Surveying and Digital Restoration of Towering Architectural Heritage in Harsh Environments: a Case Study of the Millennium Ancient Watchtower in Tibet

Abstract

Aiming at the problem of difficult data collection and modeling in high-rise ancient buildings with narrow interiors, a method is proposed in this paper for modeling and supporting digital restoration based on unmanned aerial vehicle oblique photogrammetry combined with three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning technology. The ancient watchtower complex in the Tibetan region of China is taken as an example. Firstly, the data is collected using an unmanned aerial vehicle and 3D laser scanner. Secondly, the two types of data are merged to generate a three-dimensional status model. Finally, by analyzing the status model and combining the similar remaining conditions, a virtual restoration scheme is proposed, and a 3D restoration model is established. The results show that virtual restoration based on 3D measurement technology can be used as a new method for the research and protection of towering ancient buildings, asrecorded by adopting targeted technology for digital documentation. It is necessary and effective to adopt a method combining unmanned aerial vehicle oblique photogrammetry and the ground 3D laser scanning technology in harsh environments. The digital model can promote the sustainable utilization of cultural heritage. It is necessary to analyze and make full use of the status model of such ancient buildings based on accurately measured data for the virtual restoration of the damaged ancient buildings. The status model of the ancient buildings can be used for display browsing and disaster recording. The restoration model can be dismantled and used to guide the repair work.

Advances in the Restoration of Buildings with LIDAR Technology and 3D Reconstruction: Forged and Vaults of the Refectory of Santo Domingo de Orihuela (16th Century)

“…Data were taken prior to the intervention using the point cloud provided by the technique used, and the data are reflected in a graphic representation of different sections that allow us to analyse both the dimensions of the different construction systems and the deformations and displacements produced [14,36], in the arches-nerves as well as in the vaulting-plementeries.…”

“…However, metric and visual information is necessary to determine the definition of the existing constructive elements: orthogonal graphic views (plans, elevations, and sections), as well as volumetric perspectives are essential for the initial constructive analyses, and for future intervention and maintenance projects. For this reason, and in order to complete the graphic information, it is necessary to complete the data collection during the restoration work in order to document the geometry and construction systems of the building with reliable and quality results [11][12][13][14][15] (Figure 2).…”

Automatic Detection of Earthquake-Damaged Buildings by Integrating UAV Oblique Photography and Infrared Thermal Imaging

“…It overcomes the limitations of traditional photogrammetry, as cameras capture images from different angles and can obtain both the top information and side textures of ground objects in the same shot. The technology has proven to exhibit superior rich information acquisition in the spatial dimension, an outstanding advantage in 3D reconstruction in real scenes [26,27], especially for disaster emergency scenarios. This advantage makes up for the lack of traditional aerial photogrammetry, and 3D models have a strong sense of reality with a high measurement accuracy.…”

Near-infrared modeling and enhanced visualization, as a novel approach for 3D decay mapping of stone sculptures

“…As a result, these techniques have become widely used in heritage science. Typical applications involve the documentation of archaeological remains (McCarthy 2014;Douglass et al 2015;López et al 2016;Toprak et al 2019), architectural details (Columbu and Verdiani 2014;Tucci et al 2015;Russo et al 2019), sculptures (Malik and Guidi 2018;Girelli et al 2019;Koehl and Fuchs 2019), artifacts (Santos et al 2017;, implementations to support the integration of multidisciplinary diagnostical data (Adamopoulos et al 2017;Mandelli et al 2017), and virtual restorations or reconstructions (Tucci et al 2017;Chen et al 2018;Fazio and Lo Brutto 2020).…”