Computer vision‐based monitoring of the 3‐D structural deformation of an ancient structure induced by shield tunneling construction

• Published in: Structural control and health monitoring Vol. 28; no. 4
• Main Authors: Ye, Xiao‐Wei, Jin, Tao, Ang, Peng‐Peng, Bian, Xue‐Cheng, Chen, Yun‐Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pavia Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.04.2021
• Subjects: 3‐D structural deformation; ancient structure; Computer vision; Deformation; Deformation effects; Environmental factors; Environmental monitoring; Error reduction; Historic sites; Historical structures; Monitoring; Security; shield tunneling; Structural engineering; structural health monitoring; Structural safety; target‐free; Tunnel construction; Tunneling; Tunneling shields; Underground construction
• ISSN: 1545-2255; 1545-2263
• DOI: 10.1002/stc.2702

Summary Shield tunneling is an efficient method of the tunnel construction for the system of underground transportation, but it will disturb the surrounding soil and affect the security of nearby structures. The monitoring for deformation of the structures influenced by the tunneling construction is crucial for structural safety evaluation, especially for the ancient structures. The computer vision‐based structural deformation monitoring approach is a newly developed method that has advantages such as, long‐distance, noncontact, and so on, which provides a promising tool for deformation monitoring of ancient structures. This study applied a computer vision‐based method for field monitoring of three‐dimensional (3‐D) deformation of an ancient tower under the influence of shield tunneling. The target‐free strategy was adopted to eliminate the need for installation of artificial makers on the surface of the tower. The environmental factors during the long‐term monitoring were discussed, especially the influence of temperature variation. Background modification was employed to reduce the error induced by the microchange of camera position. The long‐term 3‐D deformations of the ancient tower including vertical settlement and horizontal deformation in two directions during the shield tunneling construction were obtained. The results indicate that the proposed computer vision‐based method offers an efficient and cost‐effective approach to monitor the 3‐D deformation of the ancient structure and further for structural safety evaluation.