Reporter No. 62, April 2010, English (PDF 2.17 MB) - Leica ...

62 

The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems

Editorial 

Dear Readers, 

Changes – be them of social, political, economic or 

even personal nature – are an integral part of our life. 

Leica Geosystems has undergone many changes during 

its 200 years of existence. This was partly due to 

economic reasons – our environment changed, and 

so did we. But of the same importance, fundamental 

changes to our company have been fueled through 

new technologies. These have enabled us to evolve 

and develop innovations and new systems that have 

not only shaped our company but have influenced 

the whole industry. 

CONTENTS 

03 

06 

08 

10 

12 

14 

16 

19 

20 

Track Monitoring in Real-Time 

via the Web 

Straight Up to the Sky 

Reclaiming Efficency 

3D Laser Scanning 

Reduces Risks 

Precision Concrete 

for 300 km/h Trains 

Searching for 

Bombs Under Water 

Gateway to Korea 

Adventure Surveying 

on Mont Blanc 

Accurate, Enriched 

Data at Lower Cost 

Changes are an important part of the evolutionary 

cycle and influence every part of our daily lives. 

But change is only successful if one remains true to 

23 

The Leica Lino Family: 

Everything Level 

themselves. Leica Geosystems did so, even as the 

company has continued to innovate, enlarge its customer 

base, and establish itself in many new mar- 

23 

2009 Leica Geosystems HDS 

Worldwide User Conference 

kets – e.g., offering solutions for the construction 

industry, for machine control and for laser scanning. 

On occasion of Bauma, the construction machinery 

exhibition in Munich, in this edition of the “Reporter” 

we have laid a strong focus on the construction and 

engineering business, although we have tried to 

give you an impression on the broadness of Leica 

Geosystems’ applications spectrum. 

Changes held Leica Geosystems also for me personally. 

When I joined the company 15 years ago as a 

surveying engineer, I wouldn’t have thought that I 

could say ‘Enjoy reading the new Reporter!’ to you as 

the new CEO. Thus, in the name of Leica Geosystems, 

I am pleased to invite you to visit our booth at Bauma 

(Hall A3, Booth 141/232) from 19 to 25 April! 

Juergen Dold 

CEO Leica Geosystems 

Imprint 

Reporter: Customer Magazine of Leica Geosystems 

Published by: Leica Geosystems AG, CH-9435 Heerbrugg 

Editorial Office: Leica Geosystems AG, 

9435 Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Phone +41 71 727 34 08, 

reporter@leica-geosystems.com 

Contents responsible: Alessandra Doëll 

(Director Communications) 

Editor: Agnes Zeiner, Konrad Saal 

Publication details: The Reporter is published in English, 

German, French, and Spanish, twice a year. 

Reprints and translations, including excerpts, are subject to 

the editor’s prior permission in writing. 

© Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg (Switzerland), 

March 2010. Printed in Switzerland 

2 | Reporter

Track Monitoring 

in Real-Time via 

the Web 

by Markus Prechtl 

To reduce traffic through town, the local authority 

for the German town of Traunstein decided 

to build a bypass road starting in spring 2009 

and including a new tunnel under the Munich – 

Salzburg railway line. The track owner, Deutsche 

Bahn AG (DB), stipulated continuous monitoring 

of the stretch of rail affected by the tunneling 

operations. Lead consultant Bernd Gebauer 

GmbH decided to install a track position monitoring 

system and engaged consulting engineers 

ing Traunreut GmbH for the task. The system of 

freely combinable measurement sensors from 

Leica Geosystems in conjunction with the Leica 

GeoMoS or GeoMoS Web monitoring software 

proved to be perfectly suited to this task. 

The strict conditions imposed by DB required the 

monitoring system to meet very high demands. The 

installed tilt sensors had to ensure a measuring accuracy 

of ± 0.3 mm/m, while an accuracy of ± 1.0 mm 

was required for total station measurements. Reliability 

of the system is very important, particularly 

with regard to storage and security of the measured 

data. One of the precautions taken by ing Traunreut 

was therefore to install a fallback system for 

data transfer via UMTS, in addition to the fixed data 

>> 

The Global Magazine of Leica Geosystems | 3

lines (DSL), to safeguard data transfer in the event of 

a failure. Another requirement was that the measuring 

system must have an independent power supply 

capable of bridging short-term outages. If the specified 

tolerances are exceeded, the system alerts the 

DB track manager by text message. In addition, there 

is also an optional notification by land-line. 

Data Retrieval with Leica GeoMoS Web 

The engineers are able to display and analyze the captured 

monitoring data over the Internet using Geo- 

MoS Web. The GeoMoS Monitor module uploads measured 

data to the GeoMoS Web server via FTP. There 

the data can be individually configured and displayed 

graphically. Users with appropriate access codes can 

then access the information via web. The use of the 

Leica Geosystems host service (“Software as a Service”) 

minimizes or even eliminates costs for hardware, 

software, and IT. New features are always made 

immediately available to all users and do not require 

any further installation on the customer's computer, 

while the encrypted web service looks after the secure 

transfer of data over the Internet. The customer gains 

access to the graphics on GeoMoS Web from a login 

screen. Once logged in, he can analyze the data, e.g. 

by changing the time frame or extracting the results 

from one or more points or sensors. By installing a 

high-resolution webcam ing Traunreut offers customers 

the additional benefit of a quick overview of the 

actual site conditions through GeoMoS Web. 

Changes in Track Position 

With GeoMoS Web, the client can get information 

about current changes in track position at any time 

during the works. Some of the larger movements 

were observed in particular during tunnel shield driving 

in Phase 2. On two occasions it was necessary to 

carry out track rectification after a depression with a 

vertical displacement of up to 25 mm appeared in a 

length of track. Since the start of track monitoring, 

the track has settled up to 5 cm. However, not just 

tracks are affected: movements were also observed 

in the overhead line masts. A tilt of almost 7 mm/m 

developed in a mast foundation, which translated into 

a displacement of the overhead line of 3 to 4 cm and 

meant that the position of the overhead line on the 

southern mast had to be corrected. All settlements 

were detected at an early stage by the monitoring 

system. This allowed appropriate early corrective 

measures to be implemented before reaching a stage 

where notification of the track maintenance manager 

would have been necessary – which would have triggered 

an expensive temporary closure of that complete 

section. Instead, corrective work could be carried 

out between trains or required only a temporary 

closure of the track in one direction. 


