Application of UAV 3D Point Cloud Data in Highway Slope Disaster Investigation

Abstract

Abstract The safety and stability of highway slopes have always been critical concerns in highway management and maintenance. However, mountain road slopes, characterized by their small scale, large quantity, and complex geological conditions, pose challenges for effective deformation detection, putting significant pressure on highway management and maintenance. To address the difficulty in identifying hidden hazards of highway slopes in mountainous areas, this study proposes the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) closed-range photogrammetry technology for slope inspection. The M3C2 (Multiscale Model-to-Model Cloud Comparison) algorithm is employed to accurately calculate differences in multi-phase three-dimensional point cloud data, enabling the detection of overall slope deformation with centimeter-level precision. Field verification conducted on a highway slope in Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province, demonstrated the applicability of UAV 3D point cloud data in investigating highway slope hazards, thereby enhancing inspection efficiency and quality and providing technical support for highway management and maintenance.