leica geosystems reporter 62

The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems

62

2 | Reporter

Dear Readers,

Changes – be them of social, political, economic or

even personal nature – are an integral part of our life.

Leica Geosystems has undergone many changes dur-

ing its 200 years of existence. This was partly due to

economic reasons – our environment changed, and

so did we. But of the same importance, fundamental

changes to our company have been fueled through

new technologies. These have enabled us to evolve

and develop innovations and new systems that have

not only shaped our company but have influenced

the whole industry.

Changes are an important part of the evolution-

ary cycle and influence every part of our daily lives.

But change is only successful if one remains true to

themselves. Leica Geosystems did so, even as the

company has continued to innovate, enlarge its cus-

tomer base, and establish itself in many new mar-

kets – e.g., offering solutions for the construction

industry, for machine control and for laser scanning.

On occasion of Bauma, the construction machinery

exhibition in Munich, in this edition of the “Reporter”

we have laid a strong focus on the construction and

engineering business, although we have tried to

give you an impression on the broadness of Leica

Geosystems’ applications spectrum.

Changes held Leica Geosystems also for me person-

ally. When I joined the company 15 years ago as a

surveying engineer, I wouldn’t have thought that I

could say ‘Enjoy reading the new Reporter!’ to you as

the new CEO. Thus, in the name of Leica Geosystems,

I am pleased to invite you to visit our booth at Bauma

(Hall A3, Booth 141/232) from 19 to 25 April!

Juergen Dold

CEO Leica Geosystems

Editorial

Imprint

Reporter: Customer Magazine of Leica Geosystems

Published by: Leica Geosystems AG, CH-9435 Heerbrugg

Editorial Office: Leica Geosystems AG,

9435 Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Phone +41 71 727 34 08,

[email protected]

Contents responsible: Alessandra Doëll

(Director Communications)

Editor: Agnes Zeiner, Konrad Saal

Publication details: The Reporter is published in English,

German, French, and Spanish, twice a year.

Reprints and translations, including excerpts, are subject to

the editor’s prior permission in writing.

© Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg (Switzerland),

March 2010. Printed in Switzerland

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NTEN

TS Track Monitoring in Real-Time

via the Web

Straight Up to the Sky

Reclaiming Efficency

3D Laser ScanningReduces Risks

Precision Concretefor 300 km/h Trains

Searching forBombs Under Water Gateway to Korea

Adventure Surveyingon Mont Blanc

Accurate, EnrichedData at Lower Cost The Leica Lino Family:Everything Level

2009 Leica Geosystems HDS Worldwide User Conference

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The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 3

Track Monitoring in Real-Time via the Web by Markus Prechtl

To reduce traffic through town, the local author-

ity for the German town of Traunstein decided

to build a bypass road starting in spring 2009

and including a new tunnel under the Munich –

Salzburg railway line. The track owner, Deutsche

Bahn AG (DB), stipulated continuous monitoring

of the stretch of rail affected by the tunnel-

ing operations. Lead consultant Bernd Gebauer

GmbH decided to install a track position moni-

toring system and engaged consulting engineers

ing Traunreut GmbH for the task. The system of

freely combinable measurement sensors from

Leica Geosystems in conjunction with the Leica

GeoMoS or GeoMoS Web monitoring software

proved to be perfectly suited to this task.

The strict conditions imposed by DB required the

monitoring system to meet very high demands. The

installed tilt sensors had to ensure a measuring accu-

racy of ± 0.3 mm/m, while an accuracy of ± 1.0 mm

was required for total station measurements. Reli-

ability of the system is very important, particularly

with regard to storage and security of the measured

data. One of the precautions taken by ing Traun-

reut was therefore to install a fallback system for

data transfer via UMTS, in addition to the fixed data

4 | Reporter

lines (DSL), to safeguard data transfer in the event of

a failure. Another requirement was that the measur-

ing system must have an independent power supply

capable of bridging short-term outages. If the speci-

fied tolerances are exceeded, the system alerts the

DB track manager by text message. In addition, there

is also an optional notification by land-line.

Data Retrieval with Leica GeoMoS Web

The engineers are able to display and analyze the cap-

tured monitoring data over the Internet using Geo-

MoS Web. The GeoMoS Monitor module uploads mea-

sured data to the GeoMoS Web server via FTP. There

the data can be individually configured and displayed

graphically. Users with appropriate access codes can

then access the information via web. The use of the

Leica Geosystems host service (“Software as a Ser-

vice”) minimizes or even eliminates costs for hard-

ware, software, and IT. New features are always made

immediately available to all users and do not require

any further installation on the customer's computer,

while the encrypted web service looks after the secure

transfer of data over the Internet. The customer gains

access to the graphics on GeoMoS Web from a login

screen. Once logged in, he can analyze the data, e.g.

by changing the time frame or extracting the results

from one or more points or sensors. By installing a

high-resolution webcam ing Traunreut offers custom-

ers the additional benefit of a quick overview of the

actual site conditions through GeoMoS Web.

Changes in Track Position

With GeoMoS Web, the client can get information

about current changes in track position at any time

during the works. Some of the larger movements

were observed in particular during tunnel shield driv-

ing in Phase 2. On two occasions it was necessary to

carry out track rectification after a depression with a

vertical displacement of up to 25 mm appeared in a

length of track. Since the start of track monitoring,

the track has settled up to 5 cm. However, not just

tracks are affected: movements were also observed

in the overhead line masts. A tilt of almost 7 mm/m

developed in a mast foundation, which translated into

a displacement of the overhead line of 3 to 4 cm and

meant that the position of the overhead line on the

southern mast had to be corrected. All settlements

were detected at an early stage by the monitoring

system. This allowed appropriate early corrective

measures to be implemented before reaching a stage

where notification of the track maintenance manager

would have been necessary – which would have trig-

gered an expensive temporary closure of that com-

plete section. Instead, corrective work could be car-

ried out between trains or required only a temporary

closure of the track in one direction.