The longitudinal profile shows the settlement 

of the railroad embankment. 

Test Phase with Leica TM30 

The ing Traunreut engineers have used two Leica 

TCA1800 total stations for monitoring since the 

beginning of the project. These traditional monitoring 

instruments impressed the engineers with their 

robustness and reliability. To prepare for future monitoring 

projects with similar or higher requirements, ing 

Traunreut decided to test the new Leica TM30 monitoring 

sensor in this role. After completion of the first 

monitoring phase, one of the TCA1800s was replaced 

by a Leica TM30. The new model remained in operation 

throughout the entire second monitoring phase, 

during which time it made a big impression, measuring 

almost silently with its new piezo drive capable of high- 

er rotation speeds, whilst achieving improved accuracy 

over a longer range. It also offers two very useful 

functions in TargetView and TargetCapture. Using 

TargetView, the instrument can select the correct 

prism from several others in the immediate vicinity. 

The TargetCapture function stores a digital image of 

the field of view for target-point documentation purposes. 

This not only allows the causes of obstructed 

visibility, such as mist, to be identified, it can also 

be combined with a webcam. Compared with the 

TCA1800, in the same time the Leica TM30 measured 

twice as many points with a higher accuracy. 

Conclusion 

This project shows yet again how important and 

worthwhile a monitoring system is for site supervision. 

The measurement and analysis of track deformation, 

including fast reactions to the changes, would not 

have been possible without such a system. Damage 

to existing infrastructure, and possibly to passengers 

and site staff, could have had grave consequences. 

About the Author: 

Markus Prechtl is a surveying engineer working for ing 

Traunreut GmbH. 


Straight Up 

to the Sky 

by André Ribeiro 

When complete, the iconic 1 World Trade Center 

(WTC) in New York City, familiarly known as the 

“Freedom Tower,” will soar 1,776 feet (541 m) 

into the air to become the tallest building in the 

United States. To make sure this architectural 

landmark rises straight and true, DCM Erectors 

will rely on an innovative structural monitoring 

system and positioning technology patented by 

Leica Geosystems, that is uniquely designed to 

precisely position very tall structures along the 

design centerline. 

The monitoring system, called the Core Wall Survey 

System (CWSS), is able to track the vertical positioning 

of the tower’s beams and walls during construction 

to within a few centimeters of the intended 

design, even as the structure moves due to variable 

winds, a shifting foundation, thermal effects from 

the sun’s radiation, or crane loads. The CWSS continuous 

monitoring system comprises a tightly networked 

combination of positioning technology tools 

that includes a Leica GPS GRX1200 Pro high performance 

GNSS reference receiver with AT504 GPS 

choke ring antennas, Leica GPS1200 data collector, 

Leica TPS 1200 total stations and a series of Leica 

NIVEL200 dual-axis inclinometers. 

In the case of the WTC project, the Leica GPS 

GRX1200-based continuously operating reference 

station, part of the Leica SmartNet network, will 

create a precise ground control network around the 

WTC construction site. Next, the DCM Erectors survey 

team will attach a tilt-able 360-degree reflector 

to the bottom of each of three GPS antennas. The 

antenna/reflector combinations will be strategically 

mounted on the structure’s steel frames. Once the 

antennas are in place, ground-based GPS rovers will 

be used to locate active ground control marks and 

position total stations during construction. The total 

stations, clamped onto columns at floor-level stake- 


out, will be used to measure the horizontal and vertical 

directions and the slope distance of any point 

or object on the structure. Stakeout and QA/QC will 

be performed directly within a 3D CAD model using 

Leica fieldPro mobile CAD software. 

Finally, precise Leica Nivel200 inclinometers will be 

installed on the core shear walls as the walls are 

constructed. Aligned with the structure’s coordinate 

system, these inclinometers measure the tilt variation 

of the structure’s main axis. 

To date, construction crews have installed all 24 

70-ton, 60-foot-high jumbo perimeter columns for 

1 World Trade Center as well as the structural steel 

to bring the building to 105 feet above street level. 

Within the next few years, this USD 3.1 billion, 

2.6-million-squarefoot (240,000 m²) architectural 

landmark is scheduled to soar a symbolic 1,776 feet 

(541 m) skyward to become America's tallest building 

– and Leica Geosystems is honored to provide 

groundbreaking positioning technologies to accurately 

guide every step of the way. 

Using this interconnected CWSS monitoring solution, 

the DCM Erectors survey team will be able to monitor 

the installation of the columns and shear walls at 

each floor for vertical accuracy, even as the structure 

moves during construction. The construction crews 

also look to the survey team to guarantee elevator 

vertical shaft accuracy and to monitor building 

compression and compensate as construction progresses. 

About the author: 

André Ribeiro is Director of Marketing 

at Leica Geosystems Inc., Norcross/USA. 


Reclaiming 

Efficency 

by Daniel C. Brown 

How many surveyors are needed to stay ahead 

of 75 to 100 construction workers building a 

USD 100 million wastewater treatment and reclamation 

plant addition Using traditional total 

stations and data collectors, such a project 

would normally require four or five people to 

handle the construction survey work. However, 

new-generation surveying equipment enabled 

field engineer John Simms to complete all of the 

work by himself. 

The expansion site occupies 15 acres (6 ha). Construction 

will include four new secondary clarifiers, 

each 140 feet (43 m) in dia-meter; four new aeration 

basins, typically 95 feet by 185 feet (29 x 56 m); a 

new reactivated sludge pump station; a switchgear 

station; a new blower building; an electrical building; 

an electrical building transformer pad; inlet structures; 

and other buildings. 

To manage the project, field engineer John Simms 

used a newly acquired Leica PowerTracker robotic 

total station with automatic target recognition capa- 


ilities, a Leica PowerAntenna GNSS receiver, a Leica 

MCP 950C data collector and various accessories. 

“We have easily paid for the system on just this project 

because we did not have to pay a full surveying 

crew,” Simms says. 

