Transforming surveying into a more accurate, safe and cost-effective solution
14 June 2018
Aurecon:
The way
surveying is done in
mining,
tunnelling, drilling and construction projects
is set to change dramatically, thanks to a new software
technology that global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon has developed.
Currently, the status quo for inspecting rock faces is a manual process
where geologists measure the failure planes and joints on the rock face
in the field. With Aurecon’s new digital rock mass mapping from
UAV
photogrammetry tool, this can be done more accurately, quickly, safely
and remotely.
Camilla Gibbons, Aurecon Infrastructure Associate in
New Zealand, said that with the use of drones, smart algorithm
development and
software, the manual part of surveying has been
transformed into a computerised method.
“We are prototyping a software solution that uses drones to take digital
photos of rocks and sites so that we can create 3D
digital models. Our
team has developed algorithms to extract the data from the photos so
that we can automatically identify the areas that need to be measured
within seconds,” said Gibbons.
Around the world, whether South Africa or New Zealand, manual
measurement methods are routinely used to get a statistically valid data
set to represent the rock face. Not only is this a time-consuming
process, but it also puts people in a high-risk
environment for an unnecessarily long time.
In environments like mine pits, quarries and large construction sites,
people share spaces with large vehicles and plants. But in environments
where companies are aiming for automated processes, the mixing of people
and plant occurs minimally at best to ensure efficiency and most of all
safety.
Richard Matchett, Aurecon Digital Practice Lead in RSA & Rest of Africa,
said UAV rock mapping provides a unique opportunity for teams working on
monitoring large cut faces along national
roads in the more mountainous areas of South Africa.
“We are collaborating with the Aurecon team in New Zealand to develop
proof of concept of the digital mapping in these applications, and see
possibilities with other major projects in the SADEC region. Aurecon is
awaiting their Remote Operators Certificate (ROC) from the Civil
Aviation Authority in South Africa that will enable us to operate UAVs
extensively on large infrastructure projects. The added functionality
provided through these algorithms will provide yet another application
of aerial data capture to our growing digital offering,” said Matchett.
On a project site in Hong Kong, Aurecon’s geological assessment team
estimated that a year’s worth of field work would be needed to measure
and assess the specific rock faces. Using the new digital rock mass
mapping from UAV photogrammetry tool meant the team would be able to
reduce the time to two months.
“Not only does this tool vastly improve the time it takes our engineers
to deliver solutions, but it also results in cost savings for the
client. There are also massive health and safety implications as
geologists and surveyors won’t have to physically reach each part of a
site, rock or cliff that they need to measure,” said Gibbons.
Formwork requirements such as scaffolding, which also has a direct
impact on construction project timelines and cost efficiencies, will
also be greatly impacted by the new tool. With road construction and
tunnelling projects, for example, lanes are generally closed and
scaffolding is erected or elevated work platforms used so that
geologists can reach the cliffs that they need to measure. The digital
rock mass mapping from UAV photogrammetry tool would eliminate the need
for these access solutions on a number of projects.
The software that Aurecon is prototyping utilises machine learning in
combination with Geotech software to derive and display rock joints in
an interactive photogrammetry model.
“We are able to achieve high quality and accurate results. In the
future, we envision that the tool can be used to design rock bolts as
well as mesh and support methods that can be added into 3D design models
to further the asset management records for our clients,” concluded
Gibbons.
In an environment where the safety records of companies are under active
discussion and the work environment of staff is being redesigned, this
technology will be a valuable addition to the arsenal of tools
reinventing the Future of Work.
--ENDS--
Source: Aurecon - www.aurecongroup.com
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