The prototype of a software application for laser and image-based surface damage detection

Abstract

Nowadays, ageing and natural hazards pose a significant threat to existing structures since these events generally result in substantial structural damage. Assessing the current conditions of these structures enables determining the necessary actions, such as rehabilitation, repair and etc., required for maintaining the operating status of the structures. In recent years, texture-mapped point clouds, which are captured by using terrestrial laser scanners, have been frequently used for assessing the current conditions of existing structures. Author's previous work has been focusing on developing surface damage detection algorithms, which works on the texture-mapped point clouds, for several damage types. This paper utilises the previously developed surface damage detection algorithms in order to generate the new prototype of a software application that is specifically developed for texture-mapped point clouds. The developed software application is capable of importing point clouds, working with images, extracting damage features such as shape and size, determining condition ratings and producing damage reports for future investigations.