 12 shafts. A cement
suspension grout is introduced into these holes to
stabilise the ground. If any subsidence occurs, the
buildings standing on this ground can be returned
to their original position by inserting further grout
into the holes. This system was used on 35 buildings
in total and over 1'350 hydrostatic levelling gauges
had to be controlled and monitored. These hydro-
static levelling systems were installed and continu-
ously maintained by Angermeier Ingenieure GmbH.
In critical situations they supply measurements every
45 seconds to a central analysis program. By the end
of the project over 400 gigabytes of data will have
been collected.
Tacheometric monitoring
A further highly sensitive area in the construction of
the underground station is the west wing of Leipzig's
The City-Tunnel Leipzig project is one of the most
complex tunnelling projects in the field of infra-
structure modernisation in the Federal Republic of
Germany. The requirements placed on the survey-
ing engineers, both from the engineering point of
view and in respect of the continuous responsibility
for protection against personal injury or death and
financial damages, are immense. For the inhabitants
of Leipzig and its visitors however, all this effort is a
small price to pay for safety.
High effort for safety
main rail station. A tacheometric monitoring sys-
tem consisting of 12 total stations (Leica TCA2003)
was set up to monitor the work. Measurements are
taken, processed and automatically evaluated every
hour. This enables estimates of possible deforma-
tions of the works themselves or loadbearing com-
ponents, such as roof supports, to be made at any
time. The system has about 200 deformation points
and 60 fixed points, all of which are fitted with Leica
GPH121 reflectors. High precision and fully automatic
operation is achieved by using more than 12 Leica
Geosystems total stations, which have already
proved to be very reliable. That this system does
not interfere in any way with the operation of the
station as far as the travelling public is concerned,
demonstrates the excellence of the concept and its
implementation.
About the authors:
Michael Amrhein (Managing Director), Guido von Gös-
seln and Dieter Heinz work for Angermeier Ingenieure
GmbH. The company's activities centre on the areas
of engineering surveying (tunnels, tracks), the design
and installation of systems for monitoring construc-
tion works and the geometric control of large infra-
structure projects.
by Vicki Speed
High above the streets of Manhattan there is a
new form of public servant dedicated to serving
and protecting the people, property and assets
of New York City. This servant works 24/7, never
asks for a raise and never takes a break. Its main
purpose is to continuously measure and monitor
any movement of buildings and structures that
might take place while heavy construction con-
tinues around the clock throughout the city that
never sleeps.
In the last five years, New York City has become one
of the most active construction zones in the world
– both above and below ground. In addition to the
very visible 16-acre World Trade Center rebuild, the
city is expanding its subway system with several new
lines while public and private developers construct
or renovate numerous commercial and residential
high-rise projects. Mega construction projects such
as these inevitably cause some shift in surrounding
structures. It is up to the New York surveying and
engineering community to manage and monitor this
movement to prevent disaster. Advanced laser-based
monitoring instruments offer a reliable, affordable
and continuous solution. In New York City, there are
currently over 40 automatic long-term movement
monitoring instruments working to provide engi-
neers, project managers, contractors and owners
with answers to the question, “Did it move?” and if
so, “How much, and when?”
South Ferry Terminal and World Trade
Center Rebuild: 24/7 Response
Part of the New York City subway system is the $490
million South Ferry Terminal project, located under-
neath Peter Minuit Plaza in Lower Manhattan, adja-
cent to Battery Park and the Staten Island Ferry Ter-
minal. Once complete in early 2009, this terminal will
accommodate 10-car trains and have multiple station
entrances, including escalators and elevators. Geo-
comp Corporation, a leader in real-time performance
monitoring of constructed facilities, is charged with
monitoring the underground and above ground
structures including many of the historic buildings
that are located throughout this southern portion
of Manhattan. The firm installed Leica TCA1800 total
stations on several facilities throughout the South
Ferry Terminal construction site.
A City on the Move
>>
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 25
Gerard Manley of Leica Geosystems discussing World Trade Project with Geocomp engineer.
26 | Reporter
According to Allen Marr, President of Geocomp, “We
use the tool’s Automatic Target Recognition (ATR)
capabilities to measure changes in target positions
located on existing structures to an accuracy of
1 mm. These instruments are workhorses, built to
withstand harsh environments with accuracy and
reliability. Some units were placed inside the exist-
ing tunnels where they had to operate while heavy
construction equipment created dust, dirt, grease
and moisture.”
Each instrument can be programmed to automati-
cally search and collect data on as many as 100 tar-
gets. On the South Ferry project, ten total stations
and hundreds of targets were used for this purpose.
