Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Settled Techniques: A Support to Detect Pathologies and Safety Conditions of Timber Structures

Abstract

Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for detailed geometrical representation of the existing cultural heritage, in particular to improve the comprehension of interactions between different phenomena and to allow a better decisional and planning process. The LiDAR technology (Light Detection and Ranging) can be adopted in different fields, ranging from aerial applications to mobile and terrestrial mapping systems. One of the main target of this study is to propose an integration of innovative and settled inquiring techniques, ranging from the reading of the technological system, to non-destructive tools for diagnosis and 3D metric modeling of buildings heritage. Many inquiring techniques, including Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) method, have been exploited to study the main room of the Valentino Castle in Torino. The so-called “Salone delle Feste”, conceived in the XVIIth century under the guidance of Carlo di Castellamonte, has been selected as a test area. The beautiful frescos and stuccoes of the domical vault are sustained by a typical Delorme carpentry, whose span is among the largest of their kind. The dome suffered from degradation during the years, and a series of interventions were put into place. A survey has revealed that the suspender cables above the vault in the region close to the abutments have lost their tension. This may indicate an increase of the vault deformation; therefore a structural assessment of the dome is mandatory. The high detailed metric survey, carried out with integrated laser scanning and digital close range photogrammetry, reinforced the structural hypothesis of damages and revealed the deformation effects. In addition, the correlation between the survey-model of the intrados and of the extrados allowed a non-destructive and extensive determination of the dome thickness. The photogram-metrical survey of frescos, with the re-projection of images on vault surface model (texture mapping), is purposed to exactly localize formers restoration and their signs on frescos continuity. The present paper illustrates the generation of the 3D high-resolution model and its relations with the results of the structural survey; both of them support the Finite Element numerical simulation of the dome.

Hybrid 3D Models: When Geomatics Innovations Meet Extensive Built Heritage Complexes

“…The vaults are so-called "fake vault" and are realized with plaster applied on reed mats, which are hanging on a rib wood frame. In addition to the historical restoration carried out by D'Andrade in the late nineteenth century, some consolidations of the vaults -made after the second world war to recover the damage of the bombings and other in 1978 -have already been studied to determine the safety conditions [36].…”

Hybrid 3D Models: When Geomatics Innovations Meet Extensive Built Heritage Complexes

“…The vaults are so-called 'fake vault' and they are realized with plaster that is applied on reed mats, which are hanging on a rib wood frame. In addition to the historical restoration that was carried out by D'Andrade in the late nineteenth century, some consolidations of the vaults-made after the second world war to recover the damage of the bombings and another in 1978-have already been studied to determine the safe conditions [32].…”

Terrestrial laser scanner assessment of deteriorating concrete structures

“…The TLS approach has also been applied to the detection of cracks, mass loss, load response, and structural behavior in concrete, masonry, wooden, and steel beam materials . This includes the development of more realistic finite element models, which can provide more accurate deformation, load response, and structural behavior estimates. To date, these studies have generally focused on laboratory precracked specimens, analysis of the data sets or when applied to actual structures only as a one‐off inspection.…”

“…The use of terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) technology as an inspection tool has been the subject of a number of recent studies. This has included the application of TLS for detecting fire‐damaged concrete, conditional health and inspection of bridge structures, and the deterioration and condition of building facades and historic structures . The TLS approach has also been applied to the detection of cracks, mass loss, load response, and structural behavior in concrete, masonry, wooden, and steel beam materials .…”