The longitudinal profile shows the settlement

of the railroad embankment.

er rotation speeds, whilst achieving improved accu-

racy over a longer range. It also offers two very use-

ful functions in TargetView and TargetCapture. Using

TargetView, the instrument can select the correct

prism from several others in the immediate vicinity.

The TargetCapture function stores a digital image of

the field of view for target-point documentation pur-

poses. This not only allows the causes of obstructed

visibility, such as mist, to be identified, it can also

be combined with a webcam. Compared with the

TCA1800, in the same time the Leica TM30 measured

twice as many points with a higher accuracy.

Conclusion

This project shows yet again how important and

worthwhile a monitoring system is for site supervision.

The measurement and analysis of track deformation,

including fast reactions to the changes, would not

have been possible without such a system. Damage

to existing infrastructure, and possibly to passengers

and site staff, could have had grave consequences.

About the Author:

Markus Prechtl is a surveying engineer working for ing

Traunreut GmbH.


Test Phase with Leica TM30

The ing Traunreut engineers have used two Leica

TCA1800 total stations for monitoring since the

beginning of the project. These traditional monitor-

ing instruments impressed the engineers with their

robustness and reliability. To prepare for future moni-

toring projects with similar or higher requirements, ing

Traunreut decided to test the new Leica TM30 moni-

toring sensor in this role. After completion of the first

monitoring phase, one of the TCA1800s was replaced

by a Leica TM30. The new model remained in opera-

tion throughout the entire second monitoring phase,

during which time it made a big impression, measuring

almost silently with its new piezo drive capable of high-

6 | Reporter

Straight Up to the Sky

by André Ribeiro

When complete, the iconic 1 World Trade Center

(WTC) in New York City, familiarly known as the

“Freedom Tower,” will soar 1,776 feet (541 m)

into the air to become the tallest building in the

United States. To make sure this architectural

landmark rises straight and true, DCM Erectors

will rely on an innovative structural monitoring

system and positioning technology patented by

Leica Geosystems, that is uniquely designed to

precisely position very tall structures along the

design centerline.

The monitoring system, called the Core Wall Survey

System (CWSS), is able to track the vertical position-

ing of the tower’s beams and walls during construc-

tion to within a few centimeters of the intended

design, even as the structure moves due to variable

winds, a shifting foundation, thermal effects from

the sun’s radiation, or crane loads. The CWSS con-

tinuous monitoring system comprises a tightly net-

worked combination of positioning technology tools

that includes a Leica GPS GRX1200 Pro high per-

formance GNSS reference receiver with AT504 GPS

choke ring antennas, Leica GPS1200 data collector,

Leica TPS 1200 total stations and a series of Leica

NIVEL200 dual-axis inclinometers.

In the case of the WTC project, the Leica GPS

GRX1200-based continuously operating reference

station, part of the Leica SmartNet network, will

create a precise ground control network around the

WTC construction site. Next, the DCM Erectors sur-

vey team will attach a tilt-able 360-degree reflector

to the bottom of each of three GPS antennas. The

antenna/reflector combinations will be strategically

mounted on the structure’s steel frames. Once the

antennas are in place, ground-based GPS rovers will

be used to locate active ground control marks and

position total stations during construction. The total

stations, clamped onto columns at floor-level stake-

To date, construction crews have installed all 24

70-ton, 60-foot-high jumbo perimeter columns for

1 World Trade Center as well as the structural steel

to bring the building to 105 feet above street lev-

el. Within the next few years, this USD 3.1 billion,

2.6-million-squarefoot (240,000 m²) architectural

landmark is scheduled to soar a symbolic 1,776 feet

(541 m) skyward to become America's tallest build-

ing – and Leica Geosystems is honored to provide

groundbreaking positioning technologies to accu-

rately guide every step of the way.

About the author:

André Ribeiro is Director of Marketing

at Leica Geosystems Inc., Norcross/USA.


out, will be used to measure the horizontal and ver-

tical directions and the slope distance of any point

or object on the structure. Stakeout and QA/QC will

be performed directly within a 3D CAD model using

Leica fieldPro mobile CAD software.

Finally, precise Leica Nivel200 inclinometers will be

installed on the core shear walls as the walls are

constructed. Aligned with the structure’s coordinate

system, these inclinometers measure the tilt varia-

tion of the structure’s main axis.

Using this interconnected CWSS monitoring solution,

the DCM Erectors survey team will be able to moni-

tor the installation of the columns and shear walls at

each floor for vertical accuracy, even as the structure

moves during construction. The construction crews

also look to the survey team to guarantee eleva-

tor vertical shaft accuracy and to monitor building

compression and compensate as construction pro-

gresses.

8 | Reporter

Reclaiming Efficencyby Daniel C. Brown

How many surveyors are needed to stay ahead

of 75 to 100 construction workers building a

USD 100 million wastewater treatment and rec-

lamation plant addition? Using traditional total

stations and data collectors, such a project

would normally require four or five people to

handle the construction survey work. However,

new-generation surveying equipment enabled

field engineer John Simms to complete all of the

work by himself.

The expansion site occupies 15 acres (6 ha). Con-

struction will include four new secondary clarifiers,

each 140 feet (43 m) in dia-meter; four new aeration

basins, typically 95 feet by 185 feet (29 x 56 m); a

new reactivated sludge pump station; a switchgear

station; a new blower building; an electrical building;

an electrical building transformer pad; inlet struc-

tures; and other buildings.

To manage the project, field engineer John Simms

used a newly acquired Leica PowerTracker robotic

total station with automatic target recognition capa-

New-generation surveying equipment enabled

field engineer John Simms to complete all of the

work by himself.


bilities, a Leica PowerAntenna GNSS receiver, a Leica

MCP 950C data collector and various accessories.

“We have easily paid for the system on just this proj-

ect because we did not have to pay a full surveying

crew,” Simms says.

