REPORTER 50

GeosystemsThe Magazine of Leica Geosystems

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Published by: Leica Geosystems AGCH-9435 HeerbruggCEO Hans Hess

Editorial Office: Leica Geosystems AG,CH-9435 Heerbrugg, SwitzerlandFax +44 1908 246 259Email: Teresa.Belcher@leica-geosystems.com

Editors: Fritz Staudacher (Stfi); Teresa Belcher (Bt); Desktop and

Publishing: Teresa Belcher, NiklausFrei

Production details: The Reporter ispublished in English, German,French and Spanish, four times ayear.

Reprints and translations, includingexcerpts, are subject to the Editor'sprior permission in writing.

The publication is printed on chlorine-free paper made by environmentally compatible processes.

© Leica Geosystems AG, Heerbrugg, April 2004, Printed in Switzerland

Editorial deadline for next issue:

31 May, 2004

CEO Message2

When competitive pressures are building up on our customers around the world, and tasks are getting bigger, there is only one way to gain an advantage: byincreasing productivity! In the last two years ourresearchers and engineers have been examining the operating sequences and added value chains of ourbiggest customer groups in various key tasks. Theyhave been examining the latest technologies withregard to their suitability for surveying, remotereconnaissance and geomatics, and have incorporatedthem where appropriate. They have also continued todevelop existing methods and processes – such as thepatented laser beam in our range of TPS stations. As itsmeasuring field at the target point is only one tenth ofthe area in relation to other systems, it measuresconsiderably more precisely. Our experts have also

removed numerous barriers that once impeded the interoperability of data betweenpreviously isolated systems.

In my last editorial, I introduced you to one of these new developments, our HDS3000 andHDS4500 high-definition surveying systems, together with our world-beating Cyclone Software, which enables even the most complex properties to be scanned rapidly, in threedimensions, and subsequently measured and transformed into 3D models in comfort backin the office.

In this 50th issue of the Reporter, our customer magazine, you will find the presentation ofour revolutionary Universal System 1200, which for the first time in the world, merges datafrom GPS and TPS sensors. With its standardized method of operation and power supply, itexploits the strengths of both technologies, and is capable of delivering productivity gainsof 25 percent and more.

Any of our readers who want to enrich and speed up the added value chain by means ofproducts from the areas of photogrammetry and remote reconnaissance, will greet the new ALS50 83 kHz laser scanner with just as much enthusiasm as the new Leica Photo-grammetry Suite – a well-rounded range of software for digital photogrammetry andintegrated remote image reconnaissance.

In addition, anyone who wants to be quicker and more accurate in the transportation industries, such as aircraft, automobile and ship building, can now secure a considerablelead on the basis of laser-scanning technology, using our T-Probe, the world's first coordinate measuring machine, including Horizon, the CAD-based application software.Also, our new DISTO Plus hand-held laser model, with Bluetooth data transfer and versatile application software offers previously unknown solutions for a large number ofmeasuring and plan preparation tasks.

With all these new developments, Leica Geosystems is still setting the technologicalstandards in our industry. But most of all they are helping our customers to gain an advantage. So launch your 2004 product offensive now, with these revolutionary new solutions! It will start to pay off right away in terms of time saved, but above all inincreased productivity and improved positioning in the medium to long term.

Hans HessCEO Leica Geosystems

The 2004 productivity offensive

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Contents 3

4 Gotthard Base Tunnel: Tunnel technology for thefuture

7 World-famous airplanemodel created with LeicaAxyz software

8 High-Definition survey provides accurate DTM andcross sections of busy highway

10 Geographic imaging helpsendangered birds find anew home

11 Improving cellular coveragein Rio de Janeiro

12 Surveyors charged with tallorder

14 Dealers' new addiction: TheLeica Geosystems Partners'Store

15 Leica's latest top model inthe DISTO™ family: LeicaDISTO™ plus

18 Leica's Universal System1200

20 Emerging permanent reference station networks

22 Laser trackers revolutionizeindustrial measurementprocedures at Eurocopter

24 News in Brief

26 World first in precisionpaving at Heathrow

27 Gradestar in New Zealand

28 T16 #178277: a life of traveland tacheometry

30 Recording movements onMt Everest using GPS

World-famous airplane model

created with Leica Axyz software

7

Gotthard Base Tunnel:Tunnel technology forthe future4

Improving CellularCoverage in Rio de

Janeiro

11

Dealers' new addiction: The Leica

Geosystems Partners'Store

14

Leica's UniversalSystem 1200

18

Lasertrackers

revolutionizeindustrial measurementprocedures atEurocopter

22

World first in precision paving at Heathrow26 T16 #178277:

a life of traveland tacheometry28

Tunnel Surveying4

Gotthard Base Tunnel: Tunnel technology for the future

The Alp Transit Gotthard is an ambitious railway construction project, which will incorporate the world's

longest railway tunnel of 57 km travelling through the Swiss Alps and under the St. Gotthard massif. Future

passenger trains will journey at speeds of up to 250 km/h, adding further to the highly successful European

high-speed network and bringing a huge reduction in travelling time. The combined surveying systems of

Leica Geosystems and Amberg Measuring Technique Ltd are greatly assisting the tunnel workers in their day-

to-day work - not only reducing time needed to ensure that excavation is correctly undertaken, but also mak-

ing the whole construction process much more efficient and accurate.

In order to integrateSwitzerland into themodern rail network, linesmust be prepared whichcan be travelled at highspeed. The Gotthard BaseTunnel, which will costaround seven billion francs,is thus the foundation stoneof the Swiss railway of thefuture. The connections ininternational transport,built up around the nodesof Zurich and Milan, willbecome considerably faster,thus presenting a real alter-native to travelling by caror by air. It is anticipatedthat between 200-220goods trains will run dailyfollowing its completion.

The Gotthard Base Tunnelconsists of two single-tracktunnels that lie approxi-mately 40m apart and theseare linked by a series of

connecting galleries every325m. The entire tunnelconstruction has beendivided into five sections,each with its own separateaccess point:· Erstfeld - northern portal· Amsteg - horizontal access

tunnel, 1.2km long· Sedrun - two blind shafts,

800m deep and 8 m indiameter accessedthrough a horizontaltunnel about 1km long

· Faido - a 2.7km longinclined access tunnel(adit) with a 12% gradientand a height difference of300m

· Bodio - southern portal

The Gotthard Base Tunnelwill pave the way in qualityand safety with an extreme-ly comprehensive safetysystem. By using two tun-nels the possibility of head

on collisions is eliminatedand the two pairs of cross-over tunnels allow thetrains to move from onetunnel to the other, which isparticularly important dur-ing maintenance work. TheSedrun and Faido sectionseach include a Multi-func-tional Station that, in theevent of an accident, pro-vides safe rooms for pas-sengers and emergencytrain stations. Connectinggalleries provide trackcross-over tunnels, a venti-lation system and a quickroute to the outside in theevent of an evacuation.These intermediate accessheadings not only allowthese safety features to beincorporated, but also allowup to four Tunnel BoringMachines (TBMs) to operateat the same time thusreducing the overall con-

The Gotthard Base Tunnel hasbeen divided into five sections:Erstfeld, Amsteg, Sedrun, Faidoand Bodio

Tunnel Surveying 5

struction time of the tunnelby almost half to nineyears.

The geology and rock typeof the area determines themethod of tunnelling andtherefore engineers mustcreate different tunnellingprofiles according to therock encountered. Nearly90% of the Gotthard BaseTunnel has rock that is suit-able for mining using TMBs,with the remaining areas -the Sedrun section and themulti-function station atFaido - having to be exca-vated by drill and blast.Over major sections of thetunnel, the overburden willbe extremely high, includ-ing 5km with more than2000m where rock tempera-tures can be as high as45oC. These conditions allaffect the methods andcomplexity of the tunnellingoperation.

Tunnel Measurement

System

It is in the depths of the tunnel at Faido that LeicaGeosystems and AmbergMeasuring Technique Ltdare providing an integratedsurveying solution for thedrill and blast method. Over300m of this section hasbeen excavated so far, anddue to the immense pres-sure from the rock, the tun-nel in this section is beingexcavated in two sections -firstly the upper part of theface and then the lowerpart, known as the headingand the bench. Approx-imately 450kg of explosiveis required to advance eachround and the tunneladvances at around one tothree metres per day.

The LEICA TMS (TunnelMeasurement System)offers automatic profile surveying and setting outusing total stations from theLEICA TPS 1100 Profession-al series. The conceptbehind this was to identifythe production tasksrequired for the job and toautomate them so that anon-surveyor, such as thetunnel foreman, could carryout the setting out.

Senior Surveyor from AmburgMeasuring Techniques, KurtWeidner

Surveyor Elke Fischer preparesand enters all the project dataand geometry using the LeicaTMS OFFICE

Leica TCR1105 total stations aremounted high on the wallswhere they undertake surveyingand monitoring work

Previously, in order toposition the arches accurate-ly in a tunnel, the excavationcrew would finish a tunnelto the approximate profilerequired within which to fitthe arches. The site survey-ors would then be calledback on site to examine thework, place the arches in theface and then direct furtherwork. If the face had notbeen excavated to a largeenough profile, then thearches had to be removedand the excavation contin-ued. Alternatively, if the pro-file was too large, the quan-tity of shotcrete required inbetween the arches wouldbe increased considerably.Both activities significantlyincrease the costs of the tunnel construction.

In the tunnels, LeicaTCRA1105 total stations aremounted high on the wallsand are controlled by theLeica TMS which automati-cally performs the surveyingand monitoring work suchas alignment, excavated profile, position of arches, orthickness of shotcreterequired. Each Leica totalstation contains the power-ful onboard LEICA TMSSETout PLUS software. Thesurveyor prepares andenters all the project dataand geometry using theLeica TMS OFFICE on anoffice based computer andthen transfers this informa-tion to the total station via aPCMCIA card prior to jobcommencement.

Kurt Weidner, SeniorSurveyor from AmbergMeasuring Techniques, isone of the contractingsurveyors on-site at Faido."We are using completelyLeica tools here at this site,"he said. "TMS, the combi-nation of the Leica total stations and the Ambergsoftware, is currently beingused in four tunnel sections.The total stations are useddirectly for the controlling ofthe arc position and the profile situation after we drilland blast and to ensure thatthe surface of our gauge isin the right form."

Setout made easy

Obviously in the construc-tion industry, time ismoney and as such theGotthard Base Tunnel is a24-hours a day operationwith eight-hour shifts foreach six-person tunnellingcrew. Every four days thereis also an eight-hour periodwhen the machines under-go maintenance. Handoverbetween shifts only takes acouple of minutes and oneor two people per crew aretrained in using the TMSand are responsible forpassing on information tothe next shift. The LeicaTMS greatly assists in asmooth handover and thecontinuation of workbecause all the project datais already there on themachine.

"The principle is verysimple: the installation isundertaken by the surveyorand then we can explainand train people so theyknow what points need tobe entered into theprogram," Kurt said. "Weprepare the informationplate describing what thesection is and what thepoints are. These peoplecan then use the instru-ment alone without anymore support from the surveyor."

Once installed, the opera-tion of the system is car-ried out by the constructionsite personnel, who do notneed to have any specificknowledge about sur-veying. The key benefit ofthis approach is that thereis no delay waiting for thesurveyor and the work car-ried out by the excavationcrew is more accurate andproductive, therebyimproving the process andsaving costs.

