Case Study

Road-Structure Monitoring with Modern Geodetic

Technologies
Ioan Sorin Herban1; Clara-Beatrice Vîlceanu2; and Carmen Grecea3
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Abstract: Investments in the development and improvement of the Romanian road network were made recently to ensure enhanced com-
fort, safety, and efficiency in transport conditions while observing sustainable development policies. The most important objective for
Romanian road authorities has been improving the safety of the road system to achieve a secure and efficient movement of people and
goods within the public network while effectively managing risks associated with road transport operations. Infrastructure-related risks
include personnel injuries and material damages, which can result from physical and natural hazards, accidents, and engineering failures.
In this context, this paper brings forward the applicability of state-of-the-art geodetic technologies in adjacent domains, such as civil engi-
neering and road infrastructure works, while explaining that the best solution can be found only by thorough interdisciplinary collabora-
tion between specialists. Thus, the study focuses on complex monitoring methods and the models used for a road structure in Romania.
The main objective of the paper is to describe the methodologies (geodetic and laser scanning) used for assessing the deformations of a
real road structure. By using these technologies, the authors found real deformations and their underlying causes and thereby managed to
adopt the optimal technical solution for rehabilitating the road structure. Finally, the discussed case study provided highly accurate results
because the methods and technologies used allow for millimeter-precise measurements of displacements and linear and angular deforma-
tions suffered by the construction. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)SU.1943-5428.0000218. © 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Author keywords: Road infrastructure; Geodetic surveys; Terrestrial laser scanning; Monitoring: Earth reinforcement.

Introduction of strength parameters of embankment material, and observations of

protections against erosion, which include checking the permeability
The consequences of climate change have been felt in Romania and of the embankment material and of the foundation field and the
have led to the articulation of certain strategies (Andrei et al. 2011; depth at which freeze occurs on the top of the embankment
Lucaci 2011; Bobu 2011) for the administration addressing poten- (Romanian Minister of Regional Development, Public Administra-
tial risks and reducing their impact. These directives include the tion and European Funds 2006; S. C. Transproiect 2001 S.A. 2013).
National Strategy for Communication and Public Information in These applications require management of a growing volume of dig-
Case of Emergency Situations, the National Strategy for the ital data that appear important in raw form or as indexed by one or
Administration of Risk in Case of Flooding, the National Strategy more parameters as stated by Pater (2011). The new and effective
for Climate Changes, the National Strategy for the Administration technologies and methods used by geodesists are of great aid in bet-
of Road Traffic Safety, the National Strategy for the Administration ter understanding phenomena (Grecea et al. 2012), and by perform-
of Emergency Situations on Public Roads, and certain guides for ing precise measurements and modeling (Zhu and Brilakis 2009),
the evaluation of risks in roadway areas. solutions can be adopted for achieving sustainable development in
Monitoring road structures of areas adjacent to the road or of the road infrastructure sector. The work presented in this case study
motorway embankments implies, on one hand, determination of the contributes to current literature by testing the accuracy of three-
geotechnical parameters of the terrain, and on the other hand, moni- dimensional (3D) models of a real structure by laser scanning
toring horizontal displacements, examinations during the execution through precise topographical measurements using total stations.

1
Associate Professor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Dept. of Overland Technical Solution for the Construction of the
Communication Ways, Foundations and Cadastral Survey, Politehnica Viaduct—Reinforced Earth Technology
Univ. Timisoara, 2A-Traian Lalescu St., Office C 209, Timisoara 300223,
Romania. E-mail: sorin.herban@upt.ro
2
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Dept. of Overland Recently, complex infrastructure works that are in the framework of
Communication Ways, Foundations and Cadastral Survey, Politehnica modern and sustainable European transport infrastructure have
Univ. Timisoara, 2A-Traian Lalescu St., Office C 206, Timisoara 300223, become increasingly important. Therefore, when designing over-
Romania (corresponding author). E-mail: beatrice.vilceanu@upt.ro land communication works, the chosen technical solutions are
3
Professor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Dept. of Overland effected with innovative technologies that monitor their behavior at
Communication Ways, Foundations and Cadastral Survey, Politehnica the time to prove the reliability of the initial design hypothesis. This
Univ. Timisoara, 2A-Traian Lalescu St., Office C 205, Timisoara 300223, can be achieved by means of topogeodetic methods with embedded
Romania. E-mail: carmen.grecea@upt.ro
information technology (IT) spatial functionalities.
Note. This manuscript was submitted on December 2, 2013; approved
on November 2, 2016; published online on April 12, 2017. Discussion pe- An eloquent example of innovative technology is represented by
riod open until September 12, 2017; separate discussions must be submit- reinforced earth (Bennis and De Buhan 2003), which is, in fact, a
ted for individual papers. This paper is part of the Journal of Surveying consolidation technology, which makes a composite material
Engineering, © ASCE, ISSN 0733-9453. through association of compact layers with linear reinforcement