The GNSS receiver uses Bluetooth connectivity for

wireless communication to the data collector, and

it processes GLONASS signals as well as GPS for

improved satellite coverage. Simms used a Leica GPS

base station (part of the public Leica Spider Network

in the region) owned by the water reclamation dis-

trict overseeing the project.

A Flexible Setup

A substantial part of John Simms’ work on this project

involved collecting as-built observations of existing

treatment plant works. However, he also used a com-

bination of the GNSS equipment and robotic total sta-

tion to give earthmoving crews cut and fill information

for rough grading and to take measurements in duct

banks. According to Simms, the flexibility of the Leica

Geosystems system enabled him to connect the prism

for the total station, the data collector, and the GNSS

antenna onto the survey rod all at once. By mounting

the Leica PowerAntenna on top of the 360-degree

prism, Simms could simply select which equipment he

wanted to use. For example, if he was staking out

building corners with the robotic total station and a

construction crew had an urgent need for an as-built

of a pipe in another corner of the site, Simms could

quickly do the as-built with the GNSS system and then

return to his task of staking out the building - all with

the same integrated equipment.

When construction crews were ready to excavate for

a new building, Simms gave them the building lines,

the bottom of footers and the cuts and fills for rough

grade. He gave the crews offsets and a cut sheet with

an AutoCAD drawing. On lath stakes, he marked the

point identification, the distance of offset, the point

number, and the elevation of the established point.

In his AutoCAD drawing, he selected the four building

corners and the bottom of the footer elevation and

downloaded the points from the software into his

data collector, which contained a localization file (the

northing, easting and elevation control points used

to lay out the plan). He then went to the field to lay

out the building. “It [the Leica Geosystems total sta-

tion] takes two shots and compares them to each

other,” Simms says. “And it has an automatic correc-

tion for temperature and barometric pressure. I really

like that. Collecting as-builts with the GNSS system is

also quick and easy: I was able to do the work myself,

check the work myself, and I was able to turn it in to

the engineers,” Simms completes.

It’s a far cry from the way such projects used to be

handled. The increased efficiency is undoubtedly sav-

ing both time and money for the contractor, and it’s

allowing John Simms to stay on the cutting edge.

About the author:

Daniel C. Brown is the owner of TechniComm,

a communications business based in Des Plaines,

Illinois/USA.

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10 | Reporter

3D Laser Scanning Reduces Risks

by Geoff Jacobs

In construction, there’s a big premium on iden-

tifying and fixing potential field problems early

– well before a crane is lowering something criti-

cal into place and the ugly discovery is made that

things don’t fit or something’s in the way. Such

problems can be especially costly on projects

involving complex structures. For one contrac-

tor however, this type of risk has been sharp-

ly reduced thanks to Leica Geosystems High-

Definition Surveying™ (HDS™) 3D laser scan-

ners and software and the way the contractor

takes advantage of them. In fact, Hoffman Con-

struction, a US-based $1 billion/yr contractor,

has been successfully minimizing project risks

and achieving additional project benefits with

HDS since 2003.

Hoffman’s first risk-reduction project using HDS took

advantage of a Leica HDS2500 scanner and Cyclone

software for an 11-story library project in Seattle. It

featured over 11,000 m² of glass panels. The com-

plex supporting structure needed to be accurately

as-built for Hoffman’s curtain wall contractor, Seele

(Gersthofen, Germany), to pre-fabricate the complex

panel geometries. Using their HDS tools to create the

needed as-builts, panel installation went smoothly.

Since then, Hoffman has continuously expanded its

use of laser scanning, upgrading their HDS capabili-

ties along the way.

Re-purposing an Office Building

As part of a project to re-purpose a 14-story office

building into a Marriott hotel in Portland, Hoff-

man used their new Leica ScanStation scanner and

Cyclone software to conduct flatness studies of each

floor and to provide structural data to the design

team. Using Leica Cyclone software, scan data was

modeled and attributed, separating out the floor,

walls, and columns. This analysis uncovered a couple

of places with up to 3” (76 mm) column grid offset

from one floor to the next. Dale Stenning, Opera-

tions Manager for Hoffman, told attendees at the

2009 Leica Geosystems HDS Worldwide User Confer-

ence, “Had we not noticed the column offset early,

we would have had a huge problem later on when it

was finally discovered.”

Today, Hoffman uses HDS on virtually every “shored

excavation” to check for excavation movement and

to ensure a good fit of the shored excavation with

the building structure to be placed in it. Potential fit

problems and clashes, such as with re-bar in the foot-

ing or other protrusions, can be detected beforehand

by placing a 3D Revit model of a new building into the

as-built model of the shored excavation. Scanning

shored excavation only requires two scanner setups

above the excavation, plus it doesn’t interfere with

ongoing construction and it’s safer than sending a

survey crew down into the pit. The detailed construc-

tion record of the shored excavation is also a valu-

able archive.

Facility Modifications and BIM Updates

High-Definition Surveying also proved ideal for a USD

100 million remodel of a complex baggage handling

facility at Portland airport. Accurate as-builts enabled

better remodel design, which reduced project risk.

This project, like others, involved virtual BIM (Building

Information Modeling) for collaborative design and

coordination. Since reality diverges from virtual mod-

els, Hoffman uses laser scanning as an additional

“reality layer” for the BIM model. Together, these

represent a valuable lifecycle management tool.

About the author:

Geoff Jacobs is Senior Vice President, Strategic

Marketing, Leica Geosystems, Inc.


Later, after the original façade was removed, Hoff-

man used their Leica ScanStation to survey the

floor’s slab edges for the new façade’s panel con-

tractor. Original panel designs were based on uni-

formly flat floor/curb edges, but the High-Definition

Survey revealed very irregular geometry. Collaborat-

ing with the panel contractor, a decision was made

to build up new curb elevations. These were then

scanned with HDS and new shop drawings were pro-

vided to the panel contractor. The result: another

smooth installation.

A Record Before Concrete

is Poured and More …

Hoffman has also used HDS to capture the location

of rebar on post-tensioned decks before concrete

is poured. Should the need arise later, the building

owner will know exactly where the rebar is without

using costly, destructive methods to locate it.