"During any one shift thereare six surveyors availableon-site. The new systemsaves a lot of time and thesurveyors are freed-up to continue with designwork and solving otherproblems."

Tunnel Surveying6

About Amberg

The highly specialised companies of the Amberg

Group cover a wide spectrum of underground

construction tasks, developing solutions in order

to advance into new dimensions of underground

construction. Amberg Engineering Ltd. plans and

designs new structures and refurbishment

projects, provides site management, delivers

expert opinions and carries out damage and

state assessments. Amberg Measuring Techni-

que Ltd. develops systems and instruments that

address measurement problems in underground

construction and the rail industry, which includes

initial reconnaissance, site supervision and

surveying.

The tunnelling foreman cando routine productionsurveying tasks using theTMS SETout PLUS inproduction mode, including:· Drill and blast· Conventional advance· Roadheader advance· Jetting and pipe umbrella· Alignment laser· Position arches

"It's very easy to use,people are working with itand they are happy with itsperformance. The remotecontrol can be held in yourhand, directly in front ofyou or you can control itover a wireless system,"Kurt said. "We also have aspecial place for thecomputer that is set back100-150 metres away fromthe work, for safetydistance."

Adverse conditions at

Faido

Although geological sam-pling and assessment canbe carried out prior to thecommencement of tun-nelling, it is not until theexcavators actually beginwork that they know for certain what type of rock isto be encountered. This hasbeen the case at Faidowhere, in April of 2002, apartial collapse occurred inthe cross cavern vault, leav-ing a cavity about eightmetres high. Despite theprediction of exploratorydrill cores, a fault zone con-taining a very poor rocklayer of silty Lucomagnogeniss was encountered.This meant implementationof modified work methodsand strengthening of theexcavation support wasnecessary with deformablesteel arches and a denseanchoring system.

"Deformations requiredsome re-design of the tun-nelling," Kurt said. "We prepare the theoretical pro-file based on the designdrawings and change theprofile according to the rockconditions. With the LEICATMS, to prepare only a fewcoordinates of the profile, isno longer a problem. Previously, this all had to bedone manually and took alot of time."

Profile measurement

Another program availableas part of the LEICA TMS isthe LEICA TMS PROFILEwhich enables profile meas-urement and monitoring,providing a comprehensivecomparison of design vsactual measurement andproject data.

"We can also now monitorour precise position in thetunnel. We can establish ifwe are in exactly the rightposition for the profile, bycomparing the measuredtunnel meter with the theo-retical one and we canadjust this immediately if itis wrong," Kurt said.

"Before we were never ableto have this control and hadto use a tape."

"Electronic DistanceMeasurements (EDM)defined on the integratedsoftware of the total stationallows us to have eachpoint measured preciselyafter 10 seconds," Kurt said."Alternatively we can use aspecial function of the pro-gram when we want exactcontrol so that we can alsoselect individual points.This is the part that is newin surveying."

Monitoring

As the tunnel progresses, itis necessary to monitor thetunnel profile for deforma-tion. A lot of pressure isbuilt up using the drill andblast method, and as suchthere is normally a differ-ence between the power-point direction and the con-trol point at the front. ALeica TCA2003 is used forthis type of monitoring as itis more precise when mil-limetre accuracy is needed.Yellow targets with a whitefaces are used for reflec-tion, and these are placed in the heading (at threepoints) and the bench (twopoints) of the tunnel.

"Over 300-400 targets havebeen installed so far fordeformation monitoring,"Kurt said. "These points arecontrolled one to two timesa week in order to provide arecord of the movement.The highest deformationmeasured so far has been50 cm. Using the softwareyou can see the calculationand check the points from50-100 metres being thecurrent head. Over a four-month period, the controlpoints are checked twice,and the control brackets arechecked once every fourmonths.

Bt

The Sedrun section and themulti-function station at Faido -have to be excavated by drilland blast

3D Measuring Systems 7

The Junkers W33 was developed from the passenger aircraft F13 as a single-engined freight transport, low-winged monoplane. The first flight of the prototype tookplace on 17 June, 1926 on the Elbe at Leopoldshafennear Dessau, Germany. It was subsequently mass-produced, with different versions, in the following periodup to the year 1934, and became well known as anairplane with landing capabilities on the sea as well asthe land. Besides the simple use as freight transport, anddue to its collapsible (opening) floor, the plane was usedas a passenger aircraft for aerial flights, as well as for thedelivery of pesticides in pest control.

The W33 was generally regarded as a multi-purpose airplane. Initially, however, it was designed for the airgoods traffic, and the view windows were missing. Innewer versions, and in this model example, windowswere refitted for composite freight passenger. Entry tothe machine could be gained by a lateral door or by ahatch in the cubical roof.

The W33 'Bremen' became world-famous (Work number2504, Signal 1167) on the 12-13 April, 1928 when itcarried out the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight fromeast to west. The machine, crewed by German Kühl andIrishman Fritzmaurice, began the flight in Dublin,crossing Iceland, and reaching the island of Grennly,located between Labrador and Newfoundland afterapproximately 26 hours.

An attempt to continue the flight to New York was notpossible, after a makeshift repair failed. Following this,the 'Bremen' was recovered by ship and returned to Germany, where it was repaired and exhibited in Berlinat ILA (International Aeronautics Exhibition) in the sameyear (1928). However, since no German museum showedan interest following this, the 'Bremen' was given toAmerica.

In America, the plane was displayed at various differentmuseums, including the Edison Institute Museum inDearborn, Detroit, and the 'Bremen' has remained in thismuseum of contemporary history since then. There havebeen several unsuccessful efforts from the Germans tohave the machine returned to Germany, and an initiativeof interested and enthusiastic Bremen citizens achievedit as a gift for one year. In March 2003, the Junkers W33was taken to pieces and transported to Detroit. Duringthe dismantling, additional measuring documentationwas done.

Gunter Stegner

World-famous airplane model created with LeicaAxyz softwareThe world-famous airplane, Junkers W33, has been measured with extreme 3D precision and modelled

using Leica's Axyz software. Leica Axyz is the world's only integrated, intelligent industrial 3D measuring

system, which measures industrial objects, on an electro-optical non contact basis. Under the supervision

of Professor Günther Stegner, Stefan Brüser undertook this work as part of his Engineering masters the-

sis, which involved data acquisition for modelling. Approximately 3000 object points of the areoplane’s

outerskin were recorded, evaluated, and then realistically copied in a CAD system. The resulting model is

an 'extremely realistic' copy of the airplane. Originally built in Dresden, 198 planes still exist worldwide.

(above): photo of the JunkerW33 ‘Bremen’ in flight

(below): wire netting model

(bottom): phororealistic representation

High Definition Surveying8

Background

New Jersey Department ofTransport (DOT) is replacinga traffic circle at a heavy traffic intersection of Stateroutes 30 and 130. A profes-sional engineering designand consulting firm hiredMedina Consultants, P.C. toprovide accurate cross-sections and a digital terrainmodel (DTM) of the existingfour and six-lane roadway. The contract was awardedbased on conventional andaerial survey techniques.After winning the bid, Medina Consultants agreedto use their Cyrax® 2500(since rebranded asHDS2500) for the project.The Cyrax system could save$24,000 budgeted for laneclosure costs and halvesurvey labor to five dayswith a four-person crew from20 days with a two-personcrew. In addition, operatorswould not be at risk in trafficlanes and drivers would notbe aggravated by closinglanes.

Project Workflow

A four-person crew workedon the project for five nights,from 7pm to about 6am,when traffic was at itslightest. Two members of thecrew moved and surveyedthe targets with a Leica TCR 1101 reflectorless totalstation to tie them into thecontrol system. The Cyrax scanner wasmounted on a CST-Bergerheavy duty, 42 ft tripod. A

cable connected the scannerto a laptop controller atground level. The crewmoved the Cyrax system topositions at 150 ft intervalsalong each side of theroadway. The scanner waselevated about 11-1/2 ft toobtain scans with a widerand longer field of view withmore detail of the shoulderand sidewalks.They obtained 46 scans, withthe range typically between160 and 170 ft. The roadwaywas scanned with a mini-mum 3.5 inch point density,each point better than 6mmaccuracy. Each scan includeda minimum of four hemi-spherical targets. Targetswere scanned with a veryhigh density point spacing toallow accurate extraction ofthe target center.In the office, one operatorprocessed the field data inabout 15 days usingCyclone™, CloudWorx™,Bentley MicroStation andInRoads software. Point clouds were regis-tered and referenced to thecontrol system in Cyclone™software. Customers wereshown the registered pointclouds of the roadway, rail-road bridge and surround-ing features. They gainedconfidence in the accuracyand completeness of thescan data. They also real-ized they could obtain moredata in the future - wireheights, railroad bridgeclearances, pole size/loca-tions, and information tosettle potential encroach-ment disputes. After discus-

Scope:

Digital terrain model of6,500 feet of a busyfour and six lane road-way and railroadbridge overpass; ASCIIfile of cross sectionsOwner:

New JerseyDepartment ofTransport (DOT)Date:

July - August 2002Project Facts

Field: 5 days; two-person Cyrax crew plustwo-person surveycrew; 46 scansOffice: 15 days; onepersonDeliverables:

Digital Terrain Model ofroadway and adjacentareaASCII list of points oncross sections at 25 ftintervals

High-Definition Survey provides accurate DTM andcross sections of busy highway

“The Cyra scanning system saved us $24,000 in laneclosure costs, cut our field surveying crew hours inhalf and allowed us to give our customer more thanthey expected without a return visit to the site. And

since we worked on the side of the road, our crew wassafe and drivers weren't aggravated by lane closures.”

Ken Moscetti, Project Surveyor,

Medina Consultants, P.C.

From the side of the roadway,Cyrax® 2500 laser scanner captures detailed road surfacegeometry

High Definition Surveying 9

Benefits:

* Saved $24,000 in road closure fees and cut field labor cost by 50 percent* More detailed scan provided accurate DTM with contour lines and elevation points* 3D scan provided more cross sections at closer intervals, 3D elevations, other

information needed in the future* Off-road operation kept operators safe and didn't interfere with traffic flow* Scan cloud gave customer confidence in data and showed information for future

use

Laser scans of roadway inMicrostation

High-Definition Surveying™: Laser Scanning Re(de)finedLeica Geosystems has coined a new name for laser scanningtechnology: High-Definition Surveying or HDS. Why? First, High-Definition better describes its single most distinguishing feature -high density data and rich images - compared to point-by-pointsurveying. Second, by describing it as High-Definition Surveying,Leica is stating that its new family of hardware and softwareproducts is fully fit and friendly for surveying and engineering.For example, the new Leica HDS3000 not only has the look andfeel of a surveying instrument, now you can geo-reference tolocal or assumed coordinates more efficiently by setting up overa survey point. Other survey-friendly features include a standardtribrach mount, H.I. measurement capability, efficient batteryswapping, and improved weight/portability. In addition, Leica'sCyclone™ and CloudWorx™ are feature-rich software productsthat make creating surveying and engineering deliverables easierthan ever before. Welcome to the world of HDS! Learn moreabout the HDS family of products at www.cyra.com.

sion, Medina Consultantsagreed to provide cross sec-tions at 25 ft (instead of 50 ft) intervals and define3D elevation points ran-domly at 7-1/2 to 12 ft inter-vals between cross sectionsat no additional cost.Cyclone™ software wasused to extract the cross-sections and define 3D ele-vation points for the DTM.Some cross-sections werealso created usingCloudWorx™ inMicroStation. They matchedthe Cyclone™ cross-sec-tions accurately.The cross-sections and 3Dpoints were imported toInRoads to create a DTMwith contour lines at 1/2 ftintervals. The DTM datawas imported to Cyclone™and checked with the pointcloud for errors. By using Leica's 3D laserscanning system instead ofconventional equipment,Medina Consultantseliminated $24,000 in roadclosure fees, cut their fieldlabor and per diem by 50percent, and gave theircustomer more accurate andcomplete information thanspecified in the contract. Inaddition, the scan data couldbe used in the future toprovide more information.