© ASCE 05017004-1 J. Surv. Eng.

J. Surv. Eng., -1--1

 insertions. The reinforcements (Buhan et al. 1989) can be made of
metal (metallic galvanic strips with high adherence) or can be syn-
thetic (made of polyester, coated in polyethylene). The system of
precast concrete walls fixed by reinforcements in the earthwork
ensures very good behavior during earthquakes (Vidal 1969; Terre
Armee Romania 2011).
The following main components of reinforced earth are pre-
sented in detail in Fig. 1:
• Precast elements, made mainly of concrete,
• Support beams,
• Polymer composite strengthening (synthetic strengthening),
and
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• Elements for joints and working joints.

In making a wall as described (Bota 2012), the following three
main types of reinforced concrete panels, C32/40 with a thickness
of 0.14 m, can vary in function for a project:

Support beam
15 mm

35 mm

2000mm 2000mm
TYP TYP
800mm

60°
150mm

Concrete precast
elements
55mm

Fig. 1. (Color) Component parts and design of reinforced earth

technology

1,5
-
6
mm

Polyester fibers Polyether

85-90 mm coat

Fig. 2. Structural model of synthetic reinforcement used for walls

Table 1. Ordinary Types of Synthetic Reinforcement Fig. 3. (Color) (a) Previous works realized with reinforced earth tech-
nology, Independence Passage, Brasov, Romania (image courtesy of
Minimum Net Net Length of Net weight Color of Terre Armee Romania, with permission from Radu Popescu); (b) previ-
resistance to width thickness the roller of a roller the ous works realized with reinforced earth technology, Superior Passage
breaking (kN) (mm) (mm) (m) (kg) package over the railway Bucuresti Otopeni, Romania (image courtesy of Terre
30 85 2.2 100 15.7 Blue Armee Romania, with permission from Radu Popescu); (c) actual work
50 90 3.5 100 23.8 Yellow realized with reinforced earth technology, Superior Passage over the
75 90 4.0 100 31.0 Beige railway Bucuresti Otopeni, Romania (image by Clara-Beatrice
100 90 6.0 100 38.5 Red Vîlceanu)

© ASCE 05017004-2 J. Surv. Eng.

J. Surv. Eng., -1--1

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Fig. 4. (Color) Pan-European Transport Corridors in Romania according to European Union strategy

• Standard boards, T shape, height of 1.60 m and length of Their role is to fix the position of the upper-board function to
2.00 m; the bottom one (or adjusting beam) and to distribute the pres-
• Rectangular boards, at the wall basis, height of 0.80 m, and sure corresponding to their weight.
length of 2.00 m; and • The horizontal joint between the boards is covered with poly-
• Cross-shaped boards, at the upper part of the wall, maximum ethylene thread.
height of 2.40 m and length of 2.00 m. • For embankments with a high percentage of fine gravel, and
The support between the panels is made of two EPDM (ethylene for works in which there is a danger of potential infiltrations, a
propylene diene monomer) rubber plots of 150
80
22 mm. 400-mm geotextile strip is used. It is placed exactly in the posi-
Their role is to distribute the pressure made by the weight of the tion of the horizontal and vertical joints.
upper boards and to absorb the differential settlement. The walls, according to design norms and experimental determi-
The reinforcement (Fig. 2) is made of 10 high-resistance polyes- nations, have a life span of at least 100 years and are made in
ter beams with a low density polyether coat treated with black pig- such a way that for the entire working period they do not need
ment (Table 1). The beams have a width of 85–90 mm, and the maintenance.
thickness varies between 4 and 6 mm. Tests demonstrated that there The applicability of this technology for the terrestrial communi-
was no evidence of any migration of ions through the polyethylene cation roads is as follows (Fig. 3):
barrier, which protects the polyester fiber like a shield. • In the field of roads and motorways, the most-used applica-
Protection of the working joints is ensured by a geotextile strip tions are support walls and support for bridges, which repre-
with a minimum width of 40 cm, centered on the joint, and fixed on sent the infrastructure of both urban and suburban roads, as
the back of the boards. well as rural roads in mountainous areas. The main applica-
tions include walls to support roads, abutments, covering walls
around abutments, walls for access ramps, and earthworks.
Elements for Joints (Working Joints) Likewise, support walls are used in many countries along rail-
ways, underground train railways, or light underground train
• Two support boards, made of elastomer, with a size of 150
railways because they absorb the vibrations induced by the
70
22 mm, are placed horizontally under the concrete board. passing trains very well.

