Abstract

MARTINEZ MARIN, Rubén; REJAS AYUGA, Juan Gregorio  and  MARCHAMALO SACRISTAN, Miguel. Application of Airborne LiDAR to the Determination of the Height of Large Structures. Case Study: Dams. Rev.fac.ing.univ. Antioquia [online]. 2014, n.70, pp.45-53. ISSN 0120-6230.

The best way to determine the height of dams is to level the top of the dam applying a geometric leveling. Nevertheless this task is very demanding and expensive. The accuracy potential of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data has significantly improved. These systems can provide accuracy of 2-3 cm level, which could be enough to be applied in the determination of the height of dams. The point acquisition density is an important factor involved in the process of determining the height using LiDAR technique. Finally, since the LiDAR technique is based on ellipsoidal heights, the coordinates must be transformed to the official orthometric system. This paper shows the results obtained using low density airborne LiDAR data (0.5 pts/m²) and their validation with post-processed GPS (Global Positioning System) observations. Test results have shown LiDAR can be accurate enough (10-25 cm) to determine the height and to be applied in many civil engineering activities.

Keywords : Accuracy; airborne LiDAR; low density LiDAR; dam height.

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