THE CAPABILITIES OF 3D GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE DECISION-SUPPORT PROCESS FOR DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND EMPLOYMENT OF ENGINEERING STRUCTURES

Abstract. The presented paper is concerned with the capabilities of 3D geospatial technologies in the decision-support process for the design, construction, and employment of engineering structures. Among the various geospatial technologies, the primary stress is made on terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). Despite the widespread application of TLS, its opportunities are not studied thoroughly. A vast volume of studies is dedicated to accuracy, processing workflow, and modeling by TLS data. However, only scanty research considers the TLS technology and data from an ordinary civil engineer's point of view. This study attempts to fill this gap. Covered topics are analysis of the current trends of measurement technologies; in-depth analysis of laser scanning results as a source of new unique data; laser scanning for industrial applications; laser scanning and BIM integration. Except for the mentioned topics, the new concept of the complete control of geometric parameters during the construction and operation of engineering structures is introduced. Complete control plays an indispensable role in the decision-support process during the building life cycle and therefore is an inherent part of any BIM. A description of the steps of complete control and its different applications for civil engineering is given. The decision-support process is addressed for different structures, e.g., roads, civil and industrial structures, oil and gas industry objects, etc. Moreover, complete control is considered for the various stages of a building life cycle, from design to demolition. The results provide convincing evidence that the complete control by TLS data has a prominent role in the decision-support process for civil engineering.