Knowledge of surveying, particularly reference systems and cartography.

The course provides theoretical, methodological and practical knowledge of the main geomatics techniques used for three-dimensional surveying, documentation, inspection and monitoring of civil infrastructure.

Particular attention is given to terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry, UAV photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning, SLAM systems and Mobile Mapping Systems for the acquisition of high-resolution geometric and radiometric data.

The course covers the entire geomatics surveying workflow: acquisition planning, definition of the reference system, data collection, processing, quality control, multi-sensor integration, deformation analysis, and the production of outputs supporting infrastructure risk assessment, maintenance and monitoring.

The theoretical activities are complemented by practical exercises, the processing of real datasets, field activities and case-study analyses.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course, students will have acquired advanced knowledge of the theoretical, methodological and operational principles of the main geomatics techniques used for three-dimensional surveying, risk assessment and the monitoring of civil infrastructure. In particular, students will be able to understand:

• the geometric and analytical foundations of terrestrial and aerial digital photogrammetry;
• the principles of UAV photogrammetry and the methods used to plan data-acquisition campaigns;
• the operation of terrestrial laser scanning systems and the geometric and radiometric characteristics of point clouds;
• the principles of simultaneous localisation and mapping underlying SLAM systems;
• the architecture and operation of Mobile Mapping Systems;
• direct and indirect data georeferencing methods;
• the principles of integrating photogrammetric, laser-scanning, SLAM, MMS, GNSS and conventional surveying data;
• the concepts of accuracy, precision, resolution, repeatability and reliability of geomatics data;
• the main sources of error associated with data acquisition, processing and output generation;
• methods for multi-temporal comparison and deformation analysis;
• the role of geomatics data in infrastructure inspection, maintenance, management and risk-assessment processes.

Students will also understand the capabilities and limitations of the different surveying techniques and will develop the ability to assess their suitability in relation to the type of infrastructure, operating conditions, scale of analysis and monitoring objectives.

 

Applying knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course, students will be able to apply the knowledge acquired to the design, execution and management of geomatics surveying campaigns aimed at documenting and monitoring civil infrastructure. In particular, students will be able to:

• define the objectives and technical specifications of a surveying campaign;
• select the most appropriate sensors, platforms and methods according to the infrastructure-related problem;
• plan terrestrial and UAV photogrammetric surveys;
• design terrestrial laser-scanning acquisitions;
• organise surveying campaigns using SLAM systems and Mobile Mapping Systems;
• acquire and manage images, laser scans, trajectories and point clouds;
• process photogrammetric blocks and three-dimensional datasets;
• register, georeference, filter, classify and integrate point clouds acquired by different sensors;
• produce orthophotos, digital models, meshes, sections, profiles and three-dimensional representations;
• verify the metric quality and completeness of the acquired data;
• analyse multi-temporal datasets to identify displacements, deformations, geometric changes and deterioration phenomena;
• distinguish actual changes from the effects of noise and measurement errors;
• critically interpret the results in relation to the condition of the infrastructure;
• prepare technical outputs and reports supporting decision-making, maintenance and risk assessment.

Through laboratory activities and case studies, students will develop the ability to implement a complete workflow, from survey design to the generation and interpretation of the final results.

 

Further expected learning outcomes

Making judgements

Students will be able to make independent and well-founded assessments regarding the selection of the most appropriate surveying techniques and processing procedures for specific infrastructure applications.

Communication skills

Students will be able to communicate clearly, rigorously and effectively the methods adopted, the characteristics of the data, the processing results and the associated uncertainties.

Learning skills

Students will develop the ability to independently explore methods, instruments and technologies that are continuously evolving in the field of geomatics applied to infrastructure.

Lectures, field activities and classroom exercises.

Oral examination on the course topics and presentation of the project outputs produced.

1. Geomatics, infrastructure and risk assessment

Introduction to the role of geomatics techniques in the surveying, management and monitoring of civil infrastructure, with reference to the main concepts of risk, vulnerability, deterioration and change detection over time.

2. Surveying with total stations and GNSS systems

The module presents the basic principles of surveying, the use of total stations and GNSS systems, and the procedures for establishing reference networks, control points and high-precision monitoring schemes.

3. Principles of digital photogrammetry

The module introduces the geometric foundations of photogrammetry, image-orientation processes, and three-dimensional reconstruction techniques based on Structure from Motion and Multi-View Stereo.

4. UAV photogrammetry for infrastructure surveying

The module covers UAV mission planning, image acquisition, control-point measurement and data processing for the production of orthophotos, point clouds and three-dimensional models.

5. Terrestrial Laser Scanning

The module explains the operating principles of terrestrial laser scanners, acquisition planning, scan registration and georeferencing, and point-cloud processing.

6. SLAM systems and Mobile Mapping Systems

The module presents mobile surveying systems based on lidar sensors, cameras, GNSS and inertial units, with particular attention to trajectory reconstruction and the surveying of complex environments or areas without satellite-signal availability.

7. Georeferencing, multi-sensor integration and multi-temporal analysis

The module examines procedures for integrating data acquired using different techniques, assessing metric quality, and comparing surveys carried out at different times to identify displacements and deformations.

8. Case studies and applied project

The module focuses on the integrated application of the techniques studied to real infrastructure-monitoring cases through data processing, the production of technical outputs and the critical discussion of results.

Learning materials provided by the teacher.