Laslo Vespremi

The HDS family of products (left-to-right clockwise): The super-fastHDS4000, the all-new HDS3000, world's best selling HDS2500 and theCyclone and CloudWorx software products.

GIS and Mapping10

The three components werekey to the project's success,as they produced theaccurate results needed.ArcGIS interacted with bothERDAS IMAGINE (providedunder an educational agree-ment) and FRAGSTATSapplications; and ArcGISwas familiar to most endusers of the final model, acritical factor in the project. To visually identify the landcover patterns that cor-responded to those found inthe Aplomado Falcon habi-tat, imagery was collectedfor spring and fall seasonsthat produce different vege-tation responses found inthe Chihuahuan Desert. Thefalcons require a combina-tion of vegetation types:grasslands (for their preybase) with shrublands(where they perch andnest). Because of cloudcover conditions, each setof 15 LANDSAT 7 ETM+data imagery was collectedover a five-week span. ERDAS IMAGINE softwarewas used to import,reconcile, and analyze thetwo sets of data imagescovering the study area of246,848 km2. After the multispectral data wasimported, the digital valueswere converted to spectralreflectance values todescribe the vegetationaround the habitat. Usingthe histogram bias techni-que, the images were standardized to a singledate for each season whilemaintaining the true shapeand distribution of the datain the image. When bothdata sets were standardized

The Aplomado Falcon, oncea common raptorial (preda-tory) bird in the coastal andinterior grasslands of theAmerican southwest, wasdeclared an endangeredspecies by the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service in 1986.Increased sightings duringthe 1990s renewed recoveryeffort interests in New Mexico to evaluate the Chihuahuan Desert regionthat stretches from the RioGrande Valley in southernNew Mexico far intoMexico. A thriving ecosys-tem of other large birds andsmall prey is needed to sus-tain the Falcon's populationbecause rather than build-ing its own nests, it takesover the abandoned nestsof other large birds.Researchers needed to better understand the Aplomado Falcon's naturalhistory by describing falconuse areas in northernChihuahua, Mexico. The GISpredictive modeling sectionwas part of a five-year

research endeavor that con-sisted of three phases. Thefirst and second phasesinvolved surveying theAplomado Falcon habitat inMexico's ChihuahuanDesert to locate anddescribe the physical fea-tures of the landscapewhere the birds exist.During the third phase,researchers analyzed satel-lite imagery as well as ter-rain data derived from digi-tal elevation models (DEMs)of the Chihuahuan Desert todigitally locate the featuresidentified as indicators ofpossible falcon habitat. The NMSU research resultswill help government agencies make informeddecisions about the alloca-tion of federal resources aswell as environmental anddevelopment planning.Analyses were conductedusing Leica GeosystemsGIS & Mapping's ERDASIMAGINE®, ESRI's ArcGISand FRAGSTATS publicdomain software packages.

The Transformed Divergence(TD) tool in ERDAS IMAGINE'sSignature Editor tool was usedto reduce the number of landcover classes produced fromunsupervised classification tothose with distinct spectral signatures. The distinct spectralsignatures were then applied tothe image to perform a super-vised classification. Using thisprocess, the number of spectralclasses was reduced to 26 forthe fall (wet season) image and33 for the spring (dry season)image.

Geographic imaging helps endangered birds find anew home

Researchers at New Mexico State University (NMSU)

have employed Leica Geosystems' remote sensing

and GIS applications to evaluate the Chihuahuan

Desert region in Mexico in order to identify habitat

features most likely to sustain a population of the

endangered Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis). The

final products, a documented predictive model and a

map depicting habitat suitability across a large

portion of the species' range, are aiding in prioritizing

areas for conservation consideration and making land

use decisions that benefit falcon habitat restoration.

Falcon Facts:

Population: Extirpated in U.S., extremely rare and endangered throughout NorthernMexico and reduced to remnant population in Southern Mexico.

Range: Formerly ranged throughout the southwesternU.S. and Mexico. It has rarely been seen in the U.S. andnorthern Mexico since the 1940s.Description: A medium-sized, steel grey falcon(aplomado is Spanish for dark grey). It is characterized bya long tail, a black cummerbund, contrasting with a whiteupper body. A distinguishing field characteristic of thisfalcon is the white dash above each eye and along thetailing edge of their secondary feathers.Habitat: Open grasslands and savannahs where tall cacti,tree yuccas and taller pines and oaks grow in openstands. Uses old stick nests of hawks and other specieswhich share the same range and habitat.

GIS and Mapping 11

As IMAGEM was originally hired by Telefonica Celular to provide all the data they needed todeploy their cellular network, they contracted IMAGEM once again to help them improvetheir network. IMAGEM contracted a local aerial surveying company to obtain aerial photographs of Rio deJaneiro. With IMAGINE OrthoBASE, IMAGEM created orthophotos, and conducted aerial triangulation with OrthoBASE Pro to define the relationship between the project imagery, thesensor model and the ground. IMAGINE OrthoBASE Pro determined the position, rotationand internal geometry of the aerial sensor as they existed at the time of image capture foreach exposure station, along with the X, Y and Z positions of any tie points.IMAGEM also produced Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) of the area with IMAGINE OrthoBASEPro. The accuracy of each DTM was determined and verified. Multiple images were thenorthorectified using the DTMs.With the help of Stereo Analyst, IMAGEM restored individual buildings, and aligned streetand curb vectors within the orthophotos, and applied the result to the Base Building Heights.Image visualization was used with ERDAS IMAGINE V8.6.Throughout this process, analysts categorized the resultsand display them in the IMAGINE Viewer. Once they hadenough accurate data, IMAGEM produced Base BuildingHeights, a detailed 3D model of Rio de Janeiro depicting itstopographic terrain, including each individual building. The Base Building Heights were used in conjunction withthird-party prediction software to simulate TelefonicaCelular's network coverage.With the help of ERDAS IMAGINE software, IMAGEM wasable to provide Telefonica Celular a GIS database thatallows them to generate better maps depicting wireless coverage in their area, as well as conduct simulations ofwireless coverage in the city. As a result of these accurate simulations, Telefonica Celular employees have a betteridea of their current coverage and can plan the best ways tooptimize wireless service to their customers. In return, theircustomers can enjoy improved coverage and services.

Andrea Yegros

Improving cellular coverage in Rio de Janeiro

Base building heights of Rio de Janeiro. IMAGEM usedERDAS IMAGINE, IMAGINEOrthoBASE and Stereo Analystto create base building heightsof the city to help TelefonicaCelular analyze their cellularnetwork coverage.

(each roughly 20 gigabytes),the imagery was evaluatedfor spectrally distinct classes contained within theentire study area for bothseasons. The distribution offalcon use sites among theland cover classes wasexamined to identify classesthat corresponded with falcon presence. Once converted to ArcGrid,FRAGSTATS software wasused on the classifiedimages to calculate land-scape metrics around falconuse sites using the thematicgrids as input. This informa-tion, coupled with that ofthe configuration and composition of land coverclasses within a larger landscape, was used in thehabitat modeling process. Five predictor variableswere converted to binary

grids and added to createan output map representingranges of Aplomado Falconhabitat suitability. Highervalues in the map representareas where a greater number of qualifyingcriteria were met, and lowervalues represent areaswhere fewer criteria weremet. The binary input layerand final predictive modelgrids were converted toimages in ERDAS IMAGINE;then all files were combinedinto one. Accuracy assessment analyses determined thatthe resulting model washighly effective in predict-ing "places of promise" forAplomado Falcon conserva-tion. At least 67 percentagreement was foundbetween the field assessedand predictive model

rankings at evaluated fieldsites. (Errors were largelyattributed to differences inassigning like predictivevalues between fieldbiologists and predictivemodel values.) Each of the21 prospective or knownfalcon habitat assessmentareas that were identifiedindependent of spatial modeling, contained habitatwith high predictiveranking. Cartographicproduction was performedusing the ArcMap tool within ArcGIS Desktop. Theresulting predictive modeland map of suitableAplomado Falcon habitatnow serves as an effectivetool for identifying areassimilar to falcon use areasin Chihuahua.

Telefonica Celular, one of the largest mobile telephone companies in Brazil, con-

tracted IMAGEM, a GIS solutions company, to help them build a GIS database in

order to plan and improve their cellular network. The goal was to simulate the

actual cellular network coverage of Telefonica Celular in Rio de Janeiro.

For more information aboutNMCFWRU, visit:http://leopold.nmsu.edu/fwscoop/.For more information aboutPeregrine Fund falconconservation initiatives,visit: http://www.peregrine-fund.org.

Construction Surveying12

Developers, Sunland GroupLtd have designed the Q1 Tower to offer five-starresort living, with 527 apart-ments comprising of pent-houses, as well as one-,two- and three-bedroomapartments. The fastest liftsin Australia travelling at 9.0m/s (1772 ft/min) will takevisitors and residents to the

Gold Coast surveyors, Treasure and Associates have been charged with a tall

order - the surveying and monitoring of the world's soon-to-be tallest residential

building - "The Q1 Tower". Currently being constructed in the heart of Surfers

Paradise on the Gold Coast of Australia and planned for completion in 2005, the

architecturally stunning tower will soar to a massive 80 storeys (323m / 1,058 ft).

By March 2004, construction of the complex had reached level 30 and just 46

apartments remain for sale.

Surveyors charged with tall order

(below from left): Brian Rogersand Rod Stead from Treasureand Associates together withLawrie Watson from LeicaGeosystems’ Australian distribu-tors, C.R.Kennedy and CompanyPty Ltd.

observation deck at the topof the tower where they willenjoy the breathtakingviews that encompass thecrystal clear waters of thePacific Ocean; the 42 kilo-metres of pristine sandybeaches of the Gold Coast;the green hills of the hinter-land; as well as the exten-sive waterways and theBroadwater. A ten-storeySky Garden from level 60upwards will showcasetropical Queensland'sunique flora and fauna.

Engineering innovation

Despite its lavish featuresand impressive grandeur, itis the engineering behindits construction where Q1achieves real innovation.Construction challengeswere encountered due tothe sandy soil and proximi-ty to the ocean, whichmeant that it was necessaryfor foundations to stretchalmost 17 storeys under-ground. After boringthrough the ancient seabed,drillers eventually struckrock that was seven timesharder than concrete andliterally drilled the 26 build-ing plings 5 metres into it.The six largest of thesespan 2.4m in diameter.

During construction, a poly-mer liquid was used prior topouring of the concrete toprevent the sand falling in.The aboveground construc-tion wasn't easy either, withthe outside buildingcolumns needing to belinked to the central core tominimise wind movementand to strengthen the struc-ture. Although concrete per-forms exceptionally wellunder compression, it doesnot perform so well undertension, so it was necessaryto reinforce the concretewith steel bars (rebars).