Earthworks has been another application where

Hoffman has benefited from laser scanning. For

example, on a 36-acre sewer treatment project site,

significant quantities of earth had to be moved sev-

eral times. As a check for proper invoicing, once each

month Hoffman used their Leica ScanStation scanner

and Cyclone software to quickly calculate accurate

volumes. In the process, Hoffman also provided accu-

rate surface models that aided the sub-contractor in

grade staking and cut & fill lines.

“It’s all about risk

and managing it more

effectively than we

could in the past.”

Dale Stenning, Operations Manager,

Hoffman Construction

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12 | Reporter

Precision Concrete

for 300 km/h Trains

by Konrad Saal

Modern railway infrastructure often presents

technical challenges for developers and build-

ers alike, since high-speed railway tracks have

to withstand enormous forces and vibrations.

This also applies to the 123 km section between

Erfurt and Leipzig/Halle, which forms part of the

new Intercity Express (ICE) link between Munich

and Berlin. Deutsche Bahn AG customers will

eventually be travelling along this stretch at

speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph), complet-

ing their journeys to or from the German capi-

tal in four rather than the current six hours.

The ICE will travel over six major bridges and

through three tunnels, the longest being the

twin-tube Finne Tunnel with a length of almost

seven kilometers. The precise control of the

concrete paver that provided the bed for the

subsequent track construction through the tun-

nel was accomplished with total stations and

the 3D machine control system PaveSmart 3D

from Leica Geosystems.

The required accuracy for the concrete substructure

in the tunnel tubes, on which the slab track would lat-

er be installed, was ± 1 cm. The paver’s specified daily

output was about 120 m per day. Gerhard Baumgart-

ner, site manager responsible for the invert concrete

and who has already had earlier positive experiences

with Leica Geosystems 3D control systems says: “With

Leica PaveSmart 3D, Scanlaser GmbH, the German

distribution partner for Leica Geosystems machine

control systems, offered the only system available on

the market capable of supporting Gomaco as well as

Wirtgen pavers. In the planning stage we were con-

sidering both manufacturers as suppliers. PaveSmart

3D is able to access the manufacturer’s 3D inter-

face on the machine.” Leica PaveSmart 3D supports

“Plug & Pave” and therefore offers the advantage of

being able to communicate with the paver’s interface

using a simple cable connection, rather than having

to install complex hydraulics. This also saves valuable

time when setting up the system. Work on the trial

length of invert concrete was started within just one

day of installation.

“The Scanlaser specialists were on site with the sur-

veying engineers from Angermeier Ingenieure GmbH

as the machine was being set up and together they

ensured a smooth and reliable start to the invert

concreting works,” confirms Baumgartner. Anger-


meier Ingenieure had already used its Leica TPS1800

total stations to support the driving of the Finne

Tunnel. Consequently, there was no need for data

conversion when preparing the paver control data.

No Stringlines through the Tunnel

3D machine control reduces the costs and complexity

of two-sided stringline installation and maintenance.

Baumgartner appreciates the systems’ advantag-

es: “Stringlines would have had to be drilled inside

the tunnel and would have considerably restricted

machine and truck freedom of movement. By using

the 3D control system and the Leica TPS1800 total

stations for machine positioning, it was possible to

completely dispense with the commonly used string-

lines in the tunnel.”

The Finne Tunnel project would hardly have been

possible with stringlines: normally, trucks deliver-

ing material to the concrete slip form paver reverse

along the tunnel. The longer the distance, the more

difficult and time-consuming the journey becomes.

Driving in forward and turning the vehicles around

conventionally in the tunnel once they reached the

paver was out of the question due to its narrowness.

The solution was the installation of a turntable, which

allowed the trucks to drive in forwards. An excavator

was then able to distribute the tipped material evenly

in front of the slipform paver. Stringlines would con-

stantly have been damaged or destroyed. The con-

struction site management estimates that removing

the need for stringlines saved between EUR 10,000

– 20,000 on the costs of materials and installation.

Objectives and Requirements Exceeded

Since its initial installation at the beginning of

November 2009 there has not been a single system

failure. Control measurements confirm that the sur-

face of the installed concrete has always been within

the specified height tolerances. “The achieved verti-

cal accuracy of ± 3 mm has by far outperformed the

required accuracy of max. ± 1 cm,” report both Ger-

hard Baumgartner and the surveying engineers from

Angermeier Ingenieure GmbH. Higher productivity is

a further advantage of 3D control: the installation

speed of the concrete invert was around 10 per cent

higher than the required speed of 120 m/day.

About the Author:

Konrad Saal is a surveying engineer and Marketing

Communications Manager with Leica Geosystems in

Heerbrugg, Switzerland.

The Finne Tunnel is being constructed for Deutsche

Bahn AG by a consortium comprising Wayss & Freytag

Ingenieurbau AG, Max Bögl Bauunternehmung GmbH

Co. KG, and Porr Technobau und Umwelt GmbH.

The two tunnels were driven at the same time

using shield tunnel boring machines with continu-

ous installation of tubbing segments as a single-shell

tunnel lining. Some 48,000 tubbing ring segments

were manufactured on site in a specially set up tub-

bing segment production facility. The two tubes

each have a diameter of approximately 10 meters.

The profile and the formwork through which the

concrete slips “as if cast in one pour” during pav-

ing is shaped to form side shoulders and a drainage

channel. The advantage of this process is that the

drainage elements and shoulders do not have to be

built separately, increasing the stability of the entire

construction.

Other tunnel works to date include 16 cross pas-

sages for rescue routes and technical galleries driven

using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM).

In a separate step after the concrete invert, the pav-

er will be driven through the tunnel again to form a

walkway on one side and a cable duct chamber on

the other using conventional techniques.

