Algorithm-Driven Extraction of Point Cloud Data Representing Bottom Flanges of Beams in a Complex Steel Frame Structure for Deformation Measurement

Laser scanning has become a popular technology for monitoring structural deformation due to its ability to rapidly obtain 3D point clouds that provide detailed information about structures. In this study, the deformation of a complex steel frame structure is estimated by comparing the associated poi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBuildings (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 9; p. 2847
Main Authors Zhao, Yang, Wang, Dufei, Zhu, Qinfeng, Fan, Lei, Bao, Yuanfeng
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2024
Subjects
Algorithms
Clustering
Concrete
Deep learning
Deformation
Feature extraction
Flanges
Frame structures
Laser applications
Laser beams
Lasers
Masonry
Measurement
Methods
point cloud
Registration
Reinforced concrete
Steel
Steel beams
Steel frames
Steel structures
Strain gauges
structure
Technology application
Three dimensional models
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Summary:Laser scanning has become a popular technology for monitoring structural deformation due to its ability to rapidly obtain 3D point clouds that provide detailed information about structures. In this study, the deformation of a complex steel frame structure is estimated by comparing the associated point clouds captured at two epochs. To measure its deformations, it is essential to extract the bottom flanges of the steel beams in the captured point clouds. However, manual extraction of numerous bottom flanges is laborious and the separation of beam bottom flanges and webs is especially challenging. This study presents an algorithm-driven approach for extracting all beams’ bottom flanges of a complex steel frame. RANdom SAmple Consensus (RANSAC), Euclidean clustering, and an originally defined point feature is sequentially used to extract the beam bottom flanges. The beam bottom flanges extracted by the proposed method are used to estimate the deformation of the steel frame structure before and after the removal of temporary supports to beams. Compared to manual extraction, the proposed method achieved an accuracy of 0.89 in extracting the beam bottom flanges while saving hours of time. The maximum observed deformation of the steel beams is 100 mm at a location where the temporal support was unloaded. The proposed method significantly improves the efficiency of the deformation measurement of steel frame structures using laser scanning.
ISSN:2075-5309
2075-5309
DOI:10.3390/buildings14092847