Monitoring of the

construction

Brian Rogers and Rod Stead, Project Managers ofsurveying consultantsTreasure and Associates,have been working closelyon the logistics involved inmonitoring the constructionof the massive building. A significant problem inmonitoring is the windmovement. "We prefer to dothe surveying work duringtimes of low wind," RodStead said. "The sea breezecan cause the buildings tomove up to 20mm."Plumbing of the lift shafts isundertaken by the builders

Construction Surveying 13

for verticality. Surveyorsthen check the walls andcolumns using external con-trol. This determines howstraight the structure is andwhether there is a twist.Brian Rogers said: "Whenplumbing, you get accumu-lative errors, and theseerrors are exacerbated whenthe cranes and hoist areworking. Crane hours areparamount on these sites,and everything is scheduledaround the crane so it's not ideal for this type ofmonitoring most of the time during the construction."

'Radiation' surveying

In an attempt to overcomethis problem, the so-called'radiation' surveyingmethod was used. Thisinvolves re-section with afree-standing total stationfrom the control network(some are ground marksand others are on surround-

(above): Surveyor, Brian Rogersof Treasure & Associates uses aLeica TCR1101 for monitoring onthe Q1 construction site.

The Gold Coast is not only Australia's sixth largestcity, it is also the tourist mecca for the country withover four million domestic and international touristsvisiting the city every year.

World record holder

The Q1 tower will hold a number of world records.

When completed it will become the tallest residential

tower in the world and will eclipse world famous

structures such as New York's 319m Chrysler

building and the 321m Eiffel Tower in Paris. Its oval-

shaped spire, which starts at level 50 (146m high)

and extends 47m above the glass fin, will be the

world's longest at 176m in length. It also boasts the

highest swimming pool in Australia (15m x 6m),

which will be located in the penthouse on level 74,

217m above ground level. Q1 will be the 16th

building on the Gold Coast to hold the "tallest title"

since the first highrise was built in 1957.

(above): aerial view of theconstruction of Q1 in July 2003. (below): aerial view of the con-struction in December 2003.Photos courtesy of SunlandGroup

ing buildings)."Prisms arepermanentlyattached tosurroundingbuildings,"Brian Rogerssaid. "Theseare checkedusing a LeicaTCR1101 withAutomaticTarget Recog-nition (ATR)both day andnight ifrequired.""This methodmeans wework from thewhole to partand it allowsus to establish our stationsat the most convenientposition," said Rod Stead."Using a one-secondmachine with ATR meanswe can get results down toa 10mm accuracy."

Bt

(below): an artist’s view of theGold Coast landscape when Q1construction is completed.Image courtesy of SunlandGroup

“The answer you get backfrom the website is instant

and 99.99 percent accurate.Since I have started using

the Leica Store the amountof purchase orders thathave to be reprinted or

changed due to in-accu-rate information has been

cut drastically.”Steve Crane,

Surveyors Service Company, USA

E-Commerce14

Before ordering, our dealersare able to quickly find prod-ucts and bundles by partnumber, search by keywordor browse categories, obtainreal-time quotations withproduct pricing, discoveravailability and shipmentdates, choose whether toship complete or not, selectthe shipping location andfreight option, order oncredit and pay by invoice aswith fax orders.After ordering, an OrderConfirmation is automatical-ly emailed and a ShippingConfirmation is emailedonce the goods have beendispatched. Dealers can sub-sequently check the orderstatus online and track eachshipment status, including alink to FedEx or UPStracking system. In the orderstatus our partners can alsotrack the orders sent by fax.The B2B Store saves anenormous amount of timefor our dealers, reducingphone calls to our busy Cus-tomer Service team who canbe gradually freed up frompart of the routine orderentry tasks, thus enablingthem to evolve into a pro-active, problem-preventing,mistake-free and value-adding Customer Care.Because of the higheraccuracy and controllabilityof online orders, failures andreturns are being dramati-cally reduced.

Current Store activities and

the team

The Store is currently opento our partners in the USAand Canada. In countries ofEurope, Africa and Asiawhere we do not have a

Leica Geosystems SellingUnit, the store offers SpareParts only for the timebeing. In 2004, our Europeancountries' partners will also start to experience itsbenefits.The Store is driven globallyby Miren Kauer, BusinessManager E-commerce, anddeveloped by Martin Brock-mann from IT Heerbrugg.Our experience with the twoprevious Stores has helpedus build up know-how and asmall, but solid E-commerceteam, which resulted in aspeedy four-month initialStore set up project with aminimal investment.Of course it all came to lifethanks to the enthusiastic,excellent job of ourCustomer Service and Salesteams in the USA and Canada. The Customer Careand Support and Serviceteams in Heerbrugg alsoproudly launched the SpareParts B2B Store in non-Sell-ing Unit areas in January2004.All works smoothly and reli-ably thanks to our Logisticsteams at the warehouse

http://store.leica-geosystems.com is the entry to the

Partners' Store, also known as B2B (Business to

Business) Store - a new ordering channel established

in November 2002 with the aim of making it easier

and more valuable for our partners to do business

with us. It aims to increase the productivity of

ourselves and that of our dealers, as well as improving

the value of our service to our partners by automating

order entry and providing more control and informa-

tion prior to and following the placement of an order.

Dealers' new addiction: The Leica Geosystems Partners' Store

Curtis Finn of US dealer FLTGeosystems and Jeff Felker,Director of Sales US SE Region

Miren Kauer (front) with theteam of Gradtek in Montreal,Canada. Gene Maynard, Directorof Sales is taking the picture

facilities in our Customiza-tion Centers in Lawrence-ville, USA and in Widnau,Switzerland.

“18,300 products, about

120 users to date, over

1000 quotation or status

checks per month… dealers

ordering nearly 50% online

and growing”

The Partners' Store wasopened for three pilotdealers in November 2002.Today, about 100 users from40 dealers are regularlyusing the Store to checkavailability, and easily placeand track their orders. Alarge proportion of the products purchased areSpare Parts but there is alsoa growing request forConstruction lasers, TPS,DISTO and all kind of accessories. Trust and acceptance isalready proven: mostService dealers are set upand have placed 60 to 100%of their orders via the Storeand the largest full-line dealers are submitting near-ly 50% of their total ordersof all Divisions online!!The Store product offeropened end of 2002 with aselect catalog of 100 top-selling Construction lasersand Surveying Accessories.Today, it comprises about18,300 items including thefull range of Spare Parts andis being constantlyimproved and expanded.Additionally, about 600items are browseable bynavigation categories andinclude product pictures,texts and downloadable PDFbrochures.

Miren Kauer

"I thought I would neveruse the store, but it is so

easy to place an order, I use it now all the time."

Bob Fintak, FLTGeosystems, USA

New Product 15

The Leica DISTO™ plus isthe only device in the worldthat offers the highest accu-racy, attractive design andwireless data transfer bymeans of BLUETOOTH® inone package. Even if youare currently still working with paper and pencil, inte-grated BLUETOOTH® tech-nology allows you to makethe change at any time andto record your valueselectronically. The data canbe transferred on site wire-less to a PDA (Pocket PC) ordirectly to a laptop and eas-ily used for other purposes. The free software programshelp to ease your workload. "PlusDraw" allows you tocreate simple sketches withthe values on the pocket PC.The sketches can betransferred as a graphic file(bmp-file) to the PC whileyour recorded data is storedin a dedicated Excel file."PlusXL" enables you torecord the recorded valuesimmediately and directlyinto an Excel table and toedit them on the PC.Naturally you can also sendthe recorded results directlyfrom your Leica DISTO™plus to your laptop –wireless.Experience for yourself thecomfortable interactionbetween Leica DISTO™plus, PDA and PC!

Petra Ammann

Leica’s latest top model in the DISTO™ family: Leica DISTO™ plus

In its basic functions the Leica DISTO™ plus is identicalwith the tried-and-tested Leica DISTO™ classic5, and isbased on its simple user navigation. The LeicaDISTO™ plus, however, offers quite a bit more:

· The highest precision ± 1.5 mm · Range of 0.2 - 200 m (use target plate from approx.

70 m) · Integrated BLUETOOTH® technology for the wireless

transfer of recorded values · Two free software programs (PlusDraw and PlusXL)

for the electronic processing of recorded data and tocreate sketches

· Direct navigation of the software via the LeicaDISTO™ plus

· Attractive, stylish design · Enhanced key comfort

(Above): Leica DISTO™ plus:providing high accuracy, attractive design, and wirelessdata tranfer

Peter Reed (Architect)“Along with the accuracy andefficiency of laser measurement,for me the ability to furtherprocess the measurement wascrucial. The resulting increasein productivity is enormous.”

Fritz Becker (Craftsman):“Since I have been using a LeicaDISTO™, I need only half thetime for taking measurements.The investment has paid foritself in a very short time.”

Lisa Miles (Real Estate Agent):“The Leica DISTO™ is child’splay to use - it makes takingmeasurements fun. I also nowhave more time for mycustomers. I recommend thisinstrument to anybody.”

A model that provides everything you could wish for

and that ideally equips you and your customers for

the future. The highest level of precision, the

integrated BLUETOOTH® technology combined with

elegant design: is the best equipment for every situa-

tion. The measuring process on the Leica DISTO™

plus isn’t over with the display of the results, as can

be seen by the free software programs supplied.

Creating automatic sketches and transmitting wire-

less recorded values - Leica Geosystems offers you a

global solution for your measuring applications!

The large aerial picture shows the “Earthman” of the LandArte project in Switzerland. Theimage documentation was made with Leica ADS40 digital aerial sensor, Leica RC30 aerialcamera, and Leica Erdas IMAGINE ® software.

ERDAS IMAGINE®

Comprehensive

toolbox of softwaredesigned to processand exploit imagerydata.

Leica Photogrammetry Suite

Seamlessly integrated

suite of digital photo-

grammetry software

that empowers users to transform raw imagery into reliabledata.

LEICA ADS40 AirborneDigital Sensor

High-performance

digital sensor deliversdigital panchromaticand multispectral dataand initiates the firstall digital flowline.

ArcGIS Extensions

ArcGIS-compatible

software enables GISprofessionals to useimagery to collect,analyze and managedata in a GIS.

Visit us at our exhibition booth at the ISPRSCongress in Istanbul (19-23 July 2004)

Discover your Partners in Productivity

of the easy integration of data and the extension of thevalue chain into new growing areas. Visit us at ourwebsite, or contact a Leica Geosystems representativedirectly to learn more about these new possibilities.

Powerful partners providing high productivity. In the newrange of technologies and products from Leica Geosy-stems there are a lot of productivity drivers to disco-ver. Leica Geosystems provides the most comprehen-sive program of products and systems for capturing,modelling and presenting spatial reality world-wide inthe fields of surveying, mapping, metrology and moni-toring. As a customer you are able to take advantage

LEICA DNA 03 Digital Level

The second generation of digital levels with the largestLC-display on the market. Created by Leica Geosystems, the inventors of digital levelsworldwide.

LEICA SYSTEM 1200

The world’s first universal

surveying system. GPS andTPS working together withuniform software, identicalcontrols, and a commondatabase.

LEICA HDS™ 2500/3000/4500

High-Definition Surveying

product family withCyclone™ and CloudWorx™software.

