Topographic survey and laser scanner, which is better?
When you need to carry out some topographic surveys One of the first things you need to think about is what technology to use. Traditional topographic survey or laser scanner? At first glance, one might think that topographical has greater advantages, especially in terms of costs, but is this really the case?
Let's analyze the two types of relief and compare them advantages and disadvantages of both.
What is traditional topographic survey, advantages and disadvantages
The topographic survey with station total is a type of indirect relief, that is, where measurements are not taken directly with the station but complex calculations and processing must be carried out.
It allows you to measure and manage angles, oblique distances and differences in level via software and to have a correct measurement it is necessary provide for the instrument's parking.
Compared to the laser scanner, the topographic survey with total station allows:
- Greater precision;
- Quick extrapolation of the data.
At the same time, however, it has some disadvantages compared to the laser scanner, as:
- It allows the measurement of a single point at time, thus lengthening the scanning times (which can be speeded up with the machine control);
- It must be integrated with manual methods for measurement, to cover the points left uncovered by the measurement of the individual points;
- Presents higher costs due to the longer scan times;
- With this type of instrument it is particularly difficult to measure inaccessible points;
- Needs more operators on site, at least two, to complete the scan, increasing labor costs.
What is laser scanner, advantages and disadvantages
The laser scanner is a technology used for surveys that allows obtaining quickly a 2D or 3D digital model of objects and buildings very close to reality.
Topographic surveys with laser scanner have numerous advantages over traditional detection methods.
First of all, unlike topographic surveying, the 3D laser scanner allows a quick scan, lasting about 20-30 minutes, which can be also carried out by a single operator. This allows you to:
- Reduce costs relating to labor;
- Reduce the times to stop the construction site for surveys.
The laser scanner can also be integrated with the BIM methodology to get more information on all phases of the project life cycle, from design to construction, up to dismantling, and is particularly useful for scanning vertical surfaces and hard-to-reach spaces.
Among the disadvantages that we find in this type of technology we can instead highlight that the point cloud or the clouds obtained with this system are less defined than the data obtained by scanning the individual points of the topographic survey.
The point cloud can however be easily implemented and modified through dedicated software, but this requires greater data processing time.
Using topographic survey and laser scanner in synergy
Considering the potential and limitations of both methods, the most effective solution for carrying out accurate surveys in most cases is to use the two methodologies in synergy. This way you can:
- Save time during scanning and data processing;
- Get a more precise and detailed relief;
- Save accordingly on management costs of the project.
The integrated system between topographic survey and laser scanner is mainly suitable for surveys of large areas with buildings and structures of different sizes.
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