Accuracy assessment of modeling architectural structures and details using terrestrial laser scanning

Abstract. One of the most important aspects when performing architectural documentation of cultural heritage structures is the accuracy of both the data and the products which are generated from these data: documentation in the form of 3D models or vector drawings. The paper describes an assessment of the accuracy of modelling data acquired using a terrestrial phase scanner in relation to the density of a point cloud representing the surface of different types of construction materials typical for cultural heritage structures. This analysis includes the impact of the scanning geometry: the incidence angle of the laser beam and the scanning distance. For the purposes of this research, a test field consisting of samples of different types of construction materials (brick, wood, plastic, plaster, a ceramic tile, sheet metal) was built. The study involved conducting measurements at different angles and from a range of distances for chosen scanning densities. Data, acquired in the form of point clouds, were then filtered and modelled. An accuracy assessment of the 3D model was conducted by fitting it with the point cloud. The reflection intensity of each type of material was also analyzed, trying to determine which construction materials have the highest reflectance coefficients, and which have the lowest reflection coefficients, and in turn how this variable changes for different scanning parameters. Additionally measurements were taken of a fragment of a building in order to compare the results obtained in laboratory conditions, with those taken in field conditions.