Assessing volume earthwork by using unconventional photogrammetry

Abstract

"Unconventional Photogrammetry" is a measurement methodology which does not require "Camera Calibration" and can use regular consumer camera. The calculation of its "internal and external parameters" is more complicated and less precise than "Traditional Photogrammetry". But when disaster occurs, Unconventional Photogrammetry can use readily available photos to reconstruct its 3D terrain data very quickly. By comparing this reconstructed terrain data with the terrain data before the disasters, we can quantify the changes in elevation during disasters. In this paper, we chose a large-scale slope failure event which occurred on the Cidu section of Formosan Freeway on 2010/04/25 at 14:33 and used "Unconventional Photogrammetry" to reconstruct terrain data from two different periods. We estimated that the earthwork volume of the landslide was around 225,078.5 m3; and this is close to the result published by Ministry of Transportation and Communications R.O.C. (2010a). It shows that this method is indeed feasible and is able to effectively, economically, rapidly, and quantitatively measure the terrain elevation variations before and after disasters. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.