© ASCE 05017004-3 J. Surv. Eng.

J. Surv. Eng., -1--1

 EASTWALL
+350 +360 +370 +380 +390 +400 +410

232.50 232.55 A 232.57 B 232.59 232.62 232.65 232.68

M32(10) Joint
.05 M31(17) M30(21) Joint
.05
M29(31) M28(20)

M37(23) M36(36) S4 M35(35) M34(55) M33(31)

T6E T6E T6E T6E S4 S4 T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E T6D T6D T6D
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

7.11m
7.29m
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

M41(15) M40(18)

8.71m
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
9.41m

10.31m
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

11.01m

11.91m
S4 S4
M42(8) S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
M38 S4 S4

13.41m
M39

13.41m
227.04
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
S4 S4 S4 225.27
R5 S4 S4 Z04 Z04
RP4 A2 RP4 S4 225.00 225.27 10
223.40 R5 R5 Z03 Z03 R5 R5 R5 R5 A2
A2
09
RP4 R4 R4 R4 R4 222.56
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224.00 Z02 Z02

221.80 R4 R4 R4 A2 RP4 A2 RP4 A2
Z01 Z01 08
02222.70 169.86 169.86
R4 220.40 222.86
Concrete
RP4 RP4 A2 RP4 221.57
07 leveling
219.40 220.00 220.00 219.40 pad

03 04 Concrete Concrete 05 06

A B

WEST WALL
+400 +390 +380 +370 +360 +350 +340

232.65 232.62 232.59 B 232.57 A 232.55 232.50 232.47

M13(14) M14(0) Joint
.05
M16(0)
Joint
.05 M17(-1)
M15(2)
D10 D11 D9 D8 D7 D6
D1(16)
D5(15) D4(14) D3(21) D2(18) S4
M21(5) M22(12)
T6D T6D T6D T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E S4 S4 T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E
S4
M18(2)S4
D12
S4 S4 M19(14) S4 S4 S4
M20(10)
S4 S4 S4 S4
6.91m

7.07m
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
8.40m

S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

9.11m
10.01m

S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

10.71m
11.61m

S4 S4
M23 S4 S4
M24(18) S4 S4 S4 M25(14) S4 S4
M26(11) S4
M27(11) S4 S4
13.21m

13.11m
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
225.27 S4 S4 S4 227.04

Z04 Z04 S4 S4 R5 R5
225.27 225.00 S4 RP4 A2 RP4 A2
A2 R5 R5 R5 R5 Z03 Z03 R5 R5 223.40
12
222.56 R4 R4 R4 R4 Z02 Z02 RP4 A2
224.00 20
A2 RP4 A2 RP4 A2 R4 R4 R4 221.80
13 Z01 Z01 222.70
222.86 220.40 R4
169.86
19
Concrete 221.57 RP4 A2 RP4 169.86 RP4
leveling 14
pad 219.40 220.00 220.00 219.40

15 16 Concrete Concrete 17 18

B A

Fig. 5. (Color) Positioning of monitoring benchmarks for deformation assessment on the upstream and downstream walls (paraments) of the viaduct