LEICA GPS Reference Networks

Multi-purpose networked frameworks that deliverenhanced GPS positioningdata across large sites andterritories.

www.leica-geosystems.com

New Product18

Leica Geosystems introduces System 1200: Working Together

The Harmonisation

TPS1200 – Setting the Standard in TotalStations

More flexibility with new improved ATR

Improved range with accuracy

New patented precision and reliability

PinPoint R300

Improved ergonomics and flexible

configurations RX1200

Meets all your requirements with the most

comprehensive range in the industry

One Learning CurveLearn one, use bothCommon graphical user interfaceSame display and keysCommon applicationsHighly configurable

One DatabaseTwo sensors – one databaseOne common database – simplified data managementComplete data storage to databaseStorage on CompactFlash cardsSeamless data transfer between sensorsUser-definable output formats

One office package - Leica GEO OfficeOne Office package for all sensorsUser-friendly Windows interfaceVisualisation and management of survey dataSimplify data management with common tools for all sensorsOne Battery and Charger

New Product 19

High performance Lithium-Ion batteriesThe most advanced battery technonogy today

Work all day – 15 to 16 hours battery lifeCarry less and be more comfortable

One charger for all batteriesBackwards compatibility

One onboard application suiteIdentical applications on GPS/TPS

Autopoints – automatic loggingStakeout with Active Map

DTM StakeoutRoad Runner

Quality Assurance with user defineable log files

XFunctionRepresents the convergence of GPS & TPS

By using System 1200, your staff will become more productive, more efficient and more skilled

Making your business more efficient and more profitable

GPS Innovations – System1200

More productivity and confidence in hostile

environments

New improved AX1200 antenna

Improved ruggedness

Improved ergonomics and flexible

configurations

Works with complimentary technology

Future proofing your GPS investment

n of GPS and TPS

Setting new standards in Quality,Performance, Robustness & Flexibility

Reference Station Networks20

Emerging permanent reference station networks

Background

Installations can be just single reference stations, anumber of single referencestations, or networking ref-erence stations. A singlereference station set-upwithin up to 20-30 km isrequired if a user is operat-ing in baseline mode.Otherwise the performance,accuracy, and with somesystems the reliability ofuser's RTK is degraded. The integration of severalreference stations into acombined network is pro-viding benefits for the userby increasing distances toreference stations and overall user system per-formance. These permanentreference station networksare requiring real-timecommunication to a net-working computation cen-ter and real-time estimation

of biases between referencestations. Leica Geosystemsis actively participatingworldwide in setting up andmaintaining all kinds ofinstallations.

A key factor of success isthe distribution of the infor-mation generated within thenetworking computationcenter to the roving user inthe field. Some of the installations are relying onproprietary formats andrestricting themselves withthe field equipment. However, in general it is inthe interest of serviceproviders to supply theservice for more than a sin-gle type of RTK field equip-ment. Therefore, thedetailed understanding ofthe supplied informationsuch as applied correctionsor the way of processing isabsolutely mandatory.

Two approaches

Today, installations are supplying the informationbasically in two ways: theso-called FKP-approach (FKP stands for the German word of spatial correctionparameter) and the VRSapproach (Virtual ReferenceStation). Both approaches

Over the last few years, permanent reference station

installations have emerged in several countries.

These installations allow for roving GPS users in the

field to achieve instant centimetre accuracies without

the need of setting up a GPS reference station on a

known station. This is quite appealing, since in areas

with considerable GPS surveying activity, a number

of users might share the infrastructure and the asso-

ciated costs. Some of the installations are operated

by companies and provide a service to the surveying

community.

(right): members of the CTCPositioning and NavigationGroup (from left): StephanSeeger, Dejan Seatovic, FrankTakac, Benedikt Zebhauser,Hans-Juergen Euler and OliverZelzer

Group leader Hans-Jürgen Euler: “Researchers in CTC are observing the upcoming opportu-nities and are investigating themodern approaches for our products for the future.”

deliver observations thatare supposed to be opera-tional with modern RTKequipment. However, asnoted above, the way thecomputational algorithmsrunning at the networkingcomputation center are pro-prietary. The optimal inter-operability is not guaran-teed, since the definitionand an interface mecha-nism is missing. While theroving user equipmentmight work optimally withone vendor's networkingSW providing a service, itmight have degradedperformance with anothervendor's software.

Independent RTCM format

Traditionally, the communi-cation interface betweendifferent manufacturer'sequipment is the manufac-turer independent RTCMformat, which is jointlydefined in a committee andall manufacturers have thepossibility to participate inthe definition discussions.Networking services basedon either FKP or VRSapproaches are providingthe observations via theRTCM standard, but arebasically operating in amode not defined in the

Reference Station Networks 21

standard document. Figure 1 shows theschematic sequence ofoperations and calculationsrequired until a rover'sposition has been calculat-ed. Several steps are distin-guishable and are realizedin one way or another in allenvironments where sever-al permanent reference stations are providing theirobservation for a combinedrover solution. In principle,the best approach would beto run the full calculationsfor the rover's position inone place, either the net-working SW or the rover'sfirmware, since than thewhole process can beoptimized for performanceand reliability. Only whenall computations arecompleted in one locationdo the programmers havethe full knowledge ofapplied models and biasestimations within the soft-ware. However, the currentnetworking approaches aredistributing the principlecalculations over thesoftware of the network andthe rover. The arrows, 1through 5, indicate possibleinterfaces that could be utilized for the informationtransmission from the reference station network tothe roving user system. Itshould be mentioned thatas long as calculation stepsare performed within thesame software, these stepscan be combined into onestep. This is actually donein some approaches.

Interfaces for information

transmission

Some of the interfaces areeasily described whileothers are quite sophisti-cated and need a detaileddescription of the manipula-tions completed, since allthese manipulations areaffecting the remainder ofthe processing chain. Thefirst two interfaces, 1 and 2,marked in green are quiteeasily described. Throughthe first, the raw observa-tions of all reference sta-tions are transferred. Withinthe second schematic box

Figure 1, Schematic Sequenceof Processing

the main calculations forfixing and removing are theso-called integer ambigui-ties are summarized.Through the interface after-wards basically the rawobservations leveled to acommon integer ambiguitylevel transferred to the nextcalculation step.

The next three interfacesare carrying informationmodified by algorithms ofthe previous boxes andneed detailed descriptions.In order to keep the compu-tational burden low on theroving user system themost logical is interface 2,since the network hasalready resolved the integerambiguities betweenreference stations. Theremainder of the calcula-tions can be optimized within one software, theroving user's firmware.

The future: a standardised

way of interfacing

In the RTCM committee, aNetwork RTK workinggroup is working on thefuture standardized way ofinterfacing between net-working reference stationsand roving field users. Leicais actively participating inthe definition of the stan-dard messages. Interface 2as described above hasbeen identified and pro-posed by Leica as the mostcommon ground betweenall vendors. After the initialproposal in 2001, theNetwork RTK messages ofRTCM are being jointly discussed with othervendors and reached in themeantime conclusion. Aftersome testing the RTCMstandard for Network RTKshould be released soon.

Continuing research

Several publications wereprepared and published by researchers of Leica'sCorporate Technology Center (CTC) in Heerbrugg,Switzerland for detailing thebasis of the Network RTK.These publications defineand describe the advan-

tages in comparison to thecurrently used approaches.The focus is on the interfaceitself. More recent publica-tions by the same authorsare focusing on methodsused at the roving equip-ment.

During the ION GPS/GNSS2003 symposium in Oregonheld in September 2003,Hans-Juergen Euler, OliverZelzer, Frank Takac, andBenedikt Zebhauserpublished their researchresults of approaches forRTK field equipmentutilizing Network RTK infor-mation. The significance ofthe publication wasrecognized by the selectionfor a Best PresentationAward in its session. Thepaper investigates twodifferent approaches forrequired calculations withina roving platform foroptimal performance of thesystem. It proves thefunctionality of the interfacedefinition for interoperabili-ty and provides a first stepping-stone for furtherinvestigations in that area.Detailed statistics show theimprovement of observa-tion quality for the finalsteps of positioning calcula-tions. By using these methods, remaining geo-metry and ionospheric biases have been greatlyreduced.

Another session’s Best Presentation Award wasgiven to Leica Geosystems’second publication duringION GPS/GNSS 2003. Theteam consisting of HolgerKotthoff, Christian Hilkerand Christian Ziegler wasawarded for their paper“Strategy of Reliable Ambiguity Resolution forStatic and Kinematic Appli-cations”.

Within this decade theEuropean Community isestablishing the newsatellite positioning systemGalileo. The system will beinteroperable with theAmerican GPS. In the futureboth systems will help toprovide better performance

for Leica Geosystems' roverequipment. Researchers inCTC are observing the upcoming opportunitiesand are investigating themodern approaches for ourproducts for the future.

Hans-Jürgen Euler

Metrology22

Metrological testing in

helicopter and airbus

manufacture

Eurocopter DeutschlandGmbH in Donauwörth notonly produce helicopters,but are also the main sup-plier for the airbus industry.Around 95 percent of pas-senger doors, emergency-exit doors and freight gatesfor the A-380 airbus comefrom the manufacturers. Foreach door type there is adifferent specification thatmust be controlled andchecked regularly. In orderto be examined, the devicesmust be taken from the reg-ular production and trans-ported to the device-makingdepartment.Reinhold Grosskopf, headof FEMI development, said:"The pressure is great. Withregard to the manufactureof doors and doorways forthe Airbus assembly opera-tions, our employees haveto cope with a huge workand maintenance turnover.These problems can only besolved in a goal-orientedway with a flexible meas-

urement system such as theLeica Laser Tracker."Until only a few years agotheodolite systems wereused for these metrologicaltasks. The large assemblydevices for helicopter com-ponents were physicallychecked, however, usingthese measuring toolsproved quite inflexible.Eurocopter's ultimate aimwas to perform direct measurements during man-ufacture, rather than havingto temporarily remove theitem from the productionline and move it to the fixedexamination point. The timewas ideal for a new meas-uring technique.Reinhold Grosskopf did notmake his decision lightly:after an intensive marketstudy, two technologiesrepresented the solution:photogrammetry and themobile Laser Tracker. Threecompanies: LeicaGeosystems, another LaserTracker manufacturer, aswell as a supplier of aPhotogrammetry system,began to demonstrate theirknowledge on a test assem-

Laser Trackers are commonly used primarily in the automobile and

aerospace industries and are gaining increasingly greater popularity due

to their flexibility and high measuring precision. Eurocopter, the world's

leading helicopter manufacturer, has improved production line efficiency

by up to 70% in just a few years - thanks to two new state-of-the-art Laser

Tracker measurement systems from Leica Geosystems.

The laser tracker is an easilytransportable coordinate measuring system

MobileLasersTrackersoptimize themeasuringtechniqueatEurocopter

bly device. After an assess-ment a following detailedcriterion catalog, the choiceto use the mobile LaserTracker of LeicaGeosystems was finallymade, based on its highprecision, long-term stabili-ty and proven customersupport.

