Bluesky airborne laser maps quarry in 3D
AERIAL survey specialists Bluesky have completed a detailed 3D survey of Lee Moor Quarry, near Plymouth, Devon, on behalf of industrial minerals suppliers WBB Minerals. The survey captured high-resolution aerial photography together with accurate height measurements using a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) distance measurement system.
WBB Minerals, who recently acquired the working lease for the site, plan to use the Bluesky data to identify mineral resources, undertake accurate measurements and analysis at the desktop, and manage both the day-to-day and long-term extraction activities at the quarry.
‘Our extraction programmes are planned to ensure that maximum benefit is derived from nature’s resources,’ said minerals surveyor Andrew Allaway. ‘Using the Bluesky height data and images we have been able to create a photo-realistic 3D digital terrain model of the site, giving us accurate information at our fingertips and the confidence to make informed decisions.’
Highly accurate height measurements of the site were captured by using a special survey aircraft equipped with the LiDAR system. From these height measurements a detailed digital terrain model was created, on to which the vertical aerial photography, captured at the same time as the height data, was draped.
‘When we acquired the Lee Moor site it had not been surveyed for some time,’ said Mr Allaway. ‘To manually survey the entire site would have taken several weeks and had a detrimental effect on several ongoing survey projects at other Devon quarries.
‘Bluesky were able to offer a complete package at a good price, giving us a benchmark dataset from which we can identify resources, make accurate measurements and target both our day-to-day and long-term operations.’
With projects extending around the world, Bluesky are UK-based specialists in aerial imaging and remote-sensing data collection and processing, with the capability to create seamless digital aerial photography, 3D landscape/cityscape visualizations and 3D prints.
