Displacement and deformation study of engineering structures with the use of modern laser technologies

Modern measuring technologies give the means to perform tasks previously impossible with conventional methods. Their main advantages include reduced time consumption and higher measurement precision. Contemporary displacement and deformation studies of engineering structures often involve application of laser technologies, which are characterised by high precision of measurements. This article presents an analysis of results obtained from measurements of changes in the geometry of an engineering structure in which two complementary measuring technologies were used, i.e. tachymetric measurement with a Leica TDRA6000 laser station and laser scanning with a 3D FARO Focus S150 scanner. The utilised laser station enabled determination of 3D displacements in the local control point network installed on the studied structure as well as transfer of point clouds obtained from laser scans into a uniform coordinate system. The hybrid technology employed and the measurement method used ensured that the accuracy of the determined displacements and deformations of the structural components of the structure was high. The described measurement and result processing technology makes it possible to comprehensively analyse the geometric performance of structures, which consequently leads to the development of more complete conclusions concerning prevention of adverse effects of displacements and deformations in engineering structures.