A mobile coordinate-

measuring system

The Laser Tracker is an easi-ly transportable, mobilecoordinate-measuringsystem. Thanks to the built-in laser interferometer, fastmeasurements with highprecision can be carriedout. Whether measuring anindividual point or surface,the tracker can captureobjects with a precision of+/- 10ppm (µm/m), from onesingle position in ameasurement range of upto 80 m diameter. "Trackersare very exact engineeringtools used for geometricalexamination applications,especially in the automobileand air-plane industries,"Christian Hellwig, Leica

Metrology 23

Geosystems' SalesEngineer and EurocopterKey Account Manager said."Periodical checks, repeti-tion tests and additionaltasks can be undertakenfully automatically. TheLaser Trackers can adaptthe list to the object size orthe restricted locationconditions well."

Revolutionising the

metrological process

The first of two LaserTrackers was delivered toEurocopter in 1999. Sincethen, this tracker technol-ogy has virtually revolution-alised the metrologicalprocesses in Donauwörth. Inthe past, the examinationprocess involved disman-tling of the devices with acrane, transportation to themeasuring machine andrebuilding again with theforklift truck. Followingmeasurement, the deviceswere then returned to theproduction line. Employeeswere busy undertaking thistask for at least six hoursduring a whole working day. "Today we drive the LaserTracker system directly tothe unit that requires meas-urement and build up theinstrument right there. Thistakes about a quarter of anhour - the ease of mobilityof the trackers is a signifi-cant advantage to us," Reinhold Grosskopf said.The Laser Tracker is usedmost frequently for the con-struction of large assemblydevices. Whereas slipwayspreviously had to be built inmodular fashion within thecoordinate measurementmachine prior to subse-quent assembly, this cannow be done completelyduring the building process- in other words, right in theplace where they will laterbe needed. Examples arethe large devices built forthe transport helicopter NH-90, which are 7m long,3m wide and 4m high. Aseven the base frame ismeasured with the LaserTracker, the technicianshave few problems with retrospective changes.

These can simply be addedto the existing systems,without the need to involvethe construction depart-ment again. This applicationof the Laser Tracker atDonauwörth has resulted intime savings of at least 70 percent.

New robot facility

One other application worthmentioning is the new robot facility at Eurocopter.With the help of the LaserTracker, the quality of errorcompensation can be meas-ured precisely. The Kukarobot has the task of under-taking very exact drilling onthe door and gate assemblyand carrying out millingwork to precise distances inthe process line. This appli-cation is novel because it isthe first worldwide use ofrobots on a flying device.The robot-worker mustwork to a precision of 0.05mm, something that it is not usually achieveable.The specialists fromDonauwörth have collabo-rated with a special soft-ware company to teach therobot the necessary preci-sion. With the help of theLaser Tracker, the quality ofthe error compensation andsafety is metrologically doc-umented. The Laser Trackerchecks whether the robotreally has drilled and milledwith the same precision as aNC machine. These applica-tions can continue runninglater without the LaserTracker, however, themobile measuring devicefrom Leica Geosystems hasthe central controlling func-tion for the installation ofthe robot into the operation.

Examination of Airbus

doors

The Laser Tracker also playsa key role during the exami-nation of Airbus doors, asvirtually every door has dif-ferent specifications. Forexample, spherical doorsfor the left or right sides,and cylindrical doors in four variants. In the pastthere was a special gauge

Eurocopter's ultimate aim wasto perform direct measurementsduring manufacture, rather thanhaving to temporarily removethe item from the production lineand move it to the fixedexamination point.

The Laser Tracker system isdriven directly to the unit thatrequires measurement.

Eurocopter, the world's leadinghelicopter manufacturer, hasimproved production line effi-ciency by up to 70% in just a fewyears

for each door type, whichhad its own place in thehall, and the space costaccording to the area. In themeantime, with the help ofthe Laser Tracker,Eurocopter had startedmoving to the future too."We have one gauge for alldoors now, and this univer-sal gauge allows us to simulate the processes ofmeasuring for all types ofdoors," Project ManagerFlorian Brix said.If the door in the fixture isclosed, the positions of so-called doorstops have to bemeasured, an additional cri-terion for interchangeabilityand a further quality require-ment for Eurocopter'sFrench partners.The positioning of thedoorstops are carried outwith the Laser Tracker. Forthis application, Florian Brixuses the newest model ofLeica, the LTD800, in combi-nation with the optional T-Probe (Tracker-Probe),which allows users to reachtest points that areconcealed or deep withinthe fixture. Brix himself canfreely move the wirelessand armless T-Probeequipped with Renishawsensors.The Tracker has about 5 mdistant from the universalgauge its fixed andmeasured place. Because thedoorstops are located behindthe door lining, they can't bedirectly reached by the laserbeam. Using the T-Probe, thisproblem can be solved easilyand economically.

News in Brief24

Leica DISTO makes movie debut in

"The Italian Job"

DISTO™, the first name in portable lasermeasuring tools, recently made its motionpicture debut in the hit movie "The ItalianJob."

The DISTO™ product played an importantrole in one of the movie's opening scenes,when a band of burglars used the hand-held device to make critical measurementsfor the placement of explosive chargeswhen stealing a safe. The cameoappearance included a close-up of theproduct, in which the DISTO™ name clearly appeared on camera.

"The movie appearance showed thecapabilities of DISTO™ to good effect,"said Matt Miles, Marketing Manager forDISTO™. "It is the ideal tool for makingmeasurements in places where it isimpractical to use a steel tape. WithDISTO™, you can measure with an accura-cy of 1/8 inch or better, at distances up to300 ft., with simple point-and-clickoperation."

Now in their fifth generation of technology,DISTO™ products provide unprecedentedspeed and convenience for measuring distances, areas and volumes. "WithDISTO™, one person can take literally hundreds of measurements in a matter ofminutes," said Miles. "DISTO™ measuringtools have become indispensable tools fora wide variety of users, such as architects,builders, flooring and carpet layers,plumbers, air conditioning contractors,painters, real estate agents, insuranceadjusters and law enforcement agencies."

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Leica Geosystems establishes a direct

presence in Belgium

Leica Geosystems has signed an agree-ment to acquire the Geodesy business ofVan Hopplynus Instruments SA in Belgium.This will further develop and strengthenthe high level of service and supportprovided in the region and will bring directbenefits to both customers and company.

Van Hopplynus Instruments has beenknown as the preferred partner for the supply of quality instrumentation inBelgium for over 60 years, and has beenthe main distributor of Leica Geosystemsproducts since 1946. During this time it has created a reputation for offering acomprehensive product range, as well ashigh level support and service facilities.Van Hopplynus has established and main-tained close relationships with leading customers in the survey, construction andassociated markets. The integration of theVan Hopplynus Geodesy team into LeicaGeosystems' global organization willenhance the local professional presencevalued by the market.

The new business will be consolidated into Leica Geosystems' Surveying andEngineering Division together with the GISand Mapping Division, operating from theVan Hopplynus offices in Brussels. Directcustomer contacts are a strong advantageof Leica Geosystems and will be importantfor the future development of the business.

Mark Concannon, Leica Geosystems'Surveying and Engineering Vice Presidentfor Europe and Africa said: "The acquisi-tion of Van Hopplynus Geodesy business is an exciting development for bothparties. It is also a great opportunity forLeica Geosystems' business in Europe,particularly given Brussels' role in theEuropean Union. We envisage that this willenable us to offer an exceptional service toour customers and partners in the region,as well as realising immediate salesgrowth through more formal sales andmarketing management".

News in Brief 25

New Shanghai Bridge takes title of

largest arch bridge in the world

From June 2003, the Shanghai Lu PuSuspension Bridge, became the "No.1 ArchBridge in the World". The central 550meter-long steel arch, which spans thenew 3,900 meter-long bridge over theHuang Pu River, is 32 meters longer thanthe previous world record holder - the 518meter-long New River Gorge Bridge, WestVirginia, United States. To place the steelarch elements with the highest accuracy,the most precise surveying methodsrequired the use of an automated laserTotal Station Leica TCA2003.

Construction of the huge six-lane Lu PuBridge began in October 2000 and has cost2.25 billion yuan (272 million US dollars).The main section of the 3,900 meter-longbridge is 750 meters long and 28.7 meterswide. The 550 meter-long main arch ismade up of 27 box connectors, assembledby jointing, and 28 pairs of hangers linkingthe bridge deck. Over 35,000 tons of steelhas been used in its construction.

The final stage of installation - the connec-tion of the two bridge sections - proved tobe the most difficult part of the project. Inorder to ensure that the final two segmentsfrom both sides of the river met exactly,precision surveying equipment of LeicaGeosystems was also used in this phase ofconstruction by monitoring the move-ments of the arch elements with an auto-mated laser Total Station Leica TCA2003providing an accuracy of fractions of a millimetre.

According to Vice-mayor Han Zheng, thebridge will help to relieve traffic crossingthe river, and also contribute to Shanghai'sbid for the World Expo 2010. The Lu PuSuspension Bridge represents one of thethree new river crossings to be opened forpublic in 2003 in the fast developingmetropolitan area of Shanghai, the twoother crossings being constructed in formof tunnels.

Leica GS20 helps measure tropical

glacial recession in Ecuador

When gathering geospatial data in aremote and hostile location like a moun-tain glacier 16,000 feet above sea level, itpays to have a rugged, reliable mappinginstrument that's easy to use. That's whythe International Non-Traditional TeachingInitiative 2003 Expedition (INTI 2003) chosea new GPS/GIS receiver from LeicaGeosystems for their recent expedition toEcuador's Nevado Cayembe to studyglacial recession in the tropics.

As a major sponsor of INTI 2003, an all-girls scientific mountaineering expeditionin May-June 2003, Leica Geosystemssupplied a GS20 professional data mapper,which played a key role in taking vitalmeasurements aimed at determining theextent of glacial recession on one of theworld's highest tropical glaciers.

The INTI 2003 expedition was made up of a group of girls, age 14-18, from the Oldfields School, Maryland. "Paramountamong the expedition's many successeswas the data collected, which includedmeteorological data, glacial mass balancedata and glacial geometry data,"Expedition leader Red Talbot said.

A major goal of the expedition was to mapthe glacier and its environment to facilitatefuture studies of the nature and extent oftropical glacial recession. In addition tobeing an important indicator of globalclimate fluctuations, glacial recession inthe tropics could have a major impact onwater resources in the region, which has adisproportionate amount of the world'sreadily available freshwater reserves.

"The cable-free operation facilitated by theGS20's Bluetooth wireless technologymade data collection efficient andstreamlined," said Talbot. "In a high-altitude mountaineering environmentwhere efficiency means safety, this gave uspeace of mind."

Machine Automation26

This four year project fund-ed by the BAA and AMECPavement Team will deploythe world's first entirelystringline-free pavingsystem at a major inter-national airport. After installation of the system in February this year and thestart of production in July,the system is delivering realsavings and qualityimprovements at Heathrow.

Gone are the days of thetime consuming and costlyinstallation of steel pins,flags and guide wires tradi-tionally used in slip-formguidance. This error-pronemethod severely restrictedsite logistics, impacted onsafety and increased costs.Today at Heathrow, thePavement Team arecompleting all the slipformconcrete paving for T5 andthe upgrade of existing run-ways at Heathrow Airsideby using two Leica LMGS-SMachine Control Systemsand 6 x TCA1101+ total stations. Once the sub basehas been prepared, the road/ slab design is importedinto the Leica LMGS-Ssystem and the engineersets up a pair of TCA1101total stations adjacent to theworking area to starttracking the slip-formpaving machine.