More information about the entire project at:

www.vde8.de

Finne Tunnel

14 | Reporter

Searching for Bombs Under Water

by Alexander Gerber

An estimated 7,000 bombs were dropped on

Dresden during the Second World War. While

most of them brought death and destruction,

many still lie underground or in the Elbe river

– without having detonated – and continue to

pose a danger to construction projects even

today, some 65 years later. Matthäi used the

state-of-the-art Leica RedLine series satellite-

based machine control system to search for

undetonated Second World War bombs on and

around the site for the new Waldschlösschen

bridge over the Elbe.

The Matthäi Group, a construction contractor with

headquarters in Verden, Germany, specializes in

earthworks, civil and structural engineering. The

firm's hydraulic engineering department was restruc-

tured some years ago under the leadership of Dipl.-

Ing. Jörn Adameit and has since then completed many

successful projects on Europe's inland waterways.

During the construction of the new bridge, the con-

tract for the unusual task of searching the Elbe depos-

its for bombs was awarded to Berlin-based Heinrich

Hirdes Kampfmittelräumung GmbH, supported by the

state-of-the-art satellite-based dredging expertise

provided by the hydraulic engineering department at

Matthäi Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG, Verden.

Prior to construction, the river was scanned with

probes that captured the positions of any detected

metal objects to centimeter accuracy, measured their

depths using echo sound, and plotted the findings in

a digital model. This model was passed to Matthäi for

the underwater excavation works. At about 60 loca-

tions the munitions divers then had to verify whether

the detected objects were in fact dangerous legacies

of the war or not.

Markus Gehring, responsible for positioning and

excavator engineering, as well as for the creation of

the hydraulic engineering department’s data model,

has already fitted out five excavators with the Leica

RedLine series GNSS positioning system. These sys-

tems were acquired from Leica Geosystems machine

control sales and service partner Scanlaser GmbH:


the reference station or by dialing into the reference

service,” explains Markus Gehring. This allows the

divers to be submerged up to three meters into the

Elbe at the locations of the detected metal objects

with centimeter accuracy.

“The detonation of a bomb during the construction

work for the new Waldschlösschen bridge would be

a catastrophe. Thank goodness, so far the metal

objects we have found have been nothing more than

steel scrap,” says Martin Kralicek, Matthäi's site man-

ager. A perfectly functioning system and good ser-

vice are crucial for such a dangerous mission. “The

excellent, comprehensive service was one of the rea-

sons for selecting the Leica RedLine system and for

working with Scanlaser.”

About the author:

Alexander Gerber is a Sales Engineer at Leica

Geosystems’ German machine control distribution

partner Scanlaser GmbH.

“We have been using this system for more than a

year in all conditions. It is a reliable, modular system

that offers me great flexibility, either as a reference

station on site or, as for this hydraulic engineering

job, on the machine.” Each excavator is equipped

with two Leica MNA1202GG antennas and Leica

PowerBox GNSS receivers, which calculate positions

from satellite data and transmit this information to

the machine controls.

This two-antenna solution has proved ideal for work-

ing underwater, as directional information is auto-

matically obtained and the bucket position is rec-

ognized even on moving platforms such as here on

the pontoon. The excavator driver always knows the

current 3D position in real time. This data is com-

pared with the positions of the objects in question

recorded on the location drawing. Instead of a buck-

et, the excavator is fitted with a caisson in which the

munitions divers, protected from the current, can

be lowered to the location to be investigated – pre-

cisely, thanks to the GNSS data. “We receive the cor-

rection data for accurate positioning by radio from

16 | Reporter

Gateway to Korea by Joël van Cranenbroeck

The Yeong-Jong New Airport Highway Bridge, a

steel, double deck, box-girder suspension bridge,

links Incheon International Airport to Seoul city

as a real gateway to Korea. It is the world’s first

3D self-anchored suspension bridge servicing a

highway on the upper/lower decks and a rail-

way on the lower deck. The bridge crosses the

sea between Yeong-Jong island and Incheon city

and lies between Kyeongseo-dong (Changdo)

and Unbuk-dong (Yeong-Jong island) of Incheon

city on the Yellow Sea. Leica Geosystems was

invited by the New Airport Highway Company

to perform a load test with GNSS RTK technol-

ogy. Equipment and software completed the

test smoothly, achieving impressive accuracies

in the range of 1 cm. This load test convincingly

vindicated the superiority of GNSS based bridge

monitoring. After the test the upgrade and

modification of the structural health monitoring

system was completed using a GNSS monitor-

ing system from Leica Geosystems that focuses

on monitoring the girder geometry and the dis-

placement of the bridge towers.

With Leica Geosystems GNSS RTK technology, the

geometric structure of the bridge can be monitored

in real-time and in all weather conditions. The three-

dimensional displacement of towers, main span, and

suspension cables can be measured directly. All of this

characteristic information reflecting bridge health can

be combined with structural models to analyze the

internal forces affecting the static and dynamic load

components of the bridge.

The reliability of bridge health monitoring and evalua-

tion can be increased and the risk of potential damage

to the bridge structure minimized. GNSS monitoring

can considerably improve the efficiency and effective-


ness of maintenance work by providing vital informa-

tion to management and decision makers for bridge

traffic and structural safety. With the ongoing devel-

opment and improvement of GNSS hardware, pro-

cessing algorithms, and software Leica Geosystems’

GNSS monitoring systems will be used ever more

widely for the monitoring of infrastructure such as

bridges, buildings, and other structures in the future.

Meanwhile, the Yeong-Jong bridges’ structural health

monitoring system plays an active role in the promo-

tion and development of digital and intelligent bridge

engineering.

The GNSS bridge deformation monitoring system

consists of GNSS sensors; seismic and temperature

sensors; dual-axis inclinations sensors; communica-

tion links; and processing, management, and analysis

software. All these components form an integrated

system. When designing the system, the environ-

mental situation was considered to be the predomi-

nant source of error. Multipath is caused by signals

arriving at the antenna which have been reflected

by nearby metal objects, ground, or water surfaces.