The recorded data is collected and transferred in real
time via wireless radio to Leica Geosytems GeoMos
software at the Geocomp project site. Geocomp
interfaces the Leica GeoMos software with its iSite-
Central software to provide automated alert mes-
sages by email any time a measured value exceeds
a preset limit.
Another example is directly in the center of the World
Trade Center reconstruction site, where Geocomp is
monitoring an active subway tube while the earth
above and below is removed to make way for the
foundations of the new towers. Gerard Manley, Vice
President of Engineered Solutions at Leica Geosys-
tems, says, “It’s an amazing engineering feat to see
a New York subway that was once under ground, now
fully exposed and supported only by pillars. We are
monitoring this subway suspension as well as several
other locations within the World Trade Center site for
any sag or subsidence.”
From East to West
Manhattan’s Upper East Side, best known for its
high-priced high-rise real estate, internationally-
famous museums, and 843-acre Central Park, is also
undergoing extensive renovations, including the
construction of the new 2nd Avenue subway line to
relieve severe congestion on the subway and buses.
Wang Engineering is involved in monitoring many of
the buildings surrounding the 2nd Ave project. Again
Leica TCA1800’s and TCA2003’s are deployed on the
sides of buildings. The instruments’ lasers focus on
targets located on the sides of buildings up and down
2nd Avenue. Data is collected at a construction site
location then transferred to Wang’s headquarters in
Princeton, New Jersey for analysis and presentation.
Similarly, Tectonic Engineering and Surveying Con-
sultants P.C., implemented an unmanned geodetic-
level monitoring system in Queens to measure pos-
sible Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
subway system track shifts caused by the construc-
tion of a nearby commercial building and parking
garage. Of specific concern to MTA authorities was
deep foundation pile driving which causes impact
and vibration to surrounding structures, and thus
the potential for movement of nearby train tracks,
which could cause derailment.
The commercial building is located about 25 feet
from MTA subway tracks, a bridge and a highway.
Tectonic Engineering and Surveying Consultants
P.C. monitored the movement of the bridge, tunnel
walls and retaining walls during the nearby pile driv-
ing over the course of 15 months. The structural
monitoring network consisted of 32 prisms and a
TCRP1201 robotic total station with power search
and Pinpoint R300 reflectorless distance measure-
ment with a laptop running the Leica Geosystems
GeoMoS automatic monitoring software. The robotic-
capable total station and laptop were mounted on
a custom built pedestal permanently attached to a
concrete abutment of the bridge. A shed was built
around it for protection from the weather and secu-
rity. Michael Lacey, P.L.S., Tectonic’s Chief Surveyor
says, “The entire network was unmanned 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, with the capability of checking
on required readings and managing the “raw” data
through our FTP site, from anywhere at anytime.
Even if the Internet signal went down, the GeoMoS
software continued to gather data from the prisms.
The entire monitoring effort was controlled by the
GeoMoS software on site using a laptop computer.”
On Manhattan’s west side along the Hudson River,
GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., a premium geotechnical
engineering firm, is conducting structural movement
studies of buildings, existing tunnels and bridges in
advance of the underground construction that will
become part of the $2.1 billion expansion of the MTA’s
No. 7 Line subway extension, one of the larger con-
struction projects in all of Manhattan. These move-
ment studies allow engineers to develop a “baseline”
of data that represents existing conditions and alerts
all responsible parties in near real time using Web-
based data transfer and reporting systems.
The Big Apple and Beyond
“Structural monitoring data is the basis by which
industry professionals can ascertain overall struc-
tural movement, an integral part of most construc-
tion projects throughout New York City and around
the world,” concludes Leica Geosystems’s Manley.
“We currently have over 40 automatic total stations
operating in New York City. Surveyors and engineers
use them for everything from engineering analysis
to resolving legal disputes. The technology has gone
from ‘nice to have’ to absolutely required. We’ve
even seen construction completely stopped until our
instruments were put in place and collecting data
and providing protection.”
While the demand for the structural monitoring
systems continues to grow, developers continue to
advance the technology’s capabilities in terms wire-
less data options, ever-tighter accuracy, speed and
size. It’s fast become the most reliable way to watch
a city on the move.
About the author:
Vicki Speed is a freelance writer based in Dove Can-
yon, California. She specializes in the architecture,
engineering, surveying and construction industries.
