As part of the module ‘Current Topics in Geomatics (AKG)’, students in their 6th and 7th semesters of the Bachelor's programme in Surveying and Geoinformatics attended a block course on the topic of monitoring – a central component of modern engineering geodesy. The aim of this practical course was to give students a comprehensive insight into the geometric monitoring of engineering structures and infrastructure facilities.
Monitoring demonstrator
A central element of the event is a monitoring demonstrator, which is a model of a railway track. This model can be used to simulate various scenarios in which the geometry of the track changes - for example due to settlement, deformation or displacement. Such changes can pose real dangers, especially in rail transport, where compliance with precise geometric tolerances is crucial for safety.
Various measuring sensors are used in the demonstrator to record these changes:
- Inclinometers to detect tilting movements
- Extensometers to detect settlements and strains
- Tachymetric point measurements for three-dimensional position monitoring
- Temperature sensors to take environmental influences into account
The connection of further sensors is currently in preparation.
The measurement data recorded as part of the simulation can then be analysed by the students.
Block course - "Current chapters in geomatics - monitoring" (AKG-MON)
With the help of this monitoring demonstrator, the students learnt how to design and set up a monitoring project, programme the total station used, automate the observations and automatically analyse the measurement data during the block course.
A particular focus was placed on long-term monitoring: changes over time were analysed, diagrams were created, critical developments were identified and limit values were defined, the exceeding of which automatically triggered an alarm - a common procedure in the real monitoring of engineering structures, especially bridges, tunnels and railway tracks.
The block course not only taught theoretical principles, but also promoted practical understanding of the planning, implementation and interpretation of monitoring measures and the monitoring of all types of engineering structures during and after the construction phase.
Through the combination of modelling, sensor technology, data analysis and engineering evaluation, the course provided students with valuable preparation for later activities in the field of engineering surveying.
The block course "AKG-MON" and the monitoring simulator are a cooperation between the laboratories GeoMAT (Laboratory for Geodetic Measurement and Analysing Techniques, Prof. Austen) and METRO (Laboratory Engineering Metrology, Prof. Beetz).