The occurrence of this is different at each measur-

ing site and therefore cannot be eliminated by dif-

ferential techniques. At the reference station sites,

a suitable location of the antenna was selected to

mitigate such reflections. The Leica AT504 GG choke

ring geodetic GNSS antenna helps reduce multipath

effects. Several more GNSS receivers and antennas

were installed (see box) to monitor bridge health. They

are all connected to Leica GNSS Spider software and

Leica GNSS QC for advanced coordinate analysis of the

entire system.

Two GNSS reference stations were established in sta-

ble areas. As the start point of each baseline, it is vital

that the reference stations have precise coordinates

within the local coordinate system. One reference sta-

tion was installed on the roof of the Bridge Monitoring

Center, the other at the west side of the bridge. To

visualize the deflection and its impact on the bridge,

another 10 GNSS monitoring points were installed.

These were placed on the two bridge towers; the

maximum flexibility point of the main span; the 1/9,

2/9, 4/9, 8/9, and 9/9 points of the bridge; and on

the cable. Now, using the transformation parameters

provided by the owner, the system provides three-

dimensional dynamic displacement results within the

bridge coordinate system.

Monitoring Equipment

and Software

Hardware

2 Leica AT504 GG choke ring antennas

2 Leica GRX1200 GG Pro reference station receivers

10 Leica GMX902 GG monitoring receivers

10 Leica AX1202 GG antennas

Software

Leica GNSS Spider GNSS reference network

controlling and operating software

Leica GNSS QC GNSS Quality Control

and Monitoring software

3rd party analysis software

>>

Monitoring display for analysis.

18 | Reporter

20 Hz measurement rate, the bridge monitoring sys-

tem is able to detect high frequency vibrations. To

enhance overall reliability and stability, and according

to the recommendations made by Leica Geosystems,

the Yeong-Jong bridge monitoring system has two ref-

erence stations. Leica GNSS Spider supports multiple

reference stations to enable redundant checks. If the

communication to one reference station breaks down,

the other reference station can be used as a backup

for processing any combination of baselines. Leica

GNSS Spider can process observations from both L1

single-frequency and L1+L2 dual-frequency GNSS

receivers. Thus a single-frequency GNSS receiver can

also be used for the bridge monitoring application in a

low motion mode.

The installation of the GNSS monitoring system was

realized by Leica Geosystems Korea. The integration

of the system into the structural health monitoring

solution that includes more than 250 other sensors

was carried out by BT Engineering South Korea.

About the Author:

Joël van Cranenbroeck is Business Development Man-

ager for Geodetic Monitoring at Leica Geosystems AG,

Heerbrugg, Switzerland. He has led the development

of hardware and software solutions for GNSS Network

RTK for Leica Geosystems since 2001 and has made

some significant contributions in Geodetic Monitor-

ing development and applications such as the method

statement for aligning along vertical high rise struc-

tures (Burj Dubai).

Leica GNSS Spider also provides an interface for third

party analysis software via the serial and TCP/IP ports.

Any analysis software that uses standard NMEA for-

mat can be used. With real time bridge coordinates,

the analysis software can display a dynamic view of

the distortion curve, store data, and execute statis-

tical analysis and messaging in real time. Moreover,

Leica GNSS QC quality control and analysis software

can be used to do a comprehensive review of the

results. It proved to be an indispensable tool for

checking data and results in the design and opera-

tional stages.

The Yeong-Jong Bridge

The construction of the Yeong-Jong bridge began

in December 1993. The bridge was completed and

opened to traffic in November 2000. The total length

of the bridge and main span of the suspension bridge

is 4,420 m and 550 m, respectively. The bridge is 35 m

wide and has 49 piers. The east and west towers are

107 m high. The bridge is divided into three parts:

suspension bridge (550 m), steel truss (2,250 m), and

steel deck (1,620 m).

The Bridge Monitoring Center was built at the east

side of the bridge (New Airport Highway office) and

equipped with a fiber optic communication system,

closed circuit television, information management

system, message sign system, emergency call sys-

tem, broadcast system, etc.

Leica GNSS Spider – the link between the

sensors and the monitoring system

Communication requirements are greatly simplified

through Leica GNSS Spiders’ centralized RTK concept.

Receiver equipment can be remotely controlled and

monitored, and the status of the entire monitoring

system can be obtained at anytime. Operating at a


With the GNSS measurements taken in September

2009 at the summit under the supervision of Farouk

Kadded, Product Manager at Leica Geosystems in

France, it is possible to determine the mountains'

elevation and to create a 3D model of the ice sheet.

The 5th measurement expedition to this superb

experimentation site confirmed once more the reli-

ability and robustness of the Leica SmartRover real-

time GNSS receiver, which provided measurements

to within one centimeter in the harsh conditions of

high altitude and freezing temperatures. The Leica

Geoystems team was hardly surprised since this was

the 4th Leica Geosystems instrument to be subjected

to such extreme conditions, following in the foot-

steps of the Leica GPS500 in 2001 and 2003, the

Leica GPS1200 in 2005, and the Leica SmartStation

in 2007.

Adventure Surveying on Mont Blanc

by Hélène Leplomb and Farouk Kadded

Every two years, the chartered land surveyors

of Haute-Savoie and Leica Geosystems measure

the elevation of Mont Blanc, the roof of Europe,

the famous mountain straddling the Franco-Ital-

ian border.

The aims of these technical and human expeditions

are to provide the general public with an unusual

insight into the profession of the chartered land sur-

veyor, to test the reliability and precision of Leica

Geosystems’ GNSS in difficult conditions, and to

contribute to helping the scientific community pro-

vide answers to questions concerning variations in

climate. Measuring the summit of Mont Blanc on a

regular basis provides glaciologists, geographers,

nivologists (snow experts), and meteorologists with

data on the variations of a glacier at its source.

