3D Digital Documentation of a Cultural Heritage Site Using Terrestrial Laser Scanner—A Case Study

Abstract

Cultural heritage sites are the important sites which are given more priority in terms of preservation and conservation, so that they last for a long duration of time. Although modern structures are designed to be resilient to several events, heritage structures usually undergo considerable damages. Irreparable damages have been inflicted on some old structures in such cases, documentation proved to be a very useful tool for the reconstruction of the structure and preserving it. Remote sensing techniques using Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) and Photogrammetry are very effective methods in acquiring 3D information and texture of the structure with least interaction with the structure. The point cloud data from TLS is textured using high-quality photographs acquired from a Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera (DSLR). The colored point cloud data was used to create different sections like top, front, back, left, and right and drawings were made in AutoCAD software. 3D digital documentation is necessarily sufficient to reconstruct the structure in case any damage occurs. The main advantage of using remote sensing technique is that it does not need any physical contact with the surface. Remotely accessed data are very vital in case of cultural heritage site because the present strength of the structure is not known.