Historic Building

Surveys

Paul Bryan BSc FRICS

Geospatial Imaging Manager

Geospatial Imaging Team, Imaging Team

37 Tanner Row, York, YO1 6WP

Tel 01904 601959 Mobile 07889 808186

Email paul.bryan@HistoricEngland.org.uk

TSA Conference, Avoncroft Museum, Stoke Heath 9th November

2016

Surveying technologies used by

heritage

Courtesy of Wolfgang Böhler

(i3mainz)

Hand measurement

“Systematic investigation of a building is

crucial to understanding. It requires good

observational and analytical skills, with an

adequate record made of points observed.”

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-

books/publications/understanding-historic-buildings/Reproduced courtesy of Rebecca Lane © Historic England

Hand measurement

“Drawings are an efficient way of

conveying the evidence on which an

interpretation is based and are a powerful

analytical tool in their own right.”

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-

books/publications/drawing-for-understanding/Drawings and photographs by Allan T Adams © Historic England

Tacheometry

“The TST (Total Station Theodolite) is

perfectly capable of delivering highly

accurate surveys in almost any terrain.”

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-

books/publications/traversingthepast/ Reproduced courtesy of Trevor Pearson, Jon Bedford & Bernard Thomason © Historic England

GPS/GNSS

“There is a wide variety of different

satellite receivers available for use in

survey”

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-

books/publications/where-on-earth-gnss-

archaeological-field-survey/

Image by Trevor Pearson © Historic England

Geospatial Imaging technologies

“Building for the Future”

Courtesy of Wolfgang Böhler

(i3mainz)

Geospatial Imaging?

Geospatial

“of or relating to the relative position of things on

the earth's surface”

Geospatial Imaging

“The technologies used to extract geospatial

information from remotely sensed imagery and

other raster data types. The information is used

to make smart decisions about the impact of

human development on the natural environment”

Photogrammetry

“the art, science and

technology of determining

the size, shape and

identification of objects by

analysing terrestrial or aerial

imagery”

(TSA, 2016)

Courtesy of Wolfgang Böhler

(i3mainz)

Stereo - photogrammetry

Photogrammetry

Stereo-photography – the ‘building-

block’ of photogrammetry

Drawings Contour Plots

Surface Models & Orthophotographs Animations & 3D Models

Advantages

• Applicable on all 2D and 3D surfaces

• Stereo-photography excellent archival record

• Modern approaches use ‘off-the-shelf’ digital

cameras

• Allows production of stone-by-stone line drawings

Disadvantages

• Requires overlapping photography

• Traditional approaches require sophisticated camera

and processing equipment

• Line drawings require interpretation – often open to

debate

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetric survey of ‘Brunel's Bridge’, Paddington Station, London, 2003 © English Heritage

Courtesy of Wolfgang Böhler

(i3mainz)

Structure from Motion

(SfM)

Multi-image Photogrammetry

Image by Jon Bedford © Historic England

Advantages

• Applicable on all 2D and 3D surfaces

• Multi-image photography excellent archival record

• Does not rely on using calibrated metric cameras

• Structure from Motion (SfM) is low cost and making

photogrammetry VERY fashionable again

Disadvantages

• Requires multi-overlap imagery - 80% forward 60%

side

• Relies on visible texture within imagery for correlation

• Accurate data relies on good imagery & ground

control

• Black-box software may simplify photogrammetric

processing but…......Rubbish in = Rubbish out!

Structure from Motion (SfM)

SfM derived 3D survey of Berry Pomeroy Castle by Helipix © English Heritage

Laser scanning

“any device that collects 3D

co-ordinates of a given

region of an object’s surface

automatically and in a

systematic pattern at a high

rate achieving the results in

near real time”

(Böhler, W and Marbs, A 2002)

Laser scanning

Courtesy of Wolfgang Böhler

(i3mainz)

Static laser

scanning

Laser scanning

Terrestrial

Time of flight (pulse) &

phase difference

Faro S150

approx £40KZ+F 5016

approx £60K

Leica P40

approx £60K

Trimble TX8

approx £60K

Close range

Triangulation

& Structured light

Artec MHT

approx £12K

Faro Freestyle

approx £5K

DotProduct3D DPI7

approx £3K

Minolta VI-910

approx £30K

Laser scanning

Courtesy of Wolfgang Böhler

(i3mainz)

Mobile laser

scanning

Advantages

• Applicable on all 2D and 3D surfaces

• Very fast – now over 1,000,000 points per second

• High resolution – typically millimetre point spacing

• Can integrate digital imaging with point data using

on-board cameras, external DSLR or HDR panoramic

sensor

Laser scanning

Laser scan survey of Grade II listed Co-op building, Barnsley August 2016 © Historic England