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 27
28 | Reporter
3D Measuring for Building Refurbishment by Reinhard Gottwald and Thomas Knabl
In times of energy shortages and price increases,
more attention is paid to ways to exploit ener-
gy saving potential. The CCEM Retrofit Project
does exactly this in the building sector, an area
thought to offer major energy saving potential.
One approach to maximise saving potential is
to jacket old buildings with prefabricated ele-
ments. An indispensable step in the process is
highly accurate and reliable acquisition and pro-
vision of 3D planning data. This is where geo-
matics comes in, making an important contribu-
tion to future energy savings in buildings within
the CCEM Retrofit Project.
In mid-2006, a large joint project was approved in
the University of Zurich (ETH) “Competence Cen-
ter Energy and Mobility” (CCEM) under the title of
“Advanced Energy-Efficient Renovation of Buildings”
(or “CCEM Retrofit”) with research partners from 10
European countries. By the year 2050, over 90 per-
cent of the energy demand associated with buildings
will be caused by buildings constructed before 2000.
This shows that there is clearly an enormous energy
saving potential in the area of old buildings. Conse-
quently, the declared aim of the project is to work
with competent partners in industry to develop and
implement detailed concepts for the comprehensive
renovation of old buildings, especially blocks of flats
and other multi-family houses.
In order to reach the set targets (including 30-50
kWh/m² for heating, cooling and hot water, usage of
solar energy, good thermal comfort, noise protec-
tion), a basic renovation concept was drawn up that
included various inter-related, prefabricated reno-
vation modules (“retrofits”) for facades, roof, and
building services engineering.
A number of research partners including the Univer-
sity of Applied Sciences in Northwestern Switzer-
land and the ETH in Zurich came together to develop
the detailed concept and implement it on selected
objects. 20 industry partners are also involved in the
project, ensuring a multi-disciplinary, practical and
application-oriented approach to running the proj-
ect. With total costs of approximately 5 million Swiss
Francs (€ 3.1 million, US$ 4.3 million), the project is
due to be completed by 2010.
The idea seen through the eyes
of measuring technology
If we analyse the measurement technology process-
es currently associated with large construction and
renovation projects, we usually see that all of the
parties involved in the project either take the mea-
surements required for their specific portion of the
project themselves or arrange to have them taken.
The reasons for this lie predominantly in the current
legal situation, according to which planning institu-
tions accept no liability whatsoever for the dimen-
sioning of the basic planning, shifting responsibility
instead to the institutions carrying out the work.
On the other hand, there is also still a fundamental
lack of understanding about the possibilities offered
by precise three-dimensional measurements of such
objects with modern measuring technology and cen-
tral data management and usage.
Thanks to the consistent use of suitable 3D mea-
suring technology, corresponding processing of the
data and a central geometry data management sys-
tem, it is however possible to significantly reduce the
time, installation risks and costs whilst simultane-
ously significantly increasing the planning reliability.
Consequently this was proposed and implemented
for the acquisition and usage of the 3D geometry
information of renovation objects for the energy-
efficient renovation of old buildings in the CCEM Ret-
rofit Project.
The following are some of the objectives defined for
the “3D measuring technology” part of the project:
Development of a concept which ensures that suf-
ficiently accurate three-dimensional geometrical
data are available for a renovation project and can
be used as a reliable basis from the planning stage
through to production and assembly.
Definition of the required data quality, the data
volume and the interfaces for data transfer to sys-
tems that process the data further .
Development of a “toolbox“ for cost/benefit opti-
mised data acquisition and processing as well as
data management (flow of geometric data).
Description of the problem
When renovating a building with prefabricated retro-
fits (e.g. facade or roof modules including ventilation
and electrical installations), reliable measurement of
the building geometry and/or the actual inventory
is an indispensable basis for a smooth project flow.
Any construction plans or architect’s drawings which
are still in existence are generally not adequate.
This means that the facade structure, windows,
doors, balconies, roof, stairwell, apartments and sur-
roundings need to be measured. The required accu-
racy (1 σ) is around ± 4 mm in the window areas and
± 7 mm in the roof/facade area.
The measuring technology toolbox
A range of different sensors must be used to meet
the relatively complex and varied requirements in
terms of the 3D geometric representation of a reno-
vation object as cost-effectively as possible.
Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS): With terrestrial
laser scanning, the object geometry can be mea-
sured more quickly thanks to the ability to capture
complete areas and objects. The problems associ-
ated with TLS lie in the further processing of the data
and in object extraction.