The paver - a GomacoGHP2800, receives real-timedigital commands for steer-ing and height corrections

via an on-board Leica com-puter from the TCA1101's.This also includes themachine's attitude (roll andpitch) from two dual-axis tiltsensors and adjusts themachine's hydraulics if necessary, affording anextremely accurate positionand heading data. Themachine is automaticallysteered according to thedesign and allows theconcrete to be placed in.Two instruments guide theGomaco and a third checksthe final surface and re-aligns the machine ifrequired.

Concrete is laid with lesspaving preparation (as byprevious methods) at a rateof 1m / minute (510mm x7.5m slabs) with a resultingaccuracy of +/- 3 mm inheight and +/- 10mm in plan(standard deviation). Thisincrease in productivity isestimated to be around 20%and a better, smoother surface results without anycostly wastage of concrete.Kevin Robinson, WorksSuperintendent, who isresponsible for the day-to-day operation of all of

World firstin precisionpaving atHeathrow

"This machine automation system means much easier and safer access to the machines, without

the restrictions previously placed with the old stringline system."

Kevin RobinsonWorks Superintendent, AMEC

BENEFITS:· a better quality surface· laying of concrete with

precision, reliability andspeed

· concrete is laid with lesspaving preparation

· elimination of on-siteobstructions improvesoverall airport logistics

The project saw the deploymentof the world's first entirelystring line free paving system ata major international airport.

AMEC's paving machines,said: "This machine auto-mation system means mucheasier and safer access tothe machines, without therestrictions previouslyplaced with the oldstringline system."

"The elimination of on-siteobstructions has consider-ably improved overall air-port logistics."

These new Heathrow termi-nal taxiways and associatedpaved areas will have hadall the benefits of using thismajor new 3-D MachineGuidance System. This hasbeen the first time such asystem has been used onsuch a scale on such a largeand prestigious project.The results speak for them-selves - a better quality surface, laid with precision,reliability and speed - theonly choice for large-scaleprojects and an end tostring line guidance.

The demanding

tolerances of concrete

slab laying required at

T5 and Heathrow Airport

has called for the use of

the high-tech 3-D

Machine Guidance

Systems of Leica

Geosystems installed on

Gomaco GHP2800 Slip-

Form Pavers.

Machine Automation 27

Laing Contractor's manage-ment and staff soonrealised the benefits thatthe new 3D GradeStar, TotalControl Concept wouldhave on the efficiency oftheir business and on proj-ects that featured complexdesigns. "The GradeStar 3Dcontrol system proved to beinvaluable on the earth-works stage of the recentlycompleted WarehouseDistribution Centre Projectin Rolleston," ManagingDirector, Duncan Laing said."Job site tolerances wereexceeded and large floorareas were completed inrecord time with fewer menon the ground and lessmaterial wastage, resultingin a very happy customer."

The GradeStar-TPS systemoffers enormous advan-tages compared to conven-tional machine controlmethods. The system doesall the work for the opera-tor. On site pre-preparationwork such setting out cen-treline pegs or grade stakesis no longer required.Digital Terrain Models(DTMs) can be loadeddirectly onto the GradeStarcomputer mounted in the

(above): Ray Copeland fromGlobal, trains Laing's staff on theoperation of the PowersearchRobotic Total Stations

About GradeStar 3D machine

controlThe GradeStar 3D machine control system can workwith either GPS sensors or TPS total stations and has astandard control panel that can be used with sonic,laser and 3D systems. Special benefits of theGradeStar 3D GPS solution are the long control range(up to six miles); no need for direct line of sight andunlimited machines can be controlled simultaneouslyfrom one base station. The GradeStar TPS solution isthe perfect choice when highest accuracy is required orwhen works in tunnels, under bridges or other areasare need to be carried out, where obstructions couldimpede GPS signals. Other typical applications for theGradeStar 3D machine control system include finegrading on roads or highways, airport and runwayprojects, and the grading of parking lots.

Laing Contractors invest in Gradestar(left): Laing's grader with mastand 360o prism for tracking bythe Robotic Total Station

Laing Contractors Christchurch, New Zealand, have invested in a GradeStar 3D

machine control from Leica Geosystems to deliver engineering value and provide

greater job site accuracy. The GradeStar machine control system, based on the

robotic TPS1100 Total Stations series, was installed on a Cat 12G grader over an

existing Sonicmaster system. This 3D machine control system enables grader

operators to complete grading work in a shorter amount of time, more efficiently

and with greater accuracy.

driver's cab, allowing grad-ing to be undertaken exact-ly according to the projectdata. The GradeStar systemcontrols vertical curves andsuperelevations automati-cally - enabling more effi-cient construction of subdi-visions, roading and earth-works projects where finegrading tolerances arerequired.

A Robotic Total Station isused instead of a rotatinglaser. The Leica TCRARobotic Total Station tracksa 360-degree prism that isattached to a mast mountedon the grader blade. Theexact position of the graderblade is known at all timesand the onboard GradeStarcomputer (mounted in thecab) compares the positionof the blade with the designdata and automaticallyadjusts the elevation andcross slope of the blade towithin a tolerance of 5-10mm. This is truly 3D opera-tion controls the blades'elevation and slope as wellas the position.

"It is our mission at LaingContractors to deliver excellent quality to the

client," Duncan Laing, said."The Leica 3D GradeStarlets us achieve this byenabling increased job siteefficiency, a reduction inwaste as well as employingan environmentally friendlytechnology." Most recently,Laings have ordered asecond GradeStar systemfor their new Volvo grader.Included in the GPSGradeStar purchase is aSonicmaster blade controlsystem. Laings have alsodecided to purchase the

recently released GPS1200Surveying System and willuse this state of the artproduct in the form of aGPS base and GPS rover fortheir future work.

Bt

Archaeology28

for these classes that Ibecame the practice instru-ment.

A career as archaeological

surveyor

When I was about to retirefrom this job, my life took thedramatic turn that justifies myclaim to fame. In 1993, ayoung medical doctor namedHans Barnard, used most ofhis life savings to purchaseme in pursuit of his secondvocation: archaeology. Hehad been to Egypt a couple oftimes as a member of theBritish expedition to QasrIbrim. Once an eagle's nesthigh above the Nile Valley,this city is now on an island inLake Nasser, as a result of theconstruction of the AswanHigh Dam in the early 1960's.Hans' first responsibility wasthe health and safety of theforeign archaeologists andthe Egyptian workmen. Fortu-nately this was not a full timejob, and in his spare time hestudied the excavated humanbones, whilst at the sametime teaching himselfplanning and surveying.Soon he was able to not onlyexpertly use the line level,plumbob and planning frame,but also the plane table andtacheometry. At the time webecame partners, he haddecided to pursue a career asan archaeological surveyor

Allow me to introducemyself: my serial number is178277 and I am a T16 opticaltheodolite. Back in 1975, I leftmy home of manufacture inHeerbrugg, Switzerland tobegin my working life in theNetherlands. In 1979, I wassold to the municipality ofPurmerend, which was agrowing community justnorth of Amsterdam. Most ofmy work had to do withlaying out the streets andhouses that were going to be built in the existingagricultural land. It washonest work and, apart fromthe rain, not very difficult. After a while I was replacedwith more advanced,electronic equipment eventhough I had been outfittedwith a heavy DI4 Distomat.Being from a generation ofdurable all-metal theodolites,with not too many movingparts and without vulnerableelectronics, there were stillmany things I could do -maybe not as fast or as accu-rate as the younger genera-tion - but certainly morestraightforward and reliable.The first to appreciate thiswas a company called Passe-partout in Gouda, who under-took contract survey workand the maintenance andtrading of survey instru-ments. They also trained con-struction workers in varioussurvey techniques, and it was

Leica Geosystems' worldwide reputation for quality precision

instruments stems from the legacy of research and development

left by forefathers Kern Swiss and WILD Heerbrugg. Most survey-

ors would have begun their professional careers using Wild

instruments and for many years, a Wild T2 was synonymous with

precision work. Today, the foundation of Leica Geosystems is

based on this legacy - on the commitment of quality and

precision and on the continuous application of the most modern

technology. Customers know and trust Leica Geosystems' quality

precision instruments and are confident that they will stand the

test of time. One such example is that of a T16 optical theodolite,

used for optical distance measurement, and now owned by

archaeological surveyor, Dr Hans Barnard. Nearly 3-decades old,

this instrument has certainly done its share of work. Yet Barnard

continues to use it in the field despite the accession of new mod-

els. Here is its story.....

T16 #178277: a life of travel and tacheometry

My best photograph, taken in1999 in Cairo between themedieval city and the encroach-ing high-rises.

The Roman fort in Wadi UmmWikala (Wadi Semna) as itcould still be seen in theSummer of 1998.

and consequently he neededto own the tools of that trade.

Mapping in Egypt

From this time on my life wasfilled with adventure. Hanstook me all over Egypt tomap fascinating places andmeet interesting people. Firstwas Abu Sha'ar on the RedSea just north of Hurghada,the site of a Roman fort thatwas subsequently trans-formed into a monastery.Here we met Brian Cannon,an American surveyor whoworked for the court, but hadpreviously surveyed the routeof an oil pipeline in Alaskaand had a short spell ofselling survey equipment.Next we visited Berenike, themost important harbour onthe Egyptian Red Sea coast inGraeco-Roman times(between the 3rd century BCand the 6th century AD), andworked with British surveyorFred Aldsworth, a formerOrdnance Survey surveyorwho now specialised inarchaeological survey workand conservation. Fred, Brianand Hans drew a detailedplan of Berenike and of anumber of the ancient settlements and road stationsnearby. Soon after the potential of asmall team in the desert wasestablished, my life becameeven more interesting, but

Archaeology 29

Travelling rough, in the back of an old Toyota Hilux pick-uptruck (photograph S.E. Sidebotham, August 1997.

Further information about HansBarnard’s work can be found athttp://www.barnard.nl/desert/and associated pages.

also more difficult thanbefore. Together with SteveSidebotham and Hans, I started planning ancient settlements in the EgyptianEastern Desert. Steve is a pro-fessor of Ancient History andClassical Archaeology at theUniversity of Delaware (USA),with a particular interest inthe ancient Red Sea trade andthe Egyptian Eastern Desert.He directed the excavations atAbu Sha'ar and co-directedthose at Berenike. He alsotraced the Graeco-Romantrade routes through thedesert and planned the waystations associated withthese. When he decided tostart mapping the ancient settlements in the desert heasked for our help. As therewas only time for this duringthe summer holidays wewent out when the desertwas at its most inhospitable.The project had no budget,and so I usually travelled inthe back of an old ToyotaHilux pick-up truck, and I waseven loaded on a camel acouple of times to go placesthat could not be reached bycar!Most of the settlements wevisited were associated with

ancient gold mines or stonequarries. Others were relatedto the ancient road system or served a still unknownfunction. All consisted of simple structures of local un-worked stone, builtwithout the use of mortar.The roofs must have beenmade of cloth or mats over awooden frame and the build-ings may have looked morelike tents than like houses.They had all been abandoned1500 years before and hadsince been slowly reclaimedby the desert, a process aidedby the removal of usefulparts, the occasional flashfloods, treasure hunters and

tourists. After all these yearswe were the first to oncemore spend a couple ofnights in the settlement thatwe studied during the day.These nights were silentunder an impressive dome ofstars at which I sometimeshad a look to establish North.The days were hot and morethan once my spirit levels followed the sunlight ratherthan gravity.

