A laser-scanner system for

geotechnical process monitoring

M. Valencia-Galindo, L. Beltrán-Rodriguez, J. Sánchez-Peralta, J. Tituaña-Puente,
M. Trujillo-Vela, J.M. Larrahondo, L.F. Prada-Sarmiento, A.M. Ramos-Cañón
MOTIVATION Moving laser scanner
Remote-sensing technology is a widely used tool for engineering
process monitoring at different scales, from landslide and fault
mapping to building information modelling (BIM). This poster
describes the laboratory implementation of a two-dimensional laser
scanner system for geotechnical process monitoring in an
instrumented environmental flume.
FEATURES
Laser scanner: a two-dimensional laser scanner device (Bulkscan®
LMS511 laser volume flowmeter, SICK AG, Waldkirch, Germany) is
the main component of the system. The scanner uses infrared, Flume
eye-safe laser on a two-dimensional plane with aperture angle of Sprinkler
190°, acquiring elevation data on polar coordinates with 0.5° system Mounting frame
resolution, that is equivalent to 12.72-mm resolution at the flume’s Fig 2. Left: Environmental flume. Right: distribution of
bottom. The scanner works within an operating range of 0.5 to 20 induced precipitation (cm3/s) on a 1m x 1m area
m, at scanning frequencies varying from 35 to 75 Hz.
VALIDATION: TAILINGS FLOW TESTS
A series of tailings flow experiments were performed to study the
flow behaviour of tailings pastes. Filtered gold tailings from the
region of Antioquia, Colombia were used to simulate sudden
discharge in the laboratory. The tailings properties were: 73.4%
185 mm

silt-, 23.7% sand-, and 2.9% clay-sized particles; Gs = 2.77, LL =

31.7%, PI = 13.8%, and the water-based paste showed a
concentration of solids of 70%. An aluminium-and-acrylic box
(30x30x50 cm), provided with a 10 cm-wide, 30 cm-high gate
contained the paste until the gate was opened to yield flow on a
flat aluminium surface.

Fig 1. Laser-scanner device (left: sick.com)

Environmental flume: the laser scanner is installed at the top of
30 cm
the environmental flume of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana’s Flow direction
Geotechnical Laboratory. The target physical model remains
stationary in the flume while the scanner moves along the main
axis of the flume. The flume comprises a hydraulic system with
three sprinklers at the top and a drainage system at base level,
Flow direction
and the latter can also act as inlet to yield bottom-up pressure, if
required. The system is equipped with manometers for pressure
control during both rain simulations and bottom-up pressure Flow direction
generation, and a hydraulic pump to regulate flow rate. Finally, the
flume includes a jack system on one end, which allows control of Fig 3. Tailings flow
the inclination of the models constructed in the flume. Fig. 2 experiment and digital
presents results of an artificial-rain calibration test performed by elevation model (187,676
opening the valve of the central sprinkler for 40 seconds, while data points) prepared
keeping the pressure system at about 550 kPa. using SURFER®
Data acquisition and post-processing
The scanner’s data acquisition system is the freeware program
CONCLUSIONS
SOPAS Engineering Tool V3 (SICK AG, Waldkirch, Germany). A
By coupling a laser scanner with an environmental flume and
MATLAB code was also developed for calculating polar-to-
instrumentation, it is possible to monitor and study geotechnical
Cartesian coordinate conversion of every recorded elevation data
processes in the laboratory while controlling rain-precipitation
point while handling the data efficiently.
parameters and eventually slope dip and pore pressures, all
factors affecting geotechnical stability.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was funded with support from the Civil Engineering Dept.,
the Geophysical Institute, and the Master’s in Civil Engineering
Program of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Further information: jlarrahondo@javeriana.edu.co
(also, paper No. ICPMG2018_027)