Applied surveying education : documenting cultural heritage in 3D in the city of Ghent (Belgium) using laser scanning and photo modelling

Abstract

For several years the city of Ghent (Belgium) and the Ghent University, Department of Geography have been working together to document and measure important cultural heritage sites in 3D. The partnership enables master students in Geomatics and Surveying at the Ghent University to take part in a project driven measuring campaign. During the project, students use and compare several 3D data acquisition methods. This allows the students to implement their theoretical knowledge in the field. The used methods are analysed and critically compared by the students. Through this hands-on-training, students are encouraged to think “outside the box”. When problems occur, they are stimulated to think how these problems could have happened and most importantly how they can solve them. The documentation of these historic monuments in Ghent will be used during future renovation works and archaeological research. This paper will discuss the measurements in the Ghent City Museum (Stadsmuseum or STAM). The following methods are applied during the extensive field work: engineering surveying using total station and GNSS, photo modelling and laser scanning. The deliverables are created in a CAD or GIS environment. After successful completion of the course, students have gained a significant expertise concerning the processing of topographic data, 3D point clouds and imagery in an integrated way. This knowledge can be used after their studies to assess which equipment is most suitable for any given survey project. The final products of the photo modelling and the laser scanning process is a 3D model. Furthermore, digital elevation models and orthorectified images of the historic monument can be created. The orthorectified images are visualised and processed into high resolution orthophoto plans, in a CAD or GIS environment