20 | Reporter

Accurate, Enriched Data at Lower Costby Ann Hovland

When the CH2M HILL survey team set out to

map the City of Woodburn, Oregon’s 1,500 sew-

er manholes, the challenge was to gather and

organize a varied group of data with a limited

budget. For each manhole the client wanted:

the pipe invert elevation; pipe size and type;

documentation of condition; amount of debris;

and photos. A traditional approach would have

generated an inordinate number of notes that

would have been difficult to organize and deliv-

er within budget. After considering various

products, the team chose Leica MobileMatriX

on ArcGIS, a survey software that provided the

team with geographic information system (GIS)

capabilities and survey-grade accuracy in the

field. The field integration of GIS enabled the

team to complete all fieldwork 16 days ahead

of schedule and 25 % under budget even while

using MobileMatriX for the first time.

Woodburn’s wastewater collection and transmission

system had been under continual expansion since it

was implemented. There was concern about localized

areas and the City needed to evaluate the long-term

condition and capacity of its collection and transmis-

sion system. In order to make sound investment deci-

sions, the City needed a map of its system. Exist-

ing data about the collection system was stored in

two separate systems and was known to be inac-

curate and incomplete. The goals for mapping were:

consolidate system asset data into a single GIS data-

base and dramatically improve the accuracy of the

spatial data.

“While brainstorming a possible approach, we had

the usual discussion about cost verses accuracy,” said


>>

Tony Brooks, PLS, survey and mapping manager at

CH2M HILL. “We talked about what competitors might

propose. Many would likely suggest low-cost options

that could not achieve the requested accuracies. Oth-

ers would probably fulfill accuracy requirements and

blow the budget. We wondered how we might find the

middle ground.” The team was well aware of the fact

that the most challenging aspect of the project was

data integration. Successful integration of existing

data and data integrity was crucial to project success

because initial data acquisition and ongoing mainte-

nance would otherwise become a time-consuming

process. The team began to discuss the possibilities

offered by a mobile GIS approach.

With Leica MobileMatriX, the team estimated it

could significantly reduce the workflow and costs by

going directly from point collection to end product in

one step. CH2M HILL rolled the dice and decided to

propose an integrated GIS/survey approach to meet

the client’s accuracy and budget requirements. The

gamble paid off and the City had all of its data needs

fulfilled, with money left over for additional survey

tasks.

Short Learning Curve with little Downtime

To run the MobileMatriX software, the team needed a

field-compatible computer, i.e. it needed to be rugged

and minimize sunlight glare on the screen display. For

Once all the gear was assembled, the crew needed to

learn how to use it. They contacted Leica Geosystems,

who assigned a technician to the job of bringing

The use of Leica

MobileMatriX for data

acqusition and management

of the waste water system

saved CH2M HILL valuable

time and money, as the

survey data was directly

integrated into the GIS.

The City of Woodburn’s decision to let the CH2M HILL

survey team try a new approach to mapping its man-

holes yielded more accurate data, delivered within

less time, and for less money than expected. The

team’s original project plan allowed for 61 field days.

Once the crew was in the field, progress increased

exponentially as experience and confidence with Leica

these reasons, the team opted to use “electronic tab-

lets” instead of laptops; the tablets also offered touch

screen capability. CH2M HILL purchased an Xplorer

tablet from Xplorer Technologies and loaded ArcGIS

Version 9.2 and Leica MobileMatriX Version 3.0 onto

it. The tablet had Bluetooth technology which could

wirelessly send data back and forth between the Leica

GPS1200 and Leica TPS1200 instruments. The Xplorer

tablet was purchased with an internal cell modem for

Internet access to ORGN, the Oregon Real Time GPS

Network, and the office network.

MobileMatriX picked up. The crew estimated that it

spent 25 % less time per manhole, and surveyed 170 %

more manholes per day, than planned. They finished

all fieldwork within 45 days, 25 % under budget. “We

took a chance with having to learn and use new soft-

ware on a job that needed a quick turn around, but

that risk paid off in the end,” said Adam Casalegno.

1,500 manholes in 45 days

22 | Reporter

information and synchronize it with office data in the

field rather than having to upload data to a survey

program and clean it up later. This reduced data clean-

up time by approximately 70 %.

Integrated Approach Streamlines Workflow

Using the integrated survey/GIS approach the crew cut

the number of workflow steps in half, and all clean up

of data could be done in the field after each manhole

was measured. Leica MobileMatriX provided full func-

tionality for field crews to finish work in the field. The

background maps, combined with the immediate map

display and labeling of field measurements, enabled

immediate feedback on the accuracy of measure-

ments. No expensive re-measuring was required. The

complete map could be finished in the field, including

symbols, legends, and north arrows.

About the Author:

Ann Hovland, is a writer at CH2M HILL, a global leader

in full-service engineering, consulting, construction,

and operations.

everyone up to speed. After a week of long phone

calls and some trial and error, the tablets (and oper-

ators) were running smoothly. ”Like any new soft-

ware, Leica MobileMatriX took some time to learn, but

with help from Leica Geosystems technicians, the

team was able pick it up quickly without much down

time,” said Adam Casalegno, survey technician at

CH2M HILL.

Once in the field, with a GIS background of the sew-

er system at their fingertips, surveyors were able to

quickly locate the manholes. The field crew collected

the data and transferred it onto the portable tablet PC

via Leica MobileMatriX, which linked data to the CH2M

HILL office network version of the City’s functioning

GIS database. The crew could work independent of

the City’s database for long periods, then synchro-

nize the office database with the updated field data-

base later when a connection to the CH2M HILL office

server could be made. Data changes were then trans-

ferred and integrated with the central database using

the ArcGIS™ check-in process. This approach enabled

the crew to manipulate, update, and add survey-grade


The Leica Lino L2P5 combines all the advantages into

one compact instrument. The five laser dots, exactly

aligned at right angles to one another, simplify plum-

bing, setting out, and transfer of measured points.

All Leica Lino point and line lasers project millimeter-

accurate lines and/or dots, and automatically level

themselves to compensate for minor angular misa-

lignments of up to ± 4°. A comprehensive range of

original accessories augments the standard product

package.

The introduction of the Leica Lino 2 in 2007 set a

new standard for cross line lasers, and in the same

year received the Red Dot Product Design Award.

