United States Department of Transportation
i
Applying UAS LiDAR for Developing Small Project Terrain Models
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2023-12-01
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[PDF-48.44 MB]
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Edition:Final Report
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Abstract:The work described in this report assessed the accuracy of using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) LiDAR on small bridge replacement projects, compared the accuracy of UAS LiDAR and conventional surveying techniques (global navigation satellite system real time kinematics and total station), and discussed the cost savings of different surveying methods. The study considered five small bridge projects where UAS LiDAR was flown, and conventional surveying checkpoints were measured in the LiDAR survey area. The results indicate that for hard surfaces, UAS LiDAR is generally accurate to within -1.0 inch to +1.0 inch, with variations observed across the different sites. Soft surfaces, particularly grass, exhibited LiDAR overestimation ranging from 0.0 to +2.0 inches and up to +3.0 inches at the Humnoke site. Tall grass and tree checkpoints demonstrated larger errors, with variations among the sites. Overall, the root mean squared errors for the different surface types ranged from 0.5 to 7.0 inches, with asphalt having the lowest error and trees having the highest. The study concludes that UAS LiDAR provides good accuracy for hard surfaces, with expected larger errors for soft surfaces, and offers cost benefits over alternative surveying methods. Comparative cost analyses revealed that UAS LiDAR is approximately $1,195.41 less expensive per project than helicopter LiDAR and $10,539.18 less expensive per bridge project compared to conventional surveys, resulting in a 20 and 25 percent cost reduction, respectively. Despite having slightly less accuracy for soft surfaces, the cost effectiveness of UAS LiDAR makes it a favorable choice for small-area bridge projects.
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