International Association of Geodesy

Commission 4 - Positioning and Applications

Applications of Geodesy in Engineering

2003 - 2007

Terms of Reference

Rapid developments in engineering, microelectronics and the computer sciences have greatly changed both instrumentation and methodology in engineering geodesy. To build higher and longer, on the other hand, have been key challenges for engineers and scientists since ancient times.  Now, and for the foreseeable future, engineers confront the limits of size, not merely to set records, but to meet the real needs of society minimising negative environmental impact.  Highly developed engineering geodesy techniques are needed to meet these challenges.  The SC will therefore endevour to coordinate research and other activities that address the broad areas of the theory and applications of engineering geodesy tools.  The tools range from conventional terrestrial measurement and alignment technology (optical, RF, etc.), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), geotechnical instrumentation, and software systems such as GIS, decision support systems, etc.  The applications range from construction engineering and structural monitoring, to natural phenomena such as landslides and ground subsidence that have a local effect on structures and community infrastructure. The SC will carry out its work in close cooperation with other IAG Entities, as well as via linkages with relevant scientific and professional organisations such as ISPRS, FIG, IEEE, ION.

Objectives

•      To monitor research and development into new technologies that are applicable to the general field of “engineering geodesy”, including hardware, software and analysis techniques.

•      To study advances in dynamic monitoring and data evaluation systems for buldings and other manmade structures.

•      To study advances in monitoring and alert systems for local geodynamic processes, such as landslides, ground subsidence, etc.

•      To study advances in geodetic methods used on large construction sites.

•      To study advances in the application of knowledge-based systems in engineering geodesy.

•      To document the body of knowledge in this field, and to present this knowledge in a consistent frame work at symposia and workshops.

•      Through the SC4.2 Working Groups to promote research into several new technology areas or applications. 

Program of Activities

•          To study the technology and applications of engineering geodesy in order to address the objectives for SC4.2 (see above).

•          To organize and to participate in professional workshops, seminars, meetings, etc.

•          To establish a web page providing information on SC4.2 activities, professional meeting calendar, etc.

Steering Committee

Working Groups

WG 4.2.1: Measurement Systems for the Navigation of Construction Processes

Terms of Reference: To study and report the performance of the currently used navigation/guidance systems for construction machinery, and to promote the development of new methods and techniques for controlling construction processes.

Members:

Fritz Brunner (Technical University Graz, Austria)
Naser El-Sheimy (University of Calgary, Canada)
Theo Engel (Swiss Federal Railways SBB, Switzerland)
Sven Kold Johannsen (Danish Road Ass., Denmark)
Bernhard Lichtberger (Plasser und Theurer, Austria)
Sten Lunden (Swedish Rail, Sweden)
Valerie Michel (IGN, France)
Wolfgang Möhlenbrink (University Stuttgart, Germany)
Gethin Roberts (IESSG, Nottingham University, UK)
Willfried Schwarz (University Weimar, Germany)

WG 4.2.2: Dynamic Monitoring of Buildings

Terms of Reference: To study and report the performance of currently used building monitoring systems, including techniques based satellite and terrestrial measurements, and to promote new the application of new sensor technology.

The list of members and further information can be found on the website of the WG. 

WG 4.2.3: Application of Knowledge-based Systems in Engineering Geodesy

Terms of Reference: To study and report on topics such as control of measurement- and guidance-systems, deformation analysis, control of alert systems, and the evaluation of their complex data stream through the use of knowledge-based systems. To implement new research outcomes in Artificial Intelligence for deformation analysis and measurement system control.

Members:

Uwe Egly (Vienna University of Technology, Austria)
Andreas Eichhorn (Vienna University of Technology, Austria)
Katja Heine (BTU Cottbus, Germany)
Esmond Mok (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong)
Wolfgang Niemeier (Technical University Braunschweig, Germany)
Alexander Reiterer (Vienna University of Technology, Austria)
Steffen Schön (University of Karlsruhe, Germany)

WG 4.2.4: Monitoring of Landslides and System Analysis

Terms of Reference: Worldwide landslides are one of the major types of natural hazards killing or injuring a large number of individuals and creating very high costs every year. There has already been done a wide range of research work on landslides. Most of this work had a bias towards one discipline, like remote sensing or geology. The new idea of the working group is to promote multidisciplinary integration of different methods. The main goal is to setup an integrated workflow for landslide hazard management.

Members:

László Bányai (Geodetic and Geophysical Research Institute of HAS, Hungary)
Zhengquan Cui (Changjiang Water Resource Commission, Wuhan, China)
Christos Georganopoulos (Egnatia Odos S.A, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece)
Alessandro Ghinoi (Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy)
Michaela Haberler (Vienna University of Technology, Austria)
Heribert Kahmen (Vienna University of Technology, Austria)
Konstantinos Lakakis (Egnatia Odos S.A, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece)
Angelos Livadas (Egnatia Odos S.A, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece)
Fabian Marcus (University of Bonn, Germany)
Wolfgang Niemeier (Technical University Braunschweig, Germany)
Konstantinos Papatolios (Egnatia Odos S.A, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece)
Antal Papp (Hungarian Ministry of Interior, Budapest, Hungary)
Mario Panizza (Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy)
Klaus Rabensteiner (GeoData, Leoben, Austria)
Björn Riedel (Technical University Braunschweig, Germany)
Barbara Theilen-Willige (Büro für Angewandte Geowissenschaftliche Fernerkundung, Stockach, Germany)
Maria Yeroyanni (European Commission Brussels, Belgium)
Anastasios Zeimpekis (Egnatia Odos S.A, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece)
Zhang JingSheng (Changjiang Water Resource Commission, Wuhan, China)
Paraskevas Savvaidis (University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece)

From 1995 to 2003 the research work was carried out by the Special Commission 4 under IAG Section 1.

The IAG Sub-Commission 4.2 and Special Commission 4 are sponsor of the following conferences:

Past Events:

3^rd International Workshop on Mobile Mapping Technology
January 3-5, 2001 in Cairo, Egypt
  Click here for Conference Report in PDF format

Workshop on Monitoring of Constructions and Local Geodynamic Processes
IAG SC 4, Working Groups WG 2 and WG 3
May 22-24, 2001 in Wuhan, PR China
  Click here for Workshop Report in PDF format

5^th Conference on Optical 3-D Measurment Techniques
October 1-4, 2001 in Vienna, Austria

2^nd Symposium on Geodesy for Geotechnical and Structural Engineering
May 21-24, 2002 in Berlin, Germany
  Click here for Conference Report in German (PDF format)

IUGG 2003
XXIII General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
June 30 - Juli 11, 2003 in Sapporo, Japan

6^th Conference on Optical 3-D Measurment Techniques
September 22-25, 2003 in Zurich, Switzerland

4^th International Symposium on Mobile Mapping Technology
March 29-31, 2004 in Kunming, China
  1st Announcement in PDF format

Fortcoming Events:

FIG International Symposium on Engineering Surveys for Construction Works and Structural Engineering
June 28 - July 1, 2004 in Nottingham, UK
  2nd Announcement in PDF format

7^th Conference on Optical 3-D Measurment Techniques
October 3-5, 2005 in Vienna, Austria
  1st Announcement in PDF format

3^rd Symposium on Geodesy for Geotechnical and Structural Engineering
Spring 2006 in Baden or Steyr, Austria