Craftsmen appreciate the Leica Lino 2 because of its

outstanding optics and the proven quality. Encoura-

ged by this success, Leica Geosystems has created a

comprehensive product palette around these handy

tools and has recently expanded it with three point

and line lasers that optimally cover all areas of appli-

cation. The new Leica Lino P3, Lino P5, and Lino L2P5

perfect all aligning, plumbing, and leveling tasks.

The Leica Lino Family:

Everything Level and Perfectly Plumb

Leica Geosystems 7th annual worldwide user con-

ference for users of its High-Definition Surveying™

(HDS™) laser scanning products was held 26-28

October 2009, in San Ramon, California. Despite the

global recession, more than 250 participants from

20 countries attended, a strong symbol of continued

high interest in 3D laser scanning.

The conference featured 38 presentations, inclu-

ding a keynote by Dr. Dieter Fritsch, Director of the

Institute for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing,

University of Stuttgart. Many presentations were by

users describing their latest HDS applications, work-

flows, and marketing techniques in civil, buildings/

BIM, plant, forensics, heritage, and mobile scanning

markets. Leica Geosystems’ Dr. Greg Walsh gave an

insightful presentation on the new, compact, “all-in-

one” laser scanner Leica ScanStation C10.

2009 Leica Geosystems HDS Worldwide

User Conference: A Great Success

The next HDS Worldwide User Conference is planned

for 25-27 Oct 2010 in San Ramon. Find out more at

www.leica-geosystems.com/hds.

Function P3 P5 L2 L2P5

Plumbing up and down X X X

Setting out right angles X X

Horizontal leveling X X X X

Vertical alignment X X

Vertical and horizontal alignment X X

Aligning at an angle X X

www.leica-geosystems.com

Australia

CR Kennedy & Company Pty Ltd.

Melbourne

Phone +61 3 9823 1555

Fax +61 3 9827 7216

Austria

Leica Geosystems Austria GmbH

Vienna

Phone +43 1 981 22 0

Fax +43 1 981 22 50

Belgium

Leica Geosystems NV

Diegem

Phone +32 2 2090700

Fax +32 2 2090701

Brazil

Comercial e Importadora WILD Ltda.

São Paulo

Phone +55 11 3142 8866

Fax +55 11 3142 8886

Canada

Leica Geosystems Ltd.

Willowdale

Phone +1 416 497 2460

Fax +1 416 497 8516

China P.R.

Leica Geosystems AG,

Representative Office Beijing

Phone +86 10 8569 1818

Fax +86 10 8525 1836

Denmark

Leica Geosystems A/S

Herlev

Phone +45 44 54 02 02

Fax +45 44 45 02 22

Finland

Leica Nilomark OY

Espoo

Phone +358 9 6153 555

Fax +358 9 5022 398

France

Leica Geosystems Sarl

Le Pecq Cedex

Phone +33 1 30 09 17 00

Fax +33 1 30 09 17 01

Germany

Leica Geosystems GmbH Vertrieb

Munich

Phone + 49 89 14 98 10 0

Fax + 49 89 14 98 10 33

Hungary

Leica Geosystems Hungary Kft.

Budapest

Phone +36 1 814 3420

Fax +36 1 814 3423

India

Elcome Technologies Private Ltd.

Gurgaon (Haryana)

Phone +91 124 4122222

Fax +91 124 4122200

Italy

Leica Geosystems S.p.A.

Cornegliano Laudense

Phone + 39 0371 69731

Fax + 39 0371 697333

Japan

Leica Geosystems K.K.

Tokyo

Phone +81 3 5940 3011

Fax +81 3 5940 3012

Korea (Republic of)

Leica Geosystems KK

Seoul

Phone +82 2 598 1919

Fax +82 2 598 9686

Mexico

Leica Geosystems S.A. de C.V.

Mexico D.F.

Phone +525 563 5011

Fax +525 611 3243

Netherlands

Leica Geosystems B.V.

Wateringen

Phone +31 88 001 80 00

Fax +31 88 001 80 88

Norway

Leica Geosystems AS

Oslo

Phone +47 22 88 60 80

Fax +47 22 88 60 81

Poland

Leica Geosystems Sp. z o.o.

Warsaw

Phone +48 22 338 15 00

Fax +48 22 338 15 22

Portugal

Leica Geosystems, Lda.

Moscavide

Phone +351 214 480 930

Fax +351 214 480 931

Russia

Leica Geosystems OOO

Moscow

Phone +7 95 234 5560

Fax +7 95 234 2536

Singapore

Leica Geosystems Techn. Pte. Ltd.

Singapore

Phone +65 6511 6511

Fax +65 6511 6500

South Africa

Hexagon Geosystems Pty.Ltd.

Douglasdale

Phone +27 1146 77082

Fax +27 1146 53710

Spain

Leica Geosystems, S.L.

Barcelona

Phone +34 934 949 440

Fax +34 934 949 442

Sweden

Leica Geosystems AB

Sollentuna

Phone +46 8 625 30 00

Fax +46 8 625 30 10

Switzerland

Leica Geosystems AG

Glattbrugg

Phone +41 44 809 3311

Fax +41 44 810 7937

United Kingdom

Leica Geosystems Ltd.

Milton Keynes

Phone +44 1908 256 500

Fax +44 1908 256 509

UAE

Leica Geosystems c/o Hexagon

Dubai

Phone +971 4 299 5513

Fax +971 4 299 1966

USA

Leica Geosystems Inc.

Norcross

Phone +1 770 326 9500

Fax +1 770 447 0710

Illustrations, descriptions, and technical data are not binding. All rights reserved. Printed in Switzerland.

Copyright Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg, Switzerland, 2010. 741803en – III.10 – RVA

Head Office

Leica Geosystems AG

Heinrich-Wild-Strasse

CH-9435 Heerbrugg

Phone +41 71 727 31 31

Fax +41 71 727 46 74

www.leica-geosystems.com

leica geosystems reporter 62

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