The GNSS receiver uses Bluetooth connectivity for 

wireless communication to the data collector, and 

it processes GLONASS signals as well as GPS for 

improved satellite coverage. Simms used a Leica GPS 

base station (part of the public Leica Spider Network 

in the region) owned by the water reclamation district 

overseeing the project. 

A Flexible Setup 

A substantial part of John Simms’ work on this project 

involved collecting as-built observations of existing 

treatment plant works. However, he also used a combination 

of the GNSS equipment and robotic total station 

to give earthmoving crews cut and fill information 

for rough grading and to take measurements in duct 

banks. According to Simms, the flexibility of the Leica 

Geosystems system enabled him to connect the prism 

for the total station, the data collector, and the GNSS 

antenna onto the survey rod all at once. By mounting 

the Leica PowerAntenna on top of the 360-degree 

prism, Simms could simply select which equipment he 

wanted to use. For example, if he was staking out 

building corners with the robotic total station and a 

construction crew had an urgent need for an as-built 

of a pipe in another corner of the site, Simms could 

quickly do the as-built with the GNSS system and then 

return to his task of staking out the building - all with 

the same integrated equipment. 

When construction crews were ready to excavate for 

a new building, Simms gave them the building lines, 

the bottom of footers and the cuts and fills for rough 

grade. He gave the crews offsets and a cut sheet with 

an AutoCAD drawing. On lath stakes, he marked the 

point identification, the distance of offset, the point 

number, and the elevation of the established point. 

New-generation surveying equipment enabled 

field engineer John Simms to complete all of the 

work by himself. 

other,” Simms says. “And it has an automatic correction 

for temperature and barometric pressure. I really 

like that. Collecting as-builts with the GNSS system is 

also quick and easy: I was able to do the work myself, 

check the work myself, and I was able to turn it in to 

the engineers,” Simms completes. 

It’s a far cry from the way such projects used to be 

handled. The increased efficiency is undoubtedly saving 

both time and money for the contractor, and it’s 

allowing John Simms to stay on the cutting edge. 

In his AutoCAD drawing, he selected the four building 

corners and the bottom of the footer elevation and 

downloaded the points from the software into his 

data collector, which contained a localization file (the 

northing, easting and elevation control points used 

to lay out the plan). He then went to the field to lay 

out the building. “It [the Leica Geosystems total station] 

takes two shots and compares them to each 


Daniel C. Brown is the owner of TechniComm, 

a communications business based in Des Plaines, 

Illinois/USA. 


© The Seattle Public Library 

3D Laser Scanning 

Reduces Risks 

by Geoff Jacobs 

In construction, there’s a big premium on identifying 

and fixing potential field problems early 

– well before a crane is lowering something critical 

into place and the ugly discovery is made that 

things don’t fit or something’s in the way. Such 

problems can be especially costly on projects 

involving complex structures. For one contractor 

however, this type of risk has been sharply 

reduced thanks to Leica Geosystems High- 

Definition Surveying (HDS) 3D laser scanners 

and software and the way the contractor 

takes advantage of them. In fact, Hoffman Construction, 

a US-based $1 billion/yr contractor, 

has been successfully minimizing project risks 

and achieving additional project benefits with 

HDS since 2003. 

Hoffman’s first risk-reduction project using HDS took 

advantage of a Leica HDS2500 scanner and Cyclone 

software for an 11-story library project in Seattle. It 

featured over 11,000 m² of glass panels. The complex 

supporting structure needed to be accurately 

as-built for Hoffman’s curtain wall contractor, Seele 

(Gersthofen, Germany), to pre-fabricate the complex 

panel geometries. Using their HDS tools to create the 

needed as-builts, panel installation went smoothly. 

Since then, Hoffman has continuously expanded its 

use of laser scanning, upgrading their HDS capabilities 

along the way. 

Re-purposing an Office Building 

As part of a project to re-purpose a 14-story office 

building into a Marriott hotel in Portland, Hoffman 

used their new Leica ScanStation scanner and 

Cyclone software to conduct flatness studies of each 

floor and to provide structural data to the design 

team. Using Leica Cyclone software, scan data was 

modeled and attributed, separating out the floor, 

walls, and columns. This analysis uncovered a couple 

of places with up to 3” (76 mm) column grid offset 

from one floor to the next. Dale Stenning, Operations 

Manager for Hoffman, told attendees at the 

2009 Leica Geosystems HDS Worldwide User Conference, 

“Had we not noticed the column offset early, 

we would have had a huge problem later on when it 

was finally discovered.” 


Later, after the original façade was removed, Hoffman 

used their Leica ScanStation to survey the 

floor’s slab edges for the new façade’s panel contractor. 

Original panel designs were based on uniformly 

flat floor/curb edges, but the High-Definition 

Survey revealed very irregular geometry. Collaborating 

with the panel contractor, a decision was made 

to build up new curb elevations. These were then 

scanned with HDS and new shop drawings were provided 

to the panel contractor. The result: another 

smooth installation. 

A Record Before Concrete 

is Poured and More … 

Hoffman has also used HDS to capture the location 

of rebar on post-tensioned decks before concrete 

is poured. Should the need arise later, the building 

owner will know exactly where the rebar is without 

using costly, destructive methods to locate it. 

Earthworks has been another application where 

Hoffman has benefited from laser scanning. For 

example, on a 36-acre sewer treatment project site, 

significant quantities of earth had to be moved several 

times. As a check for proper invoicing, once each 

month Hoffman used their Leica ScanStation scanner 

and Cyclone software to quickly calculate accurate 

volumes. In the process, Hoffman also provided accurate 

surface models that aided the sub-contractor in 

grade staking and cut & fill lines. 

Today, Hoffman uses HDS on virtually every “shored 

excavation” to check for excavation movement and 

to ensure a good fit of the shored excavation with 

the building structure to be placed in it. Potential fit 

problems and clashes, such as with re-bar in the footing 

or other protrusions, can be detected beforehand 

by placing a 3D Revit model of a new building into the 

as-built model of the shored excavation. Scanning 

shored excavation only requires two scanner setups 

above the excavation, plus it doesn’t interfere with 

ongoing construction and it’s safer than sending a 

survey crew down into the pit. The detailed construction 

record of the shored excavation is also a valuable 

archive. 