Close-range photogrammetry: Close-range pho-
togrammetry is a good addition to terrestrial laser
scanning and offers a good alternative for building
façade pictures thanks to fast photographic data
capture. Here, it is also possible to take airborne
pictures with the aid of microdrones in order to add
additional perspectives to the terrestrial recordings. >>
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 29
30 | Reporter
Tachymetry, individual distances: For data
acquisition based on single points, classic electronic
tachymetry is still a useful tool. Here, the data can
be supplemented, simplified and accelerated with
the aid of numerous software tools. Handheld dis-
tance meters can also be used to supplement data
acquired with the above technologies, to generate
dimensions for checking, for individual supplemen-
tary measurements or measurements of partially
obscured objects.
Comprehensive and cost-benefit optimized object
capture is undoubtedly only achievable through a
meaningful combination and supplementation of
these technologies (measuring technology toolbox).
Initial experience
A typical multi-family building in need of renovation
was chosen as the first object for basic studies and
tests. The building was used for general testing of
the different methods, processes and instruments
and combinations thereof under proper application
conditions. The initial results and products were then
used for the detailed discussions and specifications
as well as to test processes with the project partners
involved. TLS was used to scan the facade, stairwell,
loft and selected inside rooms (a Leica HDS3000 was
used). These scans were supplemented with photo-
grammetric recordings (terrestrial, microdrone) and
single point measurements (total stations).
In the following we take a closer look at some of
the options and applications available with the de-
scribed toolbox.
Creation of a photographic overview: Removing
distortions in images through definition of a flat sur-
face in the image is a simple and time-saving method
to generate groundwork plans. The accuracy which
can be achieved depends to a very large degree on
the camera, its calibration and the deviation of the
facade’s surface from the defined surface.
Photogrammetric evaluation: Drone-based close-
range photogrammetry offers an additional way to
fill in gaps (e.g. roof surfaces, window sills and bal-
cony doors) sometimes caused by shading or areas
which are inaccessible for laser scanning. Initial
results have shown that this type of combination is
perfectly feasible. Due to the limited load capacity of
the microdrones, it was necessary to use a standard
commercially available compact digital camera. Con-
sequently the resolution is not sufficient for detailed
analysis (e.g. on windows) at present. In terms of the
image measurement accuracy, values of less than
one pixel can be achieved with the aid of self-calibra-
tion. The option of a combined evaluation with laser
scanning data should not be ignored either.
Laser scanning evaluation: Evaluations have
shown that terrestrial laser scanning is very well
suited to flatness analyses on facades (and possibly
roofs). The “generation of orthophoto” function also
"The strengths of geomatics lie in
the absolute and non-invasive
measurements. Working with
interdisciplinary teams of planers
and architects this can also help
overcome a lack of measurement
knowledge."
Professor Dr. Reinhard Gottwald,
Head of the Institute for Surveying and
Geo Information at the University of Applied
Sciences in Northwestern Switzerland
makes it possible to generate the initial basis for
planning quickly and easily. However, the time and
effort required to completely extract all of the nec-
essary geometric elements for a model is very high,
and depending on the product it can be many times
the time required for field recordings.
Laser scanning – reverse engineering: Reverse
engineering has long been used in the areas of
mechanical engineering, medicine and art. In the
process, existing or modelled objects (e.g. freeform
surfaces) are digitized so that they can be digital-
ly edited, adapted and manufactured. The effort
involved is significantly less than for the generation
of interactive 3D geometry models, and the infor-
mation density of the point clouds can be largely
retained. The accuracy which can be achieved with
this method is in the same order of magnitude as 3D
point determination and would therefore be immedi-
ately sufficient.
Conclusions and outlook
The requirements of all of the different parties
involved in the project need to be defined as accu-
rately and in as much detail as possible in the plan-
ning phase so that the costs and benefits of the cho-
sen methods of data acquisition and data processing
can be optimized in relation to the acquisition of the
3D geometry of the renovation object. Initial expe-
rience has shown that the object-based recording
method with TLS is suitable for geometric modelling
of renovation objects. The information density is of
particular interest, as it makes it possible to detail
a non-regular object – which is what most build-
ings are – and describe it with a sufficient level of
detail. Ultimately though, it will always be necessary
to combine different instruments from the toolbox.
The acceptance of centralized data access by all par-
ties involved in the project and the extraction of
the required data with suitable user-friendly tools
must be ensured. This is the key element which will
either make or break the project we have presented
in this article.
About the authors:
Prof. Reinhard Gottwald is the head of the Institute
for Surveying and Geo Information at the University
of Applied Sciences in Northwestern Switzerland, Col-
lege for Architecture, Construction and Geomatics in
Muttenz. Graduate engineer Thomas Knabl is a scien-
tific research assistant at the Institute.
