Effect of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) parameters on the accuracy of crack measurement in building materials

Abstract

Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) have gained momentum in identifying cracks and deformations. Although TLS efficiency has been recognized over time, the scan data quality is contingent upon various parameters (e.g., material type and scan settings), which impacts the use of TLS. To address this barrier, this study investigates the measurement accuracy in the context of crack analysis in foam board and common building materials (concrete, wood, and masonry) by conducting a set of controlled experiments with different scan settings (e.g., scan distance and angle of incidence). The findings of this study provide practical contributions to using TLS for crack identification, specifically addressing the effect of different parameters on point cloud data quality and proposing boundary ranges for different scan settings regarding different building materials and crack widths to facilitate TLS planning.