Advantages

• Applicable on all 2D and 3D surfaces

• Very fast – now over 1,000,000 points per second

• High resolution – typically millimetre point spacing

• Can integrate digital imaging with point data using

on-board cameras, external DSLR or HDR panoramic

sensor

Disadvantages

• Produces very large data files often difficult to view

without high-end computers and dedicated viewers

• Scanners still expensive – between £30K - £100K

• Sophisticated post-processing software needed to

generate useable outputs

• Line drawings still require manual digitisation

Laser scanning

Laser scan survey of Stonehenge 2012 © English Heritage

• Recording & documentation

base data for historical analysis

Exploiting geospatial imaging

data

Laser scan survey of Cell Block, Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire 2015 © Historic England

• Recording & documentation

base data for historical analysis

• Conservation planning

works specifications

condition assessments

Exploiting geospatial imaging

data

Laser scan survey of Observation Post, Hurst Castle © Historic England

• Recording & documentation

base data for historical analysis

• Conservation planning

works specifications

condition assessments

• Illustration and presentation

static and virtual display

website and app development

Image of Tintagel Castle by Future Aerial Innovations © English Heritage

Images of Tintagel Castle Visitor Centre © English Heritage

Exploiting geospatial imaging

data

• Recording & documentation

base data for historical analysis

• Conservation planning

works specifications

condition assessments

• Illustration and presentation

static and virtual display

website and app development

• Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Heritage science

Digital data management

Exploiting geospatial imaging

data

Image courtesy of Carl Brookes, Ramboll

www.bim4heritage.org

The application of Building Information

Modelling (BIM) within a heritage science

context

• Awarded to Ramboll consulting

engineers

• Is considering the heritage science and

heritage conservation processes within

a BIM-based workflow

• two case studies

• Harmondsworth Barn

• Ironbridge

• Due for completion in November 2017

https://historicengland.org.uk/research

The application of BIM within a Heritage Science Context

Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) with

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

2016-2018

• Awarded to University of Reading,

School of the Built Environment with their

project “Heritage BIM: New ways of

digital data management for the historic

built environment”

• 3½ year project

• Started in October and undertaken by

Joanne Hull, part-time Maintenance

Project with English Heritage

• Principal supervisor – Ian Ewart

i.j.ewart@reading.ac.uk

“The aim of the project is to investigate

how a widely-used IT system for the

centralised storage and dissemination of

information about a building (Building

Information Modelling) can be applied to

existing, and specifically historic, built

environments.”

Heritage BIM New ways of digital data management for

the historic built environment

Historic Building Survey

“The Intelligent Client”

• Small size of internal team means the

majority of survey data for Historic England

and English Heritage is generated by

external contractors

• Procured using EU-compliant Framework

Agreement

1. Image-based survey

2. low level aerial photography (drones)

3. topographic survey

4. measured building survey

Getting the right survey for

the right job is important

• Small size of internal team means the

majority of survey data for Historic England

and English Heritage is generated by

external contractors

• Procured using EU-compliant Framework

Agreement

1. Image-based survey

2. low level aerial photography (drones)

3. topographic survey

4. measured building survey

• Requires performance based specification

Metric Survey Specifications for Cultural

Heritage

Historic Building Survey

“The Intelligent Client”

Metric Survey Specifications for

Cultural Heritage

Originally published 2003 - second edition 2009

• Image-based survey – rectified,

photogrammetry and orthophotography

• Topographic survey – total stations & GPS

• Measured building survey – total stations

and laser scanning

Revised edition published September 2015

• Widespread use of laser scanning

• Ubiquity of digital cameras

• Developments in photogrammetry (SfM)

• Use of Small Unmanned Aircraft (drones)

• Increasing adoption of BIM

Where specifications already exist we use

them

For example

• RICS - Conventional vertical aerial

photography & digital imaging

• BSI - Underground utility detection,

verification & location

• RICS - Measured surveys of land, buildings

& utilities

No need to re-invent the

wheel!

Where specifications already exist we use

them

For example

• RICS - Conventional vertical aerial

photography & digital imaging

• BSI - Underground utility detection,

verification & location

• RICS - Measured surveys of land, buildings

& utilities

• Survey detail accuracy band table

• Equates plan & height accuracy to

scale

No need to re-invent the

wheel!

• The Survey Association (TSA) is the trade

body for commercial survey companies in

the UK

Promotes best practice

Provides forum for discussion

Provides guidance on new methods &

techniques

• TSA’s Technical Committee is working on

updating and creating free to download

Client Guides and Guidance Notes on

various areas and scales of surveying

www.tsa-uk.org.uk

Technical guidance

• Historic England

BIM for

Heritage

May

2017?

Drones for

Heritage

Summer

2017?

Photogrammetric

Applications for

Cultural Heritage

Coming in

April 2017

https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/recording-heritage/

3D Laser

Scanning for

Heritage (Third edition)

Coming in

April 2017

Technical guidance

Many thanks for listening

Paul Bryan BSc FRICS

Geospatial Imaging Manager

Geospatial Imaging Team, Imaging Team

37 Tanner Row, York, YO1 6WP

Tel 01904 601959 Mobile 07889 808186

Email paul.bryan@HistoricEngland.org.uk

Twitter @paul450tvrwww.whittlespublishing.com/3D_Recording_Documentation_an

d_Management_of_Cultural_Heritage