This article is the short version of a report in the
"Flächenmanagement und Bodenordnung" magazine.
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 31
32 | Reporter
Documenting a Subsea Tunnelby Frode Edvardsen, 3D-Drawing by Arild W. Solerød
The E18 Bjørvika project, scheduled to be com-
pleted in February 2010, will improve the envi-
ronment of Oslo’s inner city and enhance the
area around the new opera near Bjørvika har-
bour by moving traffic underground – and under
water. Part of this ambitious project is a subsea
tunnel – the first one ever built in Norway – con-
sisting of six 100 m long elements. The shape
of the tunnel is an additional challenge for the
engineers: each element is curved, and some of
them were built on a flat floor in the dry dock,
but will have to fall to the seabed to reach their
final destination. A case for Leica Geosystems’
High Definition Surveying™, as told by Frode
Edvardsen from contractor Skanska in Norway.
When completed, the Bjørvika tunnel will be 1'100 m
long with three lanes of traffic in each direction.
675 m of the project consist of a subsea tunnel – the
first one ever built in Norway, and one of the great-
est Norwegian contractor projects ever. It is made up
of 6 elements, each over 100 m long with walls 1 m
thick and roofs and floors 1.20 m thick. The elements
were pre-fabricated in a dry dock on the west coast
of Norway, and were towed to Oslo by sea.
As-built documentation of the elements
Following our customer’s demand for as-built docu-
mentation of the elements, we scanned the first two
elements with a normal total station. This took quite
some time and the resolution was not comparable
to a modern scanner. The horizontal surfaces were
scanned with the total station and vertical surfaces
were measured by single point lines.
For the next two elements, we relied on Leica Geo-
systems’ High Definition Surveying™ (HDS) technol-
ogy, since as-built surveying is easier to accomplish
with a laser scanner than a total station. At this time
(2006) we had just started using HDS technology
and did a complete scan of the inside and outside
of the two elements. In the course of a few days 35
scanning positions with high resolution were finished
with a Leica HDS3000 scanner. Lots of heavy scan-
ning equipment made the job difficult since the foun-
dations for the walls of the ballast tanks were under
construction at the time. These were 0.5 m high and
all of the equipment had to be dragged over each of
them. This meant about 60-70 kg had to be moved
from one scanning position to another.
The process for the last two elements was almost the
same, only here we started with the Leica HDS3000
scanner and ended with the Leica ScanStation 2.
Lars Gulbrandsen, HDS Sales Engineer for Leica
Geosystems Norway, drove all the way from Oslo to
Bergen (540 km) just to deliver the first ScanStation
2 in Norway. Working with the Leica ScanStation 2
was almost like working with a “greased up” Leica
HDS3000: much faster! Instead of 7-8 different full
FOV scanning positions per day, the capacity with the
ScanStation 2 expanded to 11-12.
Even though the Leica ScanStation 2 was the main
scanner on the job, ordinary surveying was used to
measure the targets because of narrow sights to the
fix points inside the elements. Since it is not possible
to measure single points precisely with the scan-
ner, a total station was used to measure the break
lines inside the elements. The mesh operation was
easier to accomplish with pre-defined break lines in
the post-processing phase.
Post processing
The difference between ordinary surveying and mod-
ern laser scanning is that the survey sites physically
have to be tided up before scanning to miminimize
“garbage points” that have to be edited out of the
point cloud afterwards. When a scene is scanned,
“everything” gets measured, so the scene should be
nice and clean. On the other hand the area often has
lots of scrap, scaffolding, lifts and machinery from
the building process. This can of course be tided up,
but normally there is no time for this. Another aspect
in editing is the concrete surface, if it is irregular it is
quite difficult to decide which points to remove and
which to leave in. All of this is a part of the rough
editing of the point cloud.
After surveying, the workflow continues with Leica
Cyclone semi automatic editing tools like “Region
grow – Smooth surface”, manual fencing around
unwanted points and of course the brilliant “Limit
box”. All of the redundant points are placed in their
own layers instead of being deleted. This gives the
operator a second chance to retrieve them if too
many points were removed from the point cloud.
About the author:
Frode Edvardsen is a MSc of Geomatics at Skanska
Norge AS survey department.