EAST
WALL
CRACKING LINE
69.30m
10 3479 348
50 351 3526 353 5 354 355 4 356 3 28 3591360
8 7349 3 35 3 36 339 340 341 357 353
346 3 42 34 344 34509
4
331 332 3333 33 204 337 338 206 0 7 3
05 2 208 2 210 211 212
201 2 02 Km 20 Km Km 2 Km Km Km Km Km Km
Km 9 20
Km
4 7+400 415 7+390 416 7+380 417 7+370 418 7+360 4 1 7+350 4 7+340 421 7+330422 7+320421
Km
7+420 413 7+410 41 7+31042
2
12.50

4 5 06 407 408 409 410

1
M1 40 LUGOJM2 402 M3 40033 M4 40 M5 405 M6 4 M7107 M8 108 M9 109 M10 M11 411 412
2 1 4 10 16
0 110 M12
101
10 319 10 22 323 27 28 329 330 111 112
316 317 31083 304 320 321 3307 308 32049 325 326 3 312 313 ORSOVA
1 02 3 306 163 10 17 1 18 3
19 31420
0
311 3 12 13 14 305 15 3 31 315
69.30m
WEST
WALL

Fig. 6. (Color) Plan view of monitoring benchmarks placed on road axis

© ASCE 05017004-4 J. Surv. Eng.

J. Surv. Eng., -1--1

 • In the field of industrial constructions, specific solutions have road mapping without the need of road closure (Berenyi et al.
been developed for the support and sealing of coal (or other 2010a).
mineral) mine walls, for support walls of big warehouses or Because the road structure is rigid and without suspended ele-
factories, reservoirs for liquefied gas or other hazardous sub- ments, it was not necessary to determine maximum traffic loads.
stances, stations for small-sized scrap and crushing. Because
of its advantages, reinforced earth is also used for the construc-
tion of protection systems, i.e., civil, military, or industrial.
Among the systems one can mention, many structures have
withstood impacts, explosions, infiltrations with liquid gases,
and fire explosions. The arches associated with this technology
have proven to be efficient, rapid, and economical solutions
for the construction of military shelters and bunkers as well as
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for transport tunnels.

• In the field of maritime infrastructure, the applications along
the rivers, lakes, or coast areas, as well as for the walls for piers
or the rehabilitation of the existent dams, are ordinary for rein-
forced earth technology. The underwater dam walls have been
made by such modified methods. These methods have been
successfully used in several countries for marine ports and
fishing dams.
An original earth-reinforcing procedure consists of inserting
synthetic reinforcement connected with precast concrete panels to
make the external surface. The originality of the system consists in
the use of synthetic composite reinforcements, which offer, in all
situations, very good mechanical characteristics, durability, and
easiness of operation. More than this, by their nature, the reinforce-
ments are not exposed to corrosion, irrespective of the chemical na-
ture of the earth.

 Viaduct on the
Case Study—Monitoring the Valea Mica
Caransebes Bypass

The viaduct under study was made with a reinforced earth support
structure, using the technology presented herein. Because the
Romanian technical normatives in force impose implementation of
certain monitoring programs both for massive construction projects
(e.g., dams), special construction projects, and modern infrastruc-
ture, the need for topogeodetic monitoring emerged as soon as the
construction of the viaduct was over and heavy traffic was
permitted.
The necessity of the study is also clear because the viaduct under
study, Valea Mică, is located on the E70 European route of trans-
port, which is part of the Pan-European Transport Corridor IV (road
and railway) (Fig. 4), and connects the west part of the country
(Hungarian border) with the southern part. It is situated relatively
close to the Portile de Fier, a strategic dam and hydroelectric power
plant, and the Serbian border.
The monitoring process is aimed at observing behavior in time
of the viaduct Valea Mică to determine both horizontal and vertical
displacements that might occur because this kind of structure is rela-
tively new in Romania.
The viaduct, located on the bypass of the town Caransebes , was
conceived to be a flexible and sustainable structure. The monitoring
methodology was conceived by the authors and followed two direc-
tions, a traditional survey that involved weekly topogeodetic meas-
urements for nine months (October 2012 through June 2013) and a
modern approach, using terrestrial laser scanning (December
2012), that helped in getting a spatial image of the earthworks or the
reinforced earth wall support (Vîlceanu 2013). The second method Fig. 7. (Color) (a) side displacements and deformation and sectioning
of surveying was chosen because it had already demonstrated its of the precast boards of the east wall (parament); (b) transversal defor-
capabilities (Gordon and Lichti 2007) and because of the major dis- mation line occurred in the road structure [(a–b) images by Clara-
advantages of using total station, which lacks detail in the surface Beatrice Vîlceanu]
model created, in contrast to using a laser scanner, which allows

© ASCE 05017004-5 J. Surv. Eng.

