Planning Infrastructure Documentation with Aerial Laser Scanning

Worldwide there are millions of bridges and overpasses that need documentation, inspection, and maintenance. Aerial laser scanning has the potential to assist in this process not only through the initial documentation stage but through the automated creation of three-dimensional, computational models and a further integration of that data with the surrounding environment. This paper outlines the difficulties related to effective vertical data capture for major infrastructure elements and recommends specific approaches towards a geometric optimization of this problem. Results of the current level of viability using a test area in Dublin, Ireland are included based on the application of this optimization.