Facility Modifications and BIM Updates 

High-Definition Surveying also proved ideal for a USD 

100 million remodel of a complex baggage handling 

facility at Portland airport. Accurate as-builts enabled 

better remodel design, which reduced project risk. 

This project, like others, involved virtual BIM (Building 

Information Modeling) for collaborative design and 

coordination. Since reality diverges from virtual models, 

Hoffman uses laser scanning as an additional 

“reality layer” for the BIM model. Together, these 

represent a valuable lifecycle management tool. 


Geoff Jacobs is Senior Vice President, Strategic 

Marketing, Leica Geosystems, Inc. 

“It’s all about risk 

and managing it more 

effectively than we 

could in the past.” 

Dale Stenning, Operations Manager, 

Hoffman Construction 


© DBAG/Kniestedt 

Precision Concrete 

for 300 km/h Trains 

by Konrad Saal 

Modern railway infrastructure often presents 

technical challenges for developers and builders 

alike, since high-speed railway tracks have 

to withstand enormous forces and vibrations. 

This also applies to the 123 km section between 

Erfurt and Leipzig/Halle, which forms part of the 

new Intercity Express (ICE) link between Munich 

and Berlin. Deutsche Bahn AG customers will 

eventually be travelling along this stretch at 

speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph), completing 

their journeys to or from the German capital 

in four rather than the current six hours. 

The ICE will travel over six major bridges and 

through three tunnels, the longest being the 

twin-tube Finne Tunnel with a length of almost 

seven kilometers. The precise control of the 

concrete paver that provided the bed for the 

subsequent track construction through the tunnel 

was accomplished with total stations and 

the 3D machine control system PaveSmart 3D 

from Leica Geosystems. 

The required accuracy for the concrete substructure 

in the tunnel tubes, on which the slab track would later 

be installed, was ± 1 cm. The paver’s specified daily 

output was about 120 m per day. Gerhard Baumgartner, 

site manager responsible for the invert concrete 

and who has already had earlier positive experiences 

with Leica Geosystems 3D control systems says: “With 

Leica PaveSmart 3D, Scanlaser GmbH, the German 

distribution partner for Leica Geosystems machine 

control systems, offered the only system available on 

the market capable of supporting Gomaco as well as 

Wirtgen pavers. In the planning stage we were considering 

both manufacturers as suppliers. PaveSmart 

3D is able to access the manufacturer’s 3D interface 

on the machine.” Leica PaveSmart 3D supports 

“Plug & Pave” and therefore offers the advantage of 

being able to communicate with the paver’s interface 

using a simple cable connection, rather than having 

to install complex hydraulics. This also saves valuable 

time when setting up the system. Work on the trial 

length of invert concrete was started within just one 

day of installation. 

“The Scanlaser specialists were on site with the surveying 

engineers from Angermeier Ingenieure GmbH 

as the machine was being set up and together they 

ensured a smooth and reliable start to the invert 

concreting works,” confirms Baumgartner. Anger- 


meier Ingenieure had already used its Leica TPS1800 

total stations to support the driving of the Finne 

Tunnel. Consequently, there was no need for data 

conversion when preparing the paver control data. 

No Stringlines through the Tunnel 

3D machine control reduces the costs and complexity 

of two-sided stringline installation and maintenance. 

Baumgartner appreciates the systems’ advantages: 

“Stringlines would have had to be drilled inside 

the tunnel and would have considerably restricted 

machine and truck freedom of movement. By using 

the 3D control system and the Leica TPS1800 total 

stations for machine positioning, it was possible to 

completely dispense with the commonly used stringlines 

in the tunnel.” 

The Finne Tunnel project would hardly have been 

possible with stringlines: normally, trucks delivering 

material to the concrete slip form paver reverse 

along the tunnel. The longer the distance, the more 

difficult and time-consuming the journey becomes. 

Driving in forward and turning the vehicles around 

conventionally in the tunnel once they reached the 

paver was out of the question due to its narrowness. 

The solution was the installation of a turntable, which 

allowed the trucks to drive in forwards. An excavator 

was then able to distribute the tipped material evenly 

in front of the slipform paver. Stringlines would constantly 

have been damaged or destroyed. The construction 

site management estimates that removing 

the need for stringlines saved between EUR 10,000 

– 20,000 on the costs of materials and installation. 

Objectives and Requirements Exceeded 

Since its initial installation at the beginning of 

November 2009 there has not been a single system 

failure. Control measurements confirm that the surface 

of the installed concrete has always been within 

the specified height tolerances. “The achieved vertical 

accuracy of ± 3 mm has by far outperformed the 

required accuracy of max. ± 1 cm,” report both Gerhard 

Baumgartner and the surveying engineers from 

Angermeier Ingenieure GmbH. Higher productivity is 

a further advantage of 3D control: the installation 

speed of the concrete invert was around 10 per cent 

higher than the required speed of 120 m/day. 

Finne Tunnel 

The Finne Tunnel is being constructed for Deutsche 

Bahn AG by a consortium comprising Wayss & Freytag 

Ingenieurbau AG, Max Bögl Bauunternehmung GmbH 

Co. KG, and Porr Technobau und Umwelt GmbH. 

The two tunnels were driven at the same time 

using shield tunnel boring machines with continuous 

installation of tubbing segments as a single-shell 

tunnel lining. Some 48,000 tubbing ring segments 

were manufactured on site in a specially set up tubbing 

segment production facility. The two tubes 

each have a diameter of approximately 10 meters. 

The profile and the formwork through which the 

concrete slips “as if cast in one pour” during paving 

is shaped to form side shoulders and a drainage 

channel. The advantage of this process is that the 

drainage elements and shoulders do not have to be 

built separately, increasing the stability of the entire 

construction. 

Other tunnel works to date include 16 cross passages 

for rescue routes and technical galleries driven 

using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). 

In a separate step after the concrete invert, the paver 

will be driven through the tunnel again to form a 

walkway on one side and a cable duct chamber on 

the other using conventional techniques. 


Konrad Saal is a surveying engineer and Marketing 

Communications Manager with Leica Geosystems in 

Heerbrugg, Switzerland. 