J. Surv. Eng., -1--1

 The monitoring involved placing benchmarks on the paraments PDG1 and PDG2 were placed at the same location and at the
as shown in Fig. 5 (15 benchmarks on each side). same depth. S1, made after stopping traffic, was placed in the
The placing of the monitoring benchmarks on the road axis was area of maximum side displacements (approximately the central
done as shown in Fig. 6. The authors have posted 12 tracking bench- area, toward the uphill parameter).
marks between km 7 þ 310 and 7 þ 420. Likewise, the focus was on a thorough topographic surveillance
In an unfortunate situation created during exploitation, a series to analyze at-the-time displacements and settlements, which con-
of degradations occurred, among which the most important were sisted of placing additional benchmarks, i.e., D1–D3, in the studied
the side displacements of the precast panels of the parament (Fig. area (Fig. 10).
7), cracks in the panels of parament, significant rotation toward the Following measurements made in several cycles and processing
inside of the parapet beams, and longitudinal cracks in the central of observations with specialized software, in the data interpretation
area of the road structure (Fig. 7). stage, it was observed that the displacements inside the reinforced
As a result of this situation, study became more important and earth structure had increased constantly, reaching the maximum ad-
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the need to identify the causes of the degradation emerged. As a missible value of 70 mm, as recorded by the benchmark M34. In
consequence, investigation measurements were needed to complete addition, at the area of benchmark M30, observations revealed a
the seven stages that form an integral part of the monitoring process breaking of the earth massif (Figs. 11 and 12), which leads to pro-
(Fig. 8). nounced instability of a road structure.
Because the first stage had been already been accomplished, the Regarding the representative time period when the observations
existent technical documents, such as design layouts, reinforced using total stations were realized, because of speed and ampleness
earth’s characteristics, geotechnical studies conducted etc., have of deformation, measurements were realized weekly for nine
been studied again. To go forward, with the designer’s consent and months so a huge amount of data had to be managed in a short time
with the aid of experts in geotechnical engineering, further geotech- period.
nical investigations have been proposed. As can be seen in Fig. 9, Although the data obtained by topographic measurements
these investigations consisted of two geotechnical drillings/bore- were eloquent, for a better understanding of the reinforced earth
holes, F1 and F2; two dynamic hard penetrations, corresponding to structure and its behavior and for obtaining a digital documenta-
PDG1 and PDG2; and an open geotechnical survey, S1. F1 and F2 tion (Styliadis 2007), it was decided to reinvestigate the problem
have been located in the area of the working joints, in the direction further. To do this, modern technology with spatial functionality
of the upstream parameter along the entire height of the embankment. was considered (Styliadis et al. 2008), namely, terrestrial laser

Phenomenon
identification

Planning the
Conclusions and
stages of the
recommendations
monitoring

Monitoring
process
Technical and
Data collection
economic analysis

Data
Data processing
interpretation

Fig. 8. (Color) Stages of the monitoring process

© ASCE 05017004-6 J. Surv. Eng.

J. Surv. Eng., -1--1

 EAST
WALL PDG 1 PDG 2

CRACKING LINE
69.30m
10 3479 3488 7349 3 35
50 351 3526 353 5 354 355 4 356 3 28 3591360
3 336 339 340 341 357 353
4 346 337 338 206 342 3 4 344 34509
331 332 3333 33 204 05 207 208 2 210 211
201 0 Km 2 Km 212
Km 202 Km 2 Km Km Km Km
9 7+350 420
Km Km
Km
1 4 7+400 41 5 7+390 416 7+380 417 7+370 418 7+360 41 7+340 421 7+330422 7+320421
Km
3 4 2
7+420 41 7+410 7+31042

12.50
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4 5 06 407 408 409 410

