Abstract
This article presents a method for measuring the geometry of crane rails with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). Two sets of crane rails were divided into segments, their planes were adjusted, and the characteristic rail lines were defined. We used their profiles to define the positional and altitude deviations of the rails, the span and height difference between the two rails, and we also verified that they complied with the Eurocode 3 standard. We tested the method on crane rails at the hydroelectric power plant in Krško and the thermal power plant in Brestanica. We used two scanning techniques: “pure” TLS (Riegel VZ-400) and “hybrid” TLS (Leica MS50) scanning. This article’s original contribution lies in the detailed presentation of the computations used to define the characteristic lines of the rails without using the numeric procedures from existing software packages. We also analysed the influence of segment length and point density on the rail geometry results, and compared the two laser scanning techniques. We also compared the results obtained by terrestrial laser scanning with the results obtained from the classic polar method, which served as a reference point for its precision.
Highlights
A crane’s bridge has to move along the crane’s rails with minimum inclination and resistance, as we otherwise encounter the unacceptable wear of wheels and rails
The goal of our research was to discover whether terrestrial laser scanning (TLS, [1,2]) could be used to obtain a point cloud that would provide data for the control measurements of a crane rail’s geometry that would allow us to state with certainty that the construction fulfils the demands set by the Eurocode 3 standard
TLS measurements were performed on two sets of crane rails, each approximately 50 m long: one in the production hall of the hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in Krško (Figure 3), the other in the thermal power plant (TPP) in Brestanica (Figure 6)
Summary
A crane’s bridge has to move along the crane’s rails with minimum inclination and resistance, as we otherwise encounter the unacceptable wear of wheels and rails. Wrong movements result in expensive repairs, loss of work, and inefficient crane use. The correct position and geometry of the crane needs to be ensured. The condition of the crane rails is monitored by control measurements. The goal of our research was to discover whether terrestrial laser scanning (TLS, [1,2]) could be used to obtain a point cloud that would provide data for the control measurements of a crane rail’s geometry that would allow us to state with certainty that the construction fulfils the demands set by the Eurocode 3 standard. TLS measurements were performed on two sets of crane rails, each approximately 50 m long: one in the production hall of the hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in Krško (Figure 3), the other in the thermal power plant (TPP) in Brestanica (Figure 6)
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