Terrestrial Laser Scanning in Monitoring Hydrotechnical Objects

Developing Terrestrial Laser Scanning technology is provided by modern measuring instruments, i.e. total stations and laser scanners. Owing to these instruments, periodic control measurements of concrete dams carried out as a part of geodetic surveying provide point models characterised by quasi-continuity. Basing on the results of these surveys, it is possible to conduct a number of geometric analyses, as well as to obtain information for detailed analytic and calculative deliberations. A scanner, similarly to a total station, determines spatial coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the surveyed points by identifying distances and angles. Registration of intensity of the reflected laser beam (Intensity) sent out by the scanner provides additional information on the surveyed object. Thanks to high working speed and a large amount of collected data, scanners have become an essential tool for a geodesist.This paper evaluates the possibility of applying Terrestrial Laser Scanning to test deformations and shifts of flagged points of concrete dam construction based on experimental measurements, including object inventory and evaluation of the dam’s concrete structure condition.