Taping and tacheometry in

the desert

Survey work in the desert isseriously hampered by thelack of electric power.Ordinary batteries can bebrought in large quantities,but recharging battery packsis impossible withoutbringing special equipmentor driving long distances. Asthe environment is harsh todelicate electronics as well asto the human brain, simplenon-electronic surveymethods are the preferredmethods anyway. The loss inaccuracy is irrelevant as theobjects to be surveyed areusually too poorly construct-ed and too damaged to allowextreme precision. A possibleloss in speed is more thancompensated for by the addi-tional information that can begathered during the extratime on site. I was thereforemostly used to lay out a gridfor taping or involved intacheometry on the site.For the first method I wasonly needed to construct agrid of 50 x 50 m squares.After this I could rest in theshade while a tape was laidout along one of the gridlines. A second tape perpen-dicular to the first allowedHans to measure the co-ordi-nates of whatever needed tobe surveyed and draw thisdirectly to scale. Squareangels were obtained byeither a third tape parallel tothe first one or, more often,by an optical square. For thetask of tacheometry I wasrequired to work all the time.The method used required astadia rod to measure bothangle and distance betweenthe surveyor and the point tobe surveyed. Depending on

the local situation these twomethods were often com-bined, or supplemented withdata from trigonometry orGPS-receivers. All thesemeasurements had then tobe converted into a drawing.At first Hans did so on site,using ruler and protractor,enabling him to immediatelycheck the final result. As hebecame more confident hestarted working at home,using sketches and notes toexplain his long lists of meas-urements. From ruler andprotractor he moved on toExcel and AutoCad. The finaldrawing was, however,always made by hand using aRotring pen on drawing film.PhotoShop was then used toclean the drawing and addthe necessary captions. Manysites were mapped this wayand many of the resultingplans were published, or willbe soon. One of the nicestprojects we worked on is theplan of the Roman fort inWadi Umm Wikala that wasdestroyed only a short whileafter this plan was drawn.

To Iceland and back

Hans was rewarded now andagain by seeing his name inprint, and I also got somecompensation for my hardwork - not only did I seeplaces that few have visited,but also from time to time Iwas cleaned and calibrated.At some point I also got anew set of legs, boughtsecond hand from a foreigncompany involved in the con-struction of several tunnels inCairo, both for sewage andtraffic.Less fortunate were the timeswhen Hans left me to use dif-ferent instruments elsewhere.At one stage he went to

Yemen to survey the environ-ments of Baynun using aWild RDS (serial # 218107)belonging to the GermanInstitute in Sana'a. More recently he was inIceland to find early struc-tures in Skagafjör∂ur, in thenorth of the island, with geo-physical methods. At onestage, the use of a Wild T1000(serial # 333638) withattached DI1000 Distomat andGRE4 datalogger wasrequired. When he contactedthe Leica Geosystems'helpdesk, to ask for the nec-essary software to run thiscombination, he not onlypromptly received technicalsupport, but was also askedto share some of hisadventures. As so, here weare....

T16 #178277

& Hans Barnard

“I also got some compensa-tion for my hard work - not

only did I see places thatfew have visited, but also

from time to time I wascleaned and calibrated.”

T16 #178277

Geological Survey30

What's happening on Mt. Everest and K2 in 2004?

The GPS system from LeicaGeosystems receivessignals around the clockfrom the 24 Navstar GPSsatellites, allowing it todetermine its exact positionand to also transmit aprecise positioni signalevery 30 seconds. Thisreference signal allowsresearchers and climbers inthe region with their ownGPS receivers to orientatethemselves with centimeteraccuracy.

GPS technology and equip-ment from Leica Geo-systems was used to surveythe highest mountain in theworld for the first time in1992, by an internationalteam led by Italian geo-physicist Giorgio Poretti.The Leica GPS system isnow permanently installedat base-camp altitude. Itdelivers the extremelyprecise referential data toresearchers and climbers

and at the same timerecords valuable informa-tion on changes in theearth's crust. "After a seriesof tough tests and based onour many years of positiveexperience in extreme situations, we decided onceagain in favour of GPSequipment from LeicaGeosystems. In this climaticzone, with no way tomaintain the equipmentover the course of manymonths, precision and reliability are the top priority," says GiorgioPoretti.

Mt. Everest ice cover and

the 50th anniversary of the

first K2 conquest

To this day it is not knownexactly how thick the icecover is on the top of Mt. Everest, and thus thecourse and height of theprofile of the summit arenot known. In a GPS

Mountain climbers and scientists aren't the only

things that move around on the world's highest

mountain; in fact, Mt. Everest and the entire

Himalayan region is constantly transforming itself. In

order to capture the positions of people and nature

as well record their movements, a permanent,

solar-powered Leica GPS 530 surveying station was

installed in 2003. It is located on the Nepalese side of

the mountain, near the glass research pyramid that

was set up more than a decade ago by the Italian

research team "Ev-K2-CNR".

In a flank overhanging themighty Khumbu Glacier and witha good view of several 8000-meter mountains - includingEverest, Lhotse, Nuptse - theItalian research pyramid (left)was set up in 1992 withnumerous laboratory facilitiesfor medical and environmentalresearch. In 2003, the labreceived a GPS 530 stationlocated on undisturbed rock (red circle). Photo: Ev-K2-CNR Poretti/LeicaGeosystems

The newly erected Leica GPShemispheric antenna at the footof Mt. Everest receives GPS sig-nals year all year round, 24hours a day. The Leica GPS Sys-tem 530 calculates the signalsand transmits exact positioningdata for researchers, climbersand emergency teams in theregion every 30 seconds. Solartechnology supplies theequipment with energy through-out the entire year. The data arealso transmitted directly to theItalian research center in orderto track tectonic changes.Photo: Ev-K2-CNR Poretti/LeicaGeosystems

For the first time ever, a Leica GPS system records

movements around Mt. Everest every 30 seconds...

surveying campaign to beled by the Italian researchteam "Ev-K2-CNR" underthe direction of the Trieste-based geophysicist GiorgioPoretti in 2004, the twohighest mountain peaks inthe world will be climbedand surveyed with state-of-the-art GPS systems fromSwitzerland, in such a waythat even the precise profileof the summit can be recognized.

The combined expeditionon Mt. Everest and K2marks the 50-year anni-versary of the first success-ful climb of 8611-meter K2in 1954, accomplished byan Italian mountaineeringteam led by ProfessorPoretti's "Ev-K2-CNR" predecessor, Ardito Desio.Leica GPS surveying instru-ments will accompany theteams to the world's twohighest summits in 2004. It will be the first GPS topo-graphical survey of K2'ssummit ever!

Stfi

Tunnel Monitoring 31

The Mass Rapid Transport(MRT) underground train sys-tem in Singapore is constant-ly being improved with newtunnel additions. The LandTransport Authority (LTA) firstcommissioned the installa-tion of an automatic tunnel monitoring system at BugisJunction over eight years ago- the first system in the worldto monitor in a live tunnel.The latest project involves thebuilding of the SingaporeManagement University CityCampus, over two tunnels ofthe Dhoby Ghaut Station. Inaddition, the new MarinaTunnel, phase one of the Cir-cle line, is being constructedalongside these existing tun-nels and extend into the backof the Station where monitor-ing is also required.

Installation of monitoring

system

With such jobs, it is alwaysnecessary to make sure thatthe monitoring system worksbefore construction commen-ces. If the excavation is antici-pated to reach what is de-fined as the first and secondreserves (zones that aredefined by the distance theyare away from an existingtunnel), then monitoring formovement or distortion mustbe undertaken. The projectteam can then be forewarnedif any preventative measuresare needed. WisecanEngineering Services Pte Ltdwere selected as the sur-veyors for the project in Feb-ruary 2002. "We first complet-ed the tunnel geometry andthen started to do the plann-ing in accordance for authori-ty requirement," ManagingDirector, Mr Chua Keng Guansaid. Wisecan was formed in 1992and begin by providingsurvey work for cable layingin Singapore. Prior to that MrChua worked for the MRTCand had a particular interestin tunnel projects. They

began cooperation with Leicain 1994 and have workedtogether on many projectssince then."The monitoring zone is a500-metre long tunnel andthis is too big for one instru-ment, making it necessary touse four total stations tocover its length for south-bound, and another four forthe northbound," saidWilliam Tang, Sales and Pro-ject Manager for Leica Geo-systems' Singapore agentSiberHegner (SEA) Pte Ltd. "It is also on a curve, creatingthe need for the bi-directionalprism."Over 2000 prisms, includingsixty bi-directional prismswere needed to cover theroof, walls and floor of thetunnels.

Installation in live tunnel

Because the tunnel is live - atrain passes every fourminutes - and it is very costlyto have the tunnel closed dur-ing the day, the team had toinstall the prisms and moni-toring system at night. Due tocontinual maintenance andrepair activities also duringthis time, the team were luckyto be granted one or twonights per week for tunnelaccess, and then are onlyallocated three hours toundertake their work. Only atotal of 30 access nights - 15for each tunnel - have beenapproved so the schedule isvery tight."The train stops at 1am andstarts again at 5am," WilliamTang said. "Because it is ahigh voltage area, safety is ahigh issue and the powerneeds to be turned off andsignals need to be workingproperly."It takes 16 people working inthree teams to install up to200 prisms per night. LeicaTCA2002 total stations wereused for the measurement."There is only three metresbetween each prism which is

Double prism solves curves in tunnel monitoringIn today's big cities, there is often new construction under already existing infrastructure. This raises a big

safety issue, making it necessary to stringently monitor the stability of existing buildings and also for signs of

movement or distortion during construction. Specific requirements of projects are always creating new

challenges for surveyors, and in Singapore the new tunnel construction at Dhoby Ghaut station has done just

that - necessitating the use of bi-directional prism to enable monitoring along the curved tunnel.

William Tang and Ghua KengGuan with the purpose-designedbi-directional prism

Over 2000 prisms - over the roof,walls and floor were intalled inthe tunnel

"We have alwaysbelieved in accuracy,

performance and reli-ability. I liken Leica to

a Mercedes - it lastsa long time and at the

end of the day Leicaoutperforms the rest."

Chua Keng GuanManaging Director

Wisecan EngineeringServices Pte Ltd

extremely denseand thereforequite a chal-lenge," saidWilliam Tang.Monitoring ofthis particularproject will con-tinue for threeyears until 2005.However,despite installa-tion of the auto-matic monitor-ing system,manual checking will alsoneed to continue as a backupevery one to two months.

Data flow

The four TCA2003 measuresimultaneously and aftereach measurement cycle theraw data is being transmittedvia GSM modem to a Serverat Wisescan office. The datawill be automatically pro-cessed and transmitted to theclient almost instantly.Should the measurementexceed the trigger levels,SMS warning messages willbe automatically generatedand broadcast to the respon-sible people. This proc-essensures that client gets thedata on time for correctiveaction to be taken."If anything is found to bemoving, we need to be ableto provide convincinganswers to the authority," MrChua said. "We are very con-fident that Leica instrumentsare able to provide consisten-cy, and that is what we wantfor the important jobs - espe-cially government authorities- we are able to tell the LTAthat we are using a reliableinstrument."He added: "We have alwaysbelieved in accuracy,performance and reliability. Iliken Leica to a Mercedes - itlasts a long time and at theend of the day Leicaoutperforms the rest."

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