Length: 675 m
Width: 30-40 m
Average depth: 15 m
Weight: 37’000 tons per element
Concrete: 90’000 m³ total
Equipment used
Scanner: Leica HDS3000, Leica ScanStation 2
Field laptop: Panasonic Toughbook CF-19
Software: Leica Cyclone Scan/Register/Model
Totalstation: Leica TCRP1203
The Bjørvika Tunnel
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 33
34 | Reporter
by Agnes Zeiner
A comprehensive Peace Accord, signed on 29
December 1996, ended 36 years of civil conflict
in the Central American State of Guatemala. The
Accord’s land-related commitments included
establishing a cadastral-based land registry.
The “Guatemala Cadastre Project” fully relies on
Leica Geosystems’ products – and the ongoing
support of the Guatemalan distribution partner
Precision, S.A.
The promise of peace has provided Guatemalan soci-
ety with a point of convergence, opening spaces
for the Government of Guatemala to pursue fiscal,
institutional and legislative reforms. The “Guatemala
Cadastre Project” is a mixed credit program between
the Swiss and Guatemalan Governments, and has
been instrumental in the implementation of Land
Reform projects, of which several subprojects are
now in execution.
After purchasing Leica Geosystems’ total stations
and GPS instruments in 2002 (see Reporter 48), the
National Geografic Institute (IGN) and the Registro
de Informacion Catastral (RIC) now again rely on
Leica Geosystems’ instruments. Alfredo Bran, CEO
of Precision, S.A., Leica Geosystems distribution
partner in Guatemala: “The project contains differ-
ent groups of instruments from Leica Geosystems,
such as total stations, GPS/GNSS instruments, levels
and photogrammetric solutions. Now the Guatema-
lan Government has decided to install 14 Leica GNSS
Reference Stations to cover the entire Guatemalan
territory and lead the country towards the future of
geoinformation.”
The project includes a school for training in the next
two years. Technicians from the Registro de Infor-
macion Catastral and the National Geografic Institute
have already been and will be trained in the future by
Leica Geosystems and BSF Swissphoto AG. This is an
essential part of the project. Another reason for the
success is that Precision S.A. could guarantee ongo-
ing support, including a complete, certified workshop
with all the special tools and spare parts. Alfredo
Bran: "Our customers do not have to wait long for
the service and repairs of their instruments. That is
what has made us the market leader in Guatemala
for the past 40 years.”
Training & Service in Guatemala
The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 35
A big Aerial Laser Measurement project, which
measured about a quarter of the whole country
(100'000 km²), took place in Japan from 2005 to
2007. Asia Air Survey took part in this project and
was responsible for one fifth of the specified area.
To complete and manage the large volume of mea-
surements effectively, the company decided to rely
on Leica Geosystems technology for the first time
and to be the first to use a Leica ALS50-II in Japan.
Amongst the terrain scanned was the Sameura Dam
in Kochi, one of the most important dams in Japan,
which often has drought problems. This impressive
Red Relief Image Map (RRIM) was generated using a
visualization technology developed and patented by
Asia Air Survey. Terrains such as mountain ridges and
valleys are clearly visible despite the lake being sur-
rounded by forest..
The image clearly shows the advantages of this new
technology:
Terrain is represented in 3D.
The image does not depend on the source of light
and there are no resulting shadow areas. Hence
the image can be viewed from all directions with-
out the possibility of a relief reversal.
Mountain ridges are shown in white and valleys in
black. Red density depends on slope; gentle slopes
are represented in light red while steep ones are
shown in dark red.
Red is used since it is the clearest color from an
ergonomic standpoint.
In Japan, data captured by aerial laser measurement
systems contribute mainly to disaster prevention.
Terrain Measurement in Japan
Leica mojoRTK revolutionizes the agricultural indus-
try with a new auto-steer system that provides
repeatable 5 cm RTK accuracy with 99 % reliability.
It is packaged in a console that is easy to use and
installed in about an hour into the tractor’s radio slot.
mojoRTK provides an affordable solution for farmers
who need to see repeatability pass to pass and year
to year. “We have virtually eliminated cab clutter and
developed a true plug-and-play solution that allows
farmers to install the console in their tractor quickly
and easily,” says Mario Hutter, European business
manager for Leica Geosystems’ Agriculture Division.
“The complete mojoRTK system also comes with a
cordless base station which can be mobile or fixed.”
Plus, with Virtual Wrench™, the agriculture industry’s
first remote service and diagnostic tool, support
technicians can view the same console screens and
Accuracy for the Agriculture Industrysettings the farmer sees in the cab. Technicians can
even adjust settings remotely to fix set-up problems
or train users.
www.leica-geosystems.com
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