1
M1 40 LUGOJM2 402 M3 40033 M4 40 M5 405 M6 4 M7107 M8 108 M9 109 M10 M11 411 412
102 1 4 10 106 110 M12
101 319 10 22 323 7 28 329 330 111 112
316 317 31083 304 320 321 3307 308 32049 325 326 32312 313 ORSOVA
01 30212 313 14 306 163 310 17 311 18 319 31420
311 305 15 315
69.30m
WEST
WALL

1st BOREHOLE 2nd BOREHOLE

BOREHOLE +340 +350 +360
EAST WALL
+370 +380 +390 +400 +410
10.00m 10.00m 10.00m 10.00m 10.00m 10.00m 10.00m 10.00m 10.00m
ORSOVA LUGOJ
232.47 232.50 232.55 A 232.57 B 232.59 232.62 232.65 232.68
Joint .05 Joint .05

13.00
1.50m
M32(10) M31(17) M30(21) M29(31) M28(20)
LUGOJ

M33
ORSOVA
232.77 S4
232.57

T6E
S4
T6E
S4
T6E
M37(23)
T6E T6E
M36 M35(35)
S4
S4
S4
S4
T6E T6E
S4
T6E
S4
T6E
S4
T6E
M34 T6E
S4
T6E
S4
T6D T6D

(31) S4
T6D
S4
(55)

7.11m
EST WALL
7.29m

S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 (36)
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

8.71m
9.41m

10.31m
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

M41
11.01m

S4 S4 S4
M42 S4 S4 S4 S4

M40(18)
S4 S4 S4
11.91m
S4 S4
M39 S4 S4
M38 S4 S4
13.41m

S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
13.41m

S4 S4 S4 S4 (8) S4 (15) S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
227.04
Lengh 12.50 m
227.04 S4 S4 S4 missing missing 225.27
14.04m

13.41

Z04
13.21

R5 R5 S4 S4 Z04
A2 RP4 A2 RP4 S4 225.00 225.27 10
223.40 R5 R5 Z03 Z03 R5 R5 R5 R5 A2
09
01 224.00
A2 RP4 Z02 Z02 R4 R4 R4 R4 222.56
221.80 R4 R4 R4 A2 RP4 A2 RP4 A2
Z01 Z01 08
2.00m 2.00m 02222.70 169.86 169.86
R4 220.40 222.86
Concrete leveling pad
RP4 RP4 A2 RP4 221.57
07
219.40 220.00 220.00 219.40
219.40 219.40
03 04 Concrete Concrete 05 06
8.00m 4.00m 3.00m 2.35m 12.50m 2.35m 2.35m 4.45m 10.00m 5.00m 6.00m 8.00m

68.00

12.50
A B

Fig. 9. (Color) Location of the supplementary geotechnical investigations

scanning, which is being increasingly used for highway construc- A C10 ScanStation (Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg,
tion applications among transportation agencies in the United Switzerland) was used for scanning. The resolution of the point
States and Canada (Johnson and Johnson 2012), and is not limited cloud was set by the operator to be 5 cm, indicating the level of
(Chin and Olsen 2014). The big advantage of using this technol- detail of the point cloud. Georeferencing of the 3D model was
ogy is that it allows the creation of a real digital model (Styliadis realized with the aid of professional targets used during an in-
and Sechidis 2011) that gives the opportunity to represent all field scanning session (target-to-target registration of the point
design and fabrication information in a single integrated source clouds). For supplementary control, the positions of the profes-
(Sacks et al. 2004). sional targets had been determined previously by use of the tra-
The accuracy of the determinations made using a laser scanner verse method. This facilitated georeferencing of the point
depends on the operator settings, which have to be carefully consid- clouds. The point clouds obtained from the three station points
ered (Berenyi et al. 2010b), that can reach up to 20 mm, which for are illustrated in Fig. 14. The preprocessing phase consisted of
this study case is very good. A traditional laser-scanning survey has elimination of erroneous data (Didulescu et al. 2011).
been followed through planning, scanning, and registration in ac- The first set of measurements made with the terrestrial laser
cordance with quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) (Herban scanner have been processed, and an overlapping of the resulting
and Vîlceanu 2011). The monitoring approach involved comparing 3D model with the initial design (Figs. 15 and 16) was realized. In
displacements obtained by traditional surveys, because many stud- the process of determining the behavior and finding solutions for
ies in civil engineering applications have been previously devel- the stabilization of the viaduct, the next natural step consisted of a
oped, and the results have proven the remarkable potential of terres- second campaign of measurements.
trial laser scanning (Mill et al. 2011). As degradations were sensed and effected direct consequences
Therefore, starting from the local support network (Fig. 13) on the comfort of and safety for transportation, the process of
made by the constructor in the execution phase of the viaduct, a adopting the optimal technical solution that resulted from the
measurement campaign using terrestrial laser technology was investigations upon the road structure was pushed forward. Thus,
planned. the results obtained by June 2013 had to be analyzed and

