ABSTRACT
Deformations and displacement measurements of structural/non-structural components of a building are often required during its design life, and several instruments and technologies are available (e.g., displacement transducers, total stations). However, this task can become very challenging for complex environments and/or when large deformations or displacements are expected, e.g., large building facades or large deformations under extreme loading. For such applications, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), or Topographic LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), can be employed. Such systems provide high accuracy and high resolution measurements, and therefore can be used for complex loading environments, which can be otherwise difficult to perform using traditional methods. The paper presents the application of a terrestrial LiDAR system for deformation measurements of a lightweight façade made from wall liner trays, installed on a full-scale steel frame building model. The tests involve the detonation of several high energy explosive charges in the proximity of the building. The surface approximation is captured by TLS precise solutions, transformed into colored point clouds and then to 3D models. The results can be further used to calibrate advanced numerical models or to make rapid damage assessments and optimization of the recovery activities.
