Our Remote Sensing department recently deployed various LiDAR technologies to capture the data our client required for the design of a penstock replacement at an existing hydroelectric facility on the Mohawk River.
The portion of penstock scheduled to be replaced runs from the intake structure to the powerhouse and is approximately five feet in diameter, 120 feet long, and has a vertical rise of approximately 75 feet. The area around the penstock had very limited access and necessitated remote sensing technology to complete the survey.
UAV LiDAR and terrestrial laser scanning were utilized to document the existing conditions of the topographic survey area and the exterior of the penstock.
To document the interior of the penstock, SLAM LiDAR technology was deployed.
In support of engineering design, Thew acquired low altitude aerial LiDAR data and colored digital aerial photography, utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a Riegl VUX120 LiDAR sensor with integrated RGB camera to create 20-scale mapping with a one-foot contour interval, for topographic and planimetric mapping.
The colored digital aerial photography was utilized to create high resolution digital ortho imagery and facilitate the preparation of planimetric mapping, while the LiDAR data was utilized to create the digital terrain model and topographic mapping.
- Terrestrial laser scanning of the exterior of the No. 2 penstock and surrounding bedrock and concrete.
- Terrestrial laser scanning of the interior of the No. 2 penstock at the proposed new connection points.
- Conventional surveying to establish project and supplemental control, site benchmarks, site utilities, and in areas where additional information is required.