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 +410 +400 +390 +380 +370

232.68 232.65 232.62 232.59 B 232.

Joint .05

D10D9 D8
D11
T6D D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2
T6D T6D T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E T6E D1 T6E

D12 D13
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
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S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
227.04
S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4
Upper limit with geotextile on

Z04
11 225.27
A2 R5 R5 R5 R5 Z03
12
R4 R4 R4 R4 Z02
A2 RP4 A2 RP4 A2 R4 R4
13 Z01
222.86 R4
total area

169.86m
Concrete 14
221.57 RP4 RP4
220.00
leveling pad
15 16
Concrete

Fig. 10. (Color) Positioning of additional benchmarks under the support beam

interpreted to establish the causes that led to the observed degra- • The accuracy of topogeodetic surveys was superior to scan-
dations. Then, together with the technical crew involved (geo- ning, reaching 0.1 mm, but in this case, because of the large
technical experts), rudimentary solutions were defined and pre- displacements (i.e., 70 mm), laser scanning proved its util-
sented to the viaduct builder. In agreement with the National ity through the representativeness of the digital model cre-
Road Authority, and taking into account the resulting technical ated; and
solutions and the economic factors, the optimal solution was rep- • In this particular case study, the terrestrial laser scanning was
resented by the complete demounting of the Valea Mică viaduct. a useful alternative to traditional geodetic surveys because
This meant that a second measurement campaign using laser the digital model that resulted is accessible, easy to under-
scanning was impossible. stand, and very informative because of the force of the visual
Following a thorough analysis of the investigations made on the impact. Possible breaking of the earth massif and losses in
road structure, it was concluded that that the side displacements bearing capacity are easy to notice on an accurate digital
were consequences of using a material of poor quality (mediocre) model.
on a reinforced earth structure.
The drillings showed that, in the construction stage, a totally dif-
ferent earth filling than that required by the project had been used. Case Study Analysis: Accuracy and Benefits
A granular material with fine particles less than 15% and a friction
angle greater than 36° and a certain grading diagram had been Considering that maximum deviation for determining spatial
requested, but a nonhomogeneous material, powder-clayey prepon- coordinates using an efficient total station for planimetry, which
derant with fine particles more than 60% and a friction angle of was between 0.4 and 1.5 mm, and for the z-axis, it was approxi-
19–25° was used. mately 2 mm, a network of points was established that was treated
Overlapping the digital models (the one initially designed as both a precision traverse and as a partial and local microtrian-
with the one obtained by laser scanning) highlighted the follow- gulation network. To increase the accuracy, the distance compo-
ing aspects: nent was measured using the average function, and a rigorous
• The data obtained by terrestrial laser scanning corresponded adjustment of the measurement was done, resulting in ellipse
to the traditional topogeodetic surveys performed by observing errors that fit the designed tolerances. For example, for one net-
the directions and spread of the displacements; work point, the value of the ellipse’s semi-axis was in millimeters

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 Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/15/17. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

© ASCE
0.090

0.070

0.050

M28 7+401.133 Transversal [m]

M29 7+389.407 Transversal [m]
M30 7+368.544 Transversal [m]
0.030 M31 7+360.517 Transversal [m]
M32 7+352.120 Transversal [m]
M33 7+401.234 Transversal [m]
M34 7+389.169 Transversal [m]
M35 7+368.680 Transversal [m]
M36 7+360.735 Transversal [m]
0.010
M37 7+352.092 Transversal [m]

05017004-9
M38 7+401.283 Transversal [m]

Transversal Movements [m]

J. Surv. Eng., -1--1

M39 7+389.106 Transversal [m]
M40 7+368.683 Transversal [m]
0 7 17 24 28 35 42 49 56 63 70 77 82 89 98 108 113 120 127 134 141 149 155 162 168 169 172 175 178 185 189 192 196 199 203 206 210 213 218 245 269
M41 7+360.669 Transversal [m]
M42 7+352.108 Transversal [m]
-0.010

-0.030

-0.050

Period of Observations [days]

Fig. 11. (Color) Evolution of the displacements at the viaduct Valea Mică—upstream parament

J. Surv. Eng.
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© ASCE
0.030

0.020

0.010

0.000
0 7 17 24 28 35 42 49 56 63 70 77 82 89 98 108 113 120 127 134 141 149 155 162 168 169 172 175 178 185 189 192 196 199 203 206 210 213 218 245 269

M13 7+401.430 Transversal [m]

M14 7+389.348 Transversal [m]
-0.010 M15 7+368.644 Transversal [m]
M16 7+360.580 Transversal [m]
M17 7+351.881 Transversal [m]
M18 7+401.512 Transversal [m]
M19 7+389.498 Transversal [m]
-0.020
M20 7+368.778 Transversal [m]
M21 7+360.546 Transversal [m]
M22 7+351.882 Transversal [m]

05017004-10
M23 7+401.429 Transversal [m]

J. Surv. Eng., -1--1

-0.030
M24 7+389.533 Transversal [m]
M25 7+368.712 Transversal [m]

Transversal Movements [m]

M26 7+360.500 Transversal [m]
M27 7+351.858 Transversal [m]
-0.040

-0.050

-0.060

Fig. 12. (Color) Evolution of the displacements at the viaduct Valea Mică—downstream parament
-0.070
Period of Observations [days]

J. Surv. Eng.
 0
7+46

2.70
7+45
231.102
PK / 456 | 11 0
7+44

0
7+42
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0
7+40 226.856
226.543 VA LC 6
VA LC 5
222.423
TA 3 222.894
0 VA LC 7
7+38

0
7+36

224.251 0
TA 2 7+34
225.539
VA LC 8 2.70
7+33

0
7+32

230.585
VAl F 1 Rep
0
7+30

0
7+28

Fig. 13. (Color) Sketch of topographic support network made by the viaduct builder

and for height, the value was 11 mm, which was under the admit- using total stations is much more forthcoming and allows, at the
ted tolerances. same time, a real evaluation of the deformation phenomenon in
Benefits of this accurate traverse network, combined with the essential points of the structure.
partial local triangulation network, can be repeated for a study of
other objectives of this type, thus demonstrating its functionality
and accuracy. By combining data resulting from measurements Conclusions
realized with total stations with the 3D model obtained by laser
scanning, supplementary information was obtained for the points of The reinforced earth viaduct over Valea Mică, km 7 þ 374 (DN6)
interests. From the economic point of view, even though the laser- Caransebes, has a deformed structure in which different types of
scanning technology offers an overview of the studied objective, settlement occurred because the central part of the viaduct was

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Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/15/17. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

Fig. 14. (Color) (a) 3D model first-point cloud obtained from the first scanning station located in front of the east wall of the reinforced earth struc-
ture; (b) 3D model second point cloud obtained from the second scanning station located under the cylindrical arch; (c) 3D model third point cloud
obtained from the third scanning station located in front of the west wall of the reinforced earth structure

supported by a reinforced concrete arch (with pillar foundation); the The geodetic measurements realized for the structure demon-
rest of the viaduct was supported by the natural clay soil (consistent strated their utility in establishing both the causes of the side dis-
plastic clay). placements and the direction of the movements. Also, by their

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Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/15/17. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

(a)

(b)

Fig. 15. (Color) (a) 3D model of the viaduct obtained by using terrestrial laser-scanning technology; (b) 3D model design of the viaduct

© ASCE 05017004-13 J. Surv. Eng.

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 The probability of having nonscanned areas because of shading is
minimal, because one can scan from different angles and then over-
lap the results of the scanning. The entire visible structures of cer-
tain objects are measured and not only at some predefined points,
thus providing the possibility of precise investigations.

Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the strategic Grant POSDRU

107/1.5/S/77265, inside POSDRU Romania 2007–2013, and
cofinanced by the European Social Fund—Investing in People.
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