More information about the entire project at: 

www.vde8.de 


Searching for 

Bombs Under Water 

by Alexander Gerber 

An estimated 7,000 bombs were dropped on 

Dresden during the Second World War. While 

most of them brought death and destruction, 

many still lie underground or in the Elbe river 

– without having detonated – and continue to 

pose a danger to construction projects even 

today, some 65 years later. Matthäi used the 

state-of-the-art Leica RedLine series satellitebased 

machine control system to search for 

undetonated Second World War bombs on and 

around the site for the new Waldschlösschen 

bridge over the Elbe. 

The Matthäi Group, a construction contractor with 

headquarters in Verden, Germany, specializes in 

earthworks, civil and structural engineering. The 

firm's hydraulic engineering department was restructured 

some years ago under the leadership of Dipl.- 

Ing. Jörn Adameit and has since then completed many 

successful projects on Europe's inland waterways. 

During the construction of the new bridge, the contract 

for the unusual task of searching the Elbe deposits 

for bombs was awarded to Berlin-based Heinrich 

Hirdes Kampfmittelräumung GmbH, supported by the 

state-of-the-art satellite-based dredging expertise 

provided by the hydraulic engineering department at 

Matthäi Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG, Verden. 

Prior to construction, the river was scanned with 

probes that captured the positions of any detected 

metal objects to centimeter accuracy, measured their 

depths using echo sound, and plotted the findings in 

a digital model. This model was passed to Matthäi for 

the underwater excavation works. At about 60 locations 

the munitions divers then had to verify whether 

the detected objects were in fact dangerous legacies 

of the war or not. 

Markus Gehring, responsible for positioning and 

excavator engineering, as well as for the creation of 

the hydraulic engineering department’s data model, 

has already fitted out five excavators with the Leica 

RedLine series GNSS positioning system. These systems 

were acquired from Leica Geosystems machine 

control sales and service partner Scanlaser GmbH: 


“We have been using this system for more than a 

year in all conditions. It is a reliable, modular system 

that offers me great flexibility, either as a reference 

station on site or, as for this hydraulic engineering 

job, on the machine.” Each excavator is equipped 

with two Leica MNA1202GG antennas and Leica 

PowerBox GNSS receivers, which calculate positions 

from satellite data and transmit this information to 

the machine controls. 

This two-antenna solution has proved ideal for working 

underwater, as directional information is automatically 

obtained and the bucket position is recognized 

even on moving platforms such as here on 

the pontoon. The excavator driver always knows the 

current 3D position in real time. This data is compared 

with the positions of the objects in question 

recorded on the location drawing. Instead of a bucket, 

the excavator is fitted with a caisson in which the 

munitions divers, protected from the current, can 

be lowered to the location to be investigated – precisely, 

thanks to the GNSS data. “We receive the correction 

data for accurate positioning by radio from 

the reference station or by dialing into the reference 

service,” explains Markus Gehring. This allows the 

divers to be submerged up to three meters into the 

Elbe at the locations of the detected metal objects 

with centimeter accuracy. 

“The detonation of a bomb during the construction 

work for the new Waldschlösschen bridge would be 

a catastrophe. Thank goodness, so far the metal 

objects we have found have been nothing more than 

steel scrap,” says Martin Kralicek, Matthäi's site manager. 

A perfectly functioning system and good service 

are crucial for such a dangerous mission. “The 

excellent, comprehensive service was one of the reasons 

for selecting the Leica RedLine system and for 

working with Scanlaser.” 


Alexander Gerber is a Sales Engineer at Leica 

Geosystems’ German machine control distribution 

partner Scanlaser GmbH. 


Gateway to Korea 

by Joël van Cranenbroeck 

The Yeong-Jong New Airport Highway Bridge, a 

steel, double deck, box-girder suspension bridge, 

links Incheon International Airport to Seoul city 

as a real gateway to Korea. It is the world’s first 

3D self-anchored suspension bridge servicing a 

highway on the upper/lower decks and a railway 

on the lower deck. The bridge crosses the 

sea between Yeong-Jong island and Incheon city 

and lies between Kyeongseo-dong (Changdo) 

and Unbuk-dong (Yeong-Jong island) of Incheon 

city on the Yellow Sea. Leica Geosystems was 

invited by the New Airport Highway Company 

to perform a load test with GNSS RTK technology. 

Equipment and software completed the 

test smoothly, achieving impressive accuracies 

in the range of 1 cm. This load test convincingly 

vindicated the superiority of GNSS based bridge 

monitoring. After the test the upgrade and 

modification of the structural health monitoring 

system was completed using a GNSS monitoring 

system from Leica Geosystems that focuses 

on monitoring the girder geometry and the displacement 

of the bridge towers. 

With Leica Geosystems GNSS RTK technology, the 

geometric structure of the bridge can be monitored 

in real-time and in all weather conditions. The threedimensional 

displacement of towers, main span, and 

suspension cables can be measured directly. All of this 

characteristic information reflecting bridge health can 

be combined with structural models to analyze the 

internal forces affecting the static and dynamic load 

components of the bridge. 

The reliability of bridge health monitoring and evaluation 

can be increased and the risk of potential damage 

to the bridge structure minimized. GNSS monitoring 

can considerably improve the efficiency and effective- 


Monitoring Equipment 

and Software 

Hardware 

2 Leica AT504 GG choke ring antennas 

2 Leica GRX1200 GG Pro reference station receivers 

10 Leica GMX902 GG monitoring receivers 

10 Leica AX1202 GG antennas 

Software 

Leica GNSS Spider GNSS reference network 

controlling and operating software 

Leica GNSS QC GNSS Quality Control 

and Monitoring software 

3rd party analysis software 

ness of maintenance work by providing vital information 

to management and decision makers for bridge 

traffic and structural safety. With the ongoing development 

and improvement of GNSS hardware, processing 

algorithms, and software Leica Geosystems’ 

GNSS monitoring systems will be used ever more 

widely for the monitoring of infrastructure such as 

bridges, buildings, and other structures in the future. 

Meanwhile, the Yeong-Jong bridges’ structural health 

monitoring system plays an active role in the promotion 

and development of digital and intelligent bridge 

engineering. 

The GNSS bridge deformation monitoring system 

consists of GNSS sensors; seismic and temperature 

sensors; dual-axis inclinations sensors; communication 

links; and processing, management, and analysis 

software. All these components form an integrated 

system. When designing the system, the environmental 

situation was considered to be the predominant 

source of error. Multipath is caused by signals 

arriving at the antenna which have been reflected 

by nearby metal objects, ground, or water surfaces. 

