No description available.

Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird der Einsatz der luftgestützten Photogrammmetrie für die Bewertung der Rutschneigung bzw. der Felsschlaggefahr anhand zweier Beispiele vorgestellt. Im ersten Beispiel wurde eine schwer zugängliche und ca. 500 m hohe, nahezu vertikale Felswand aufgenommen und ein 3D-Modell erzeugt. Hiermit konnten unter Berücksichtigung weiterer geotechnischer Aspekte qualitative Aussagen zu möglichen Felsabbrüchen getroffen werden. Im zweiten Beispiel wurde die Geländeoberfläche eines seit mehreren Jahrzehnten rutschenden Hanges mit verschiedenen Messverfahren erfasst. Untersucht wurden dabei neben der terrestrischen