Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Railway Bridges Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle–Terrestrial Laser Scanner Point Cloud Fusion

Abstract

To address the incomplete image data collection of close-to-ground structures, such as bridge piers and local features like the suspension cables in bridges, obtained from single unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) oblique photography and the difficulty in acquiring point cloud data for the top structures of bridges using single terrestrial laser scanners (TLSs), as well as the lack of textural information in TLS point clouds, this study aims to establish a high-precision, complete, and realistic bridge model by integrating UAV image data and TLS point cloud data. Using a particular large-scale dual-track bridge as a case study, the methodology involves aerial surveys using a DJI Phantom 4 RTK for comprehensive image capture. We obtain 564 images circling the bridge arches, 508 images for orthorectification, and 491 images of close-range side views. Subsequently, all images, POS data, and ground control point information are imported into Context Capture 2023 software for aerial triangulation and multi-view image dense matching to generate dense point clouds of the bridge. Additionally, ground LiDAR scanning, involving the placement of six scanning stations both on and beneath the bridge, was conducted and the point cloud data from each station are registered in Trimble Business Center 5.5.2 software based on identical feature points. Noise point clouds are then removed using statistical filtering techniques. The integration of UAV image point clouds with TLS point clouds is achieved using the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm, followed by the creation of a TIN model and texture mapping using Context Capture 2023 software. The effectiveness of the integrated modeling is verified by comparing the geometric accuracy and completeness of the images with those obtained from a single UAV image-based model. The integrated model is used to generate cross-sectional profiles of the dual-track bridge, with detailed annotations of boundary dimensions. Structural inspections reveal honeycomb surfaces and seepage in the bridge piers, as well as painted rust and cracks in the arch ribs. The geometric accuracy of the integrated model in the X, Y, and Z directions is 1.2 cm, 0.8 cm, and 0.9 cm, respectively, while the overall 3D model accuracy is 1.70 cm. This method provides technical reference for the reconstruction of three-dimensional point cloud bridge models. Through 3D reconstruction, railway operators can better monitor and assess the condition of bridge structures, promptly identifying potential defects and damages, thus enabling the adoption of necessary maintenance and repair measures to ensure the structural safety of the bridges.