3D Documentation and Architectural Analysis of Floridas Historic Sugar Mills

3D Documentation and Architectural Analysis of Floridas Historic Sugar Mills

Sugar was introduced to the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1493, from the Canary Islands. Sugar production expanded dramatically in the seventeenth century, when British "sugar islands" such as Jamaica and Barbados made inroads into a sugar trade. Sugarcane products grew to include crystalline varieties of sugar, syrups, rum and molasses. In Florida, sugar was first commercially manufactured in Florida near New Smyrna around 1767. During the 1800s a number of sugar mills were built around the State including Dummett, the first steam-powered sugar mill in Florida around 1824, Bulow 1831, Macrae Plantation and Dunlawton 1832, and Yulee in 1851. Most of these mills stopped production as a result of the Seminole Indian Wars or the Civil War.
Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins, Citrus County, Florida

3D Documentation and Architectural Analysis of Floridas Historic Sugar Mills

The Alliance for Integrated Spatial Technologies has collaborated with state and federal agencies to document and analyze the historic Florida sugar mills for purposes of preservation and restoration.

Areas of assistance include: Mortar, stucco, and Portland cement identification, repair, and replacement Evaluation of structural integrity and deformation Three-dimensional as-built documentation Computer assisted architectural drawings (CAD) Long-term monitoring of on-site conditions

The Bulow Mill in Flagler County

Challenge 1:

Structural Instability Documenting Present-day Conditions

Challenge 2:

Provide as-built models for off-site analysis, management and restoration planning

Laser scan image in planar view allowing virtual analysis, measurement, and modeling

Solutions:

Terrestrial LiDAR documentation with GPS and robotic total station providing spatial references

3D Model of the Yulee Sugar Mill, Citrus County (shown in the inset)

Solutions:

3D Laser Scan data used to create measurable 3D models for engineering analysis and management planning

3D Model of the Yulee Sugar Mill, Citrus County

Method:

Field data acquisition (per location): ~ 2 days Post-processing data: 1 week

3D point clouds of data collected consisting of millions of x, y, and z points

3D Model of the Bulow Sugar Mill, Flagler County, Florida

3D point clouds of data collected consisting of millions of x, y, and z points

Final Products:

Measured drawings, as-built models, and 3D models can be created using the scan documentation

3D point cloud of the Bulow Mill chimney seen inside and out with the 3D modeling

Final Products:
Detection of past repairs using incompatible materials such as Portland Cement
Areas of Mortar Overlay

Areas of Portland Cement

Scan data showing different reflectivity properties of mortars used in historic repairs that are now being corrected

USF students received hands-on experience in historic preservation techniques by working along side experts from the National Park Services Historic Preservation Training Center from Frederick, MD.