The occurrence of this is different at each measuring 

site and therefore cannot be eliminated by differential 

techniques. At the reference station sites, 

a suitable location of the antenna was selected to 

mitigate such reflections. The Leica AT504 GG choke 

ring geodetic GNSS antenna helps reduce multipath 

effects. Several more GNSS receivers and antennas 

were installed (see box) to monitor bridge health. They 

are all connected to Leica GNSS Spider software and 

Leica GNSS QC for advanced coordinate analysis of the 

entire system. 

Two GNSS reference stations were established in stable 

areas. As the start point of each baseline, it is vital 

that the reference stations have precise coordinates 

within the local coordinate system. One reference station 

was installed on the roof of the Bridge Monitoring 

Center, the other at the west side of the bridge. To 

visualize the deflection and its impact on the bridge, 

another 10 GNSS monitoring points were installed. 

These were placed on the two bridge towers; the 

maximum flexibility point of the main span; the 1/9, 

2/9, 4/9, 8/9, and 9/9 points of the bridge; and on 

the cable. Now, using the transformation parameters 

provided by the owner, the system provides threedimensional 

dynamic displacement results within the 

bridge coordinate system. 

>> 


Leica GNSS Spider also provides an interface for third 

party analysis software via the serial and TCP/IP ports. 

Any analysis software that uses standard NMEA format 

can be used. With real time bridge coordinates, 

the analysis software can display a dynamic view of 

the distortion curve, store data, and execute statistical 

analysis and messaging in real time. Moreover, 

Leica GNSS QC quality control and analysis software 

can be used to do a comprehensive review of the 

results. It proved to be an indispensable tool for 

checking data and results in the design and operational 

stages. 

20 Hz measurement rate, the bridge monitoring system 

is able to detect high frequency vibrations. To 

enhance overall reliability and stability, and according 

to the recommendations made by Leica Geosystems, 

the Yeong-Jong bridge monitoring system has two reference 

stations. Leica GNSS Spider supports multiple 

reference stations to enable redundant checks. If the 

communication to one reference station breaks down, 

the other reference station can be used as a backup 

for processing any combination of baselines. Leica 

GNSS Spider can process observations from both L1 

single-frequency and L1+L2 dual-frequency GNSS 

receivers. Thus a single-frequency GNSS receiver can 

also be used for the bridge monitoring application in a 

low motion mode. 

The installation of the GNSS monitoring system was 

realized by Leica Geosystems Korea. The integration 

of the system into the structural health monitoring 

solution that includes more than 250 other sensors 

was carried out by BT Engineering South Korea. 

Monitoring display for analysis. 

Leica GNSS Spider – the link between the 

sensors and the monitoring system 

Communication requirements are greatly simplified 

through Leica GNSS Spiders’ centralized RTK concept. 

Receiver equipment can be remotely controlled and 

monitored, and the status of the entire monitoring 

system can be obtained at anytime. Operating at a 


Joël van Cranenbroeck is Business Development Manager 

for Geodetic Monitoring at Leica Geosystems AG, 

Heerbrugg, Switzerland. He has led the development 

of hardware and software solutions for GNSS Network 

RTK for Leica Geosystems since 2001 and has made 

some significant contributions in Geodetic Monitoring 

development and applications such as the method 

statement for aligning along vertical high rise structures 

(Burj Dubai). 

The Yeong-Jong Bridge 

The construction of the Yeong-Jong bridge began 

in December 1993. The bridge was completed and 

opened to traffic in November 2000. The total length 

of the bridge and main span of the suspension bridge 

is 4,420 m and 550 m, respectively. The bridge is 35 m 

wide and has 49 piers. The east and west towers are 

107 m high. The bridge is divided into three parts: 

suspension bridge (550 m), steel truss (2,250 m), and 

steel deck (1,620 m). 

The Bridge Monitoring Center was built at the east 

side of the bridge (New Airport Highway office) and 

equipped with a fiber optic communication system, 

closed circuit television, information management 

system, message sign system, emergency call system, 

broadcast system, etc. 


Adventure 

Surveying 

on Mont Blanc 

by Hélène Leplomb and Farouk Kadded 

Every two years, the chartered land surveyors 

of Haute-Savoie and Leica Geosystems measure 

the elevation of Mont Blanc, the roof of Europe, 

the famous mountain straddling the Franco-Italian 

border. 

The aims of these technical and human expeditions 

are to provide the general public with an unusual 

insight into the profession of the chartered land surveyor, 

to test the reliability and precision of Leica 

Geosystems’ GNSS in difficult conditions, and to 

contribute to helping the scientific community provide 

answers to questions concerning variations in 

climate. Measuring the summit of Mont Blanc on a 

regular basis provides glaciologists, geographers, 

nivologists (snow experts), and meteorologists with 

data on the variations of a glacier at its source. 

With the GNSS measurements taken in September 

2009 at the summit under the supervision of Farouk 

Kadded, Product Manager at Leica Geosystems in 

France, it is possible to determine the mountains' 

elevation and to create a 3D model of the ice sheet. 

The 5 th measurement expedition to this superb 

experimentation site confirmed once more the reliability 

and robustness of the Leica SmartRover realtime 

GNSS receiver, which provided measurements 

to within one centimeter in the harsh conditions of 

high altitude and freezing temperatures. The Leica 

Geoystems team was hardly surprised since this was 

the 4 th Leica Geosystems instrument to be subjected 

to such extreme conditions, following in the footsteps 

of the Leica GPS500 in 2001 and 2003, the 

Leica GPS1200 in 2005, and the Leica SmartStation 

in 2007. 


Accurate, Enriched 

Data at Lower Cost 

by Ann Hovland 

When the CH2M HILL survey team set out to 

map the City of Woodburn, Oregon’s 1,500 sewer 

manholes, the challenge was to gather and 

organize a varied group of data with a limited 

budget. For each manhole the client wanted: 

the pipe invert elevation; pipe size and type; 

documentation of condition; amount of debris; 

and photos. A traditional approach would have 

generated an inordinate number of notes that 

would have been difficult to organize and deliver 

within budget. After considering various 

products, the team chose Leica MobileMatriX 

on ArcGIS, a survey software that provided the 

team with geographic information system (GIS) 

capabilities and survey-grade accuracy in the 

field. The field integration of GIS enabled the 

team to complete all fieldwork 16 days ahead 

of schedule and 25 % under budget even while 

using MobileMatriX for the first time. 

