When it comes to surveying situations that require an intricate level of detail, or involve limited accessibility and safety issues, laser scanning has become a standard practice.
The Surveying Divisions of Sunrise Engineering, Inc. have recently turned toward a technology that enhances the overall efficiency of topographical and as-built surveying. High Definition Scanning (also known as 3D Laser Scanning) gathers precise laser scan information allowing engineers to evaluate a particular project-site. Advanced laser scanning tools have improved the data-collection production of surveying by amassing tremendous amounts of detailed data - to the point that such information could not be obtained by any other surveying technique. Recent advances in software and instrumentation have prompted Sunrise to secure software, instrumentation and detailed training to make HDS a mainstay in our survey operations.
Utah Survey Manager Burton Christensen said, "Our Leica Scan Station 2 (laser scanning tool) makes use of state-of-the-art technology for gathering unprecedented levels of data - and at exceptionally fast rates. For example, a good surveyor will feel like he has made excellent use of his time if he collects 1000 or more points in a typical day of surveying with GPS or Robotic techniques. The Scan Station 2 can collect up to 50,000 points in a single second."
Sunrise utilizes the ScanStation in a wide variety of circumstances. The ScanStation produces topographic and as-built surveys, with the amount of detail that would lower survey expenses and decrease the number of visits to project-sites. This type of laser scanning provides comprehensive data for surroundings difficult to survey such as busy, multi-lane roads or factories dense with machinery.
A complicated site for surveying, such as complex systems valving or hydraulic gates at a hydroelectric generating plant, is ideal for demonstrating the advantages of laser scanning. A significant amount of detail is required for measuring pipe dimensions and valve positions, and laser scanning can facilitate how such detail is acquired. Additionally, if the pipelines and valves at the plant are beyond reach, a surveying crew using traditional methods would need a lift to access the necessary structures. Instead, the ScanStation makes its measurements remotely, keeping surveyors on the ground and away from hazards like high voltage wires, or live traffic at an intersection. The ScanStation provides greater detail, superior accessibility, and improves workplace safety.
There are other exclusive design benefits to the ScanStation as well. The Scan Station produces the same accuracy as conventional surveying for each data point collected - and it gathers millions of points whereas a traditional survey might produce hundreds. Also, the ScanStation's "full dome" design creates a field-of-view allowing operators to attain data-points vertically, horizontally, and from overhead and sub-level geometry without difficulty.
With the increased operation of laser scanning tools today, the technology continues to develop and adapt to the 21st Century's demand for speed and performance. The Leica Scan Station 2, with its cutting-edge capabilities, enables the surveying and mapping operations at Sunrise Engineering, Inc. to improve upon the established methods of the past.
For more information regarding the surveying and mapping services provided by Sunrise Engineering, Inc., please contact Burton Christensen, PLS, at 801.523.0100 (Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming) or Tony Elley, RLS at 480.768.8600 (Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico).
