Terrestrial laser scanner for monitoring the deformations and the damages of buildings

The paper presents the use of the terrestrial laser scanner for the study and the assessment of damaged buildings. The terrestrial laser scanner provides the ability to detect the geometric 3D model of a building without any physical contact with the structure. Knowledge of the 3D model will give the opportunity to study the deformation and quantify the damages. Three case studies are presented relating to damaged and/or unsafe buildings: Sivillier Castle (Villasor - Sardinia- Italy), the Bell Tower of Mores (Sardinia-Italy) and industrial building (Cagliari - Italy). The first two cases concern buildings of historical and architectural importance that present a state of compromised conservation; the last, an industrial building compromised by fire. In all cases, a laser scanner survey was carried out that not only provided valuable information but also highlighted structural metric deformation and degradation.