Woodburn’s wastewater collection and transmission 

system had been under continual expansion since it 

was implemented. There was concern about localized 

areas and the City needed to evaluate the long-term 

condition and capacity of its collection and transmission 

system. In order to make sound investment decisions, 

the City needed a map of its system. Existing 

data about the collection system was stored in 

two separate systems and was known to be inaccurate 

and incomplete. The goals for mapping were: 

consolidate system asset data into a single GIS database 

and dramatically improve the accuracy of the 

spatial data. 

“While brainstorming a possible approach, we had 

the usual discussion about cost verses accuracy,” said 


1,500 manholes in 45 days 

The City of Woodburn’s decision to let the CH2M HILL 

survey team try a new approach to mapping its manholes 

yielded more accurate data, delivered within 

less time, and for less money than expected. The 

team’s original project plan allowed for 61 field days. 

Once the crew was in the field, progress increased 

exponentially as experience and confidence with Leica 

MobileMatriX picked up. The crew estimated that it 

spent 25 % less time per manhole, and surveyed 170 % 

more manholes per day, than planned. They finished 

all fieldwork within 45 days, 25 % under budget. “We 

took a chance with having to learn and use new software 

on a job that needed a quick turn around, but 

that risk paid off in the end,” said Adam Casalegno. 

Tony Brooks, PLS, survey and mapping manager at 

CH2M HILL. “We talked about what competitors might 

propose. Many would likely suggest low-cost options 

that could not achieve the requested accuracies. Others 

would probably fulfill accuracy requirements and 

blow the budget. We wondered how we might find the 

middle ground.” The team was well aware of the fact 

that the most challenging aspect of the project was 

data integration. Successful integration of existing 

data and data integrity was crucial to project success 

because initial data acquisition and ongoing maintenance 

would otherwise become a time-consuming 

process. The team began to discuss the possibilities 

offered by a mobile GIS approach. 

With Leica MobileMatriX, the team estimated it 

could significantly reduce the workflow and costs by 

going directly from point collection to end product in 

one step. CH2M HILL rolled the dice and decided to 

propose an integrated GIS/survey approach to meet 

the client’s accuracy and budget requirements. The 

gamble paid off and the City had all of its data needs 

fulfilled, with money left over for additional survey 

tasks. 

Short Learning Curve with little Downtime 

To run the MobileMatriX software, the team needed a 

field-compatible computer, i.e. it needed to be rugged 

and minimize sunlight glare on the screen display. For 

these reasons, the team opted to use “electronic tablets” 

instead of laptops; the tablets also offered touch 

screen capability. CH2M HILL purchased an Xplorer 

tablet from Xplorer Technologies and loaded ArcGIS 

Version 9.2 and Leica MobileMatriX Version 3.0 onto 

it. The tablet had Bluetooth technology which could 

wirelessly send data back and forth between the Leica 

GPS1200 and Leica TPS1200 instruments. The Xplorer 

tablet was purchased with an internal cell modem for 

Internet access to ORGN, the Oregon Real Time GPS 

Network, and the office network. 

The use of Leica 

MobileMatriX for data 

acqusition and management 

of the waste water system 

saved CH2M HILL valuable 

time and money, as the 

survey data was directly 

integrated into the GIS. 

Once all the gear was assembled, the crew needed to 

learn how to use it. They contacted Leica Geosystems, 

who assigned a technician to the job of bringing 

>> 


everyone up to speed. After a week of long phone 

calls and some trial and error, the tablets (and operators) 

were running smoothly. ”Like any new software, 

Leica MobileMatriX took some time to learn, but 

with help from Leica Geosystems technicians, the 

team was able pick it up quickly without much down 

time,” said Adam Casalegno, survey technician at 

CH2M HILL. 

Once in the field, with a GIS background of the sewer 

system at their fingertips, surveyors were able to 

quickly locate the manholes. The field crew collected 

the data and transferred it onto the portable tablet PC 

via Leica MobileMatriX, which linked data to the CH2M 

HILL office network version of the City’s functioning 

GIS database. The crew could work independent of 

the City’s database for long periods, then synchronize 

the office database with the updated field database 

later when a connection to the CH2M HILL office 

server could be made. Data changes were then transferred 

and integrated with the central database using 

the ArcGIS check-in process. This approach enabled 

the crew to manipulate, update, and add survey-grade 

information and synchronize it with office data in the 

field rather than having to upload data to a survey 

program and clean it up later. This reduced data cleanup 

time by approximately 70 %. 

Integrated Approach Streamlines Workflow 

Using the integrated survey/GIS approach the crew cut 

the number of workflow steps in half, and all clean up 

of data could be done in the field after each manhole 

was measured. Leica MobileMatriX provided full functionality 

for field crews to finish work in the field. The 

background maps, combined with the immediate map 

display and labeling of field measurements, enabled 

immediate feedback on the accuracy of measurements. 

No expensive re-measuring was required. The 

complete map could be finished in the field, including 

symbols, legends, and north arrows. 


Ann Hovland, is a writer at CH2M HILL, a global leader 

in full-service engineering, consulting, construction, 

and operations. 


The Leica Lino Family: 

Everything Level and Perfectly Plumb 

The introduction of the Leica Lino 2 in 2007 set a 

new standard for cross line lasers, and in the same 

year received the Red Dot Product Design Award. 

Craftsmen appreciate the Leica Lino 2 because of its 

outstanding optics and the proven quality. Encouraged 

by this success, Leica Geosystems has created a 

comprehensive product palette around these handy 

tools and has recently expanded it with three point 

and line lasers that optimally cover all areas of application. 

The new Leica Lino P3, Lino P5, and Lino L2P5 

perfect all aligning, plumbing, and leveling tasks. 

The Leica Lino L2P5 combines all the advantages into 

one compact instrument. The five laser dots, exactly 

aligned at right angles to one another, simplify plumbing, 

setting out, and transfer of measured points. 

