Portable, highly accurate scanning system for geomechanical structures

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The laser scanning equipment requested by Hutchinson and Diederichs will be a significant and important contribution to the new Geotechnical Imaging and Sensing Laboratory recently established in the Geological Engineering Department at Queen's University. The equipment will be used by graduate students in their research programs, and by undergraduate students through NSERC USRA funded research work with the applicants. The equipment requested will provide exceptionally valuable sets of data to be used extensively in the applicants' research programs. Acquisition of this data from third parties is prohibitively expensive.     The laser scanning equipment requested will be used to generate a survey-grade, precise image of the three dimensional geometry of geomechanical structures (to a resolution of 1/1000 degree), when located at a distance of anywhere from a meter to over a kilometer away from the object, in a very short time frame (up to 500,000 data points / second). The geomechanical structures to be scanned using this equipment include slopes and tunnels. Applicant Hutchinson requires knowledge of the detailed geometry of slopes, and the infrastructure at the toe of slopes, to conduct research on slope failure and risk assessment. Applicant Diederichs requires the detailed geometry of the interior of tunnels during construction, to examine tunnel failure mechanisms and deformation rates. The surveys will be carried out on a regular basis to provide a sequence of images: in the case of slopes, the surveys will likely be carried out several times a year, and in the case of tunnels, the surveys will likely be carried out several times a month, and will each cover multi-day tunnel boring machine advance sequences. When compared, the sequence of images provides a very precise measure of the geometry and rate deformation of the tunnel or slope, and of the source and deposition zone of any failed and detached material. Both applicants will use the data, collected with the scanner, and analysed using the proposed software, to calibrate numerical models used to simulate and assess the expected behaviour of structures in the future.