Terrestrial laser scanning for deformation monitoring: Load tests on the Felsenau Viaduct (CH)

Abstract

In conjunction with future renovation work on the 33-year-old Felsenau viaduct (CH), which is part of the Swiss highway A1 and one of the most remarkable concrete bridge structures in Switzerland, load tests were performed for evaluating the fatigue resistance and refining the analytical models. The bridge girder was therefore loaded with more than 100 tons. The Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry at ETH Zurich was responsible for deformation monitoring during the load tests. In addition to traditional surveying methods such as precise levelling and tacheometry, terrestrial laser scanning was performed for the detection of deformations. This paper presents unique load tests on the Felsenau viaduct as well as results of deformation monitoring with focus on measurements by terrestrial laser scanning. Furthermore, a comparison of terrestrial laser scanning and precise levelling isdescribed.