All Leica Lino point and line lasers project millimeteraccurate 

lines and/or dots, and automatically level 

themselves to compensate for minor angular misalignments 

of up to ± 4°. A comprehensive range of 

original accessories augments the standard product 

package. 

Function P3 P5 L2 L2P5 

Plumbing up and down X X X 

Setting out right angles X X 

Horizontal leveling X X X X 

Vertical alignment X X 

Vertical and horizontal alignment X X 

Aligning at an angle X X 

2009 Leica Geosystems HDS Worldwide 

User Conference: A Great Success 

Leica Geosystems 7 th annual worldwide user conference 

for users of its High-Definition Surveying 

(HDS) laser scanning products was held 26-28 

October 2009, in San Ramon, California. Despite the 

global recession, more than 250 participants from 

20 countries attended, a strong symbol of continued 

high interest in 3D laser scanning. 

The next HDS Worldwide User Conference is planned 

for 25-27 Oct 2010 in San Ramon. Find out more at 

www.leica-geosystems.com/hds. 

The conference featured 38 presentations, including 

a keynote by Dr. Dieter Fritsch, Director of the 

Institute for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 

University of Stuttgart. Many presentations were by 

users describing their latest HDS applications, workflows, 

and marketing techniques in civil, buildings/ 

BIM, plant, forensics, heritage, and mobile scanning 

markets. Leica Geosystems’ Dr. Greg Walsh gave an 

insightful presentation on the new, compact, “all-inone” 

laser scanner Leica ScanStation C10. 


www.leica-geosystems.com 

Australia 

CR Kennedy & Company Pty Ltd. 

Melbourne 

Phone +61 3 9823 1555 

Fax +61 3 9827 7216 

France 

Leica Geosystems Sarl 

Le Pecq Cedex 

Phone +33 1 30 09 17 00 

Fax +33 1 30 09 17 01 

Netherlands 

Leica Geosystems B.V. 

Wateringen 

Phone +31 88 001 80 00 

Fax +31 88 001 80 88 

Sweden 

Leica Geosystems AB 

Sollentuna 

Phone +46 8 625 30 00 

Fax +46 8 625 30 10 

Austria 

Leica Geosystems Austria GmbH 

Vienna 

Phone +43 1 981 22 0 

Fax +43 1 981 22 50 

Germany 

Leica Geosystems GmbH Vertrieb 

Munich 

Phone + 49 89 14 98 10 0 

Fax + 49 89 14 98 10 33 

Norway 

Leica Geosystems AS 

Oslo 

Phone +47 22 88 60 80 

Fax +47 22 88 60 81 

Switzerland 

Leica Geosystems AG 

Glattbrugg 

Phone +41 44 809 3311 

Fax +41 44 810 7937 

Belgium 

Leica Geosystems NV 

Diegem 

Phone +32 2 2090700 

Fax +32 2 2090701 

Hungary 

Leica Geosystems Hungary Kft. 

Budapest 

Phone +36 1 814 3420 

Fax +36 1 814 3423 

Poland 

Leica Geosystems Sp. z o.o. 

Warsaw 

Phone +48 22 338 15 00 

Fax +48 22 338 15 22 

United Kingdom 

Leica Geosystems Ltd. 

Milton Keynes 

Phone +44 1908 256 500 

Fax +44 1908 256 509 

Brazil 

Comercial e Importadora WILD Ltda. 

São Paulo 

Phone +55 11 3142 8866 

Fax +55 11 3142 8886 

India 

Elcome Technologies Private Ltd. 

Gurgaon (Haryana) 

Phone +91 124 4122222 

Fax +91 124 4122200 

Portugal 

Leica Geosystems, Lda. 

Moscavide 

Phone +351 214 480 930 

Fax +351 214 480 931 

UAE 

Leica Geosystems c/o Hexagon 

Dubai 

Phone +971 4 299 5513 

Fax +971 4 299 1966 

Canada 

Leica Geosystems Ltd. 

Willowdale 

Phone +1 416 497 2460 

Fax +1 416 497 8516 

Italy 

Leica Geosystems S.p.A. 

Cornegliano Laudense 

Phone + 39 0371 69731 

Fax + 39 0371 697333 

Russia 

Leica Geosystems OOO 

Moscow 

Phone +7 95 234 5560 

Fax +7 95 234 2536 

USA 

Leica Geosystems Inc. 

Norcross 

Phone +1 770 326 9500 

Fax +1 770 447 0710 

China P.R. 

Leica Geosystems AG, 

Representative Office Beijing 

Phone +86 10 8569 1818 

Fax +86 10 8525 1836 

Japan 

Leica Geosystems K.K. 

Tokyo 

Phone +81 3 5940 3011 

Fax +81 3 5940 3012 

Singapore 

Leica Geosystems Techn. Pte. Ltd. 

Singapore 

Phone +65 6511 6511 

Fax +65 6511 6500 

Denmark 

Leica Geosystems A/S 

Herlev 

Phone +45 44 54 02 02 

Fax +45 44 45 02 22 

Korea (Republic of) 

Leica Geosystems KK 

Seoul 

Phone +82 2 598 1919 

Fax +82 2 598 9686 

South Africa 

Hexagon Geosystems Pty.Ltd. 

Douglasdale 

Phone +27 1146 77082 

Fax +27 1146 53710 

Finland 

Leica Nilomark OY 

Espoo 

Phone +358 9 6153 555 

Fax +358 9 5022 398 

Mexico 

Leica Geosystems S.A. de C.V. 

Mexico D.F. 

Phone +525 563 5011 

Fax +525 611 3243 

Spain 

Leica Geosystems, S.L. 

Barcelona 

Phone +34 934 949 440 

Fax +34 934 949 442 

Illustrations, descriptions, and technical data are not binding. All rights reserved. Printed in Switzerland. 

Copyright Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg, Switzerland, 2010. 741803en – III.10 – RVA 

Head Office 

Leica Geosystems AG 

Heinrich-Wild-Strasse 

CH-9435 Heerbrugg 

Phone +41 71 727 31 31 

Fax +41 71 727 46 74 

www.leica-geosystems.com

Reporter No. 62, April 2010, English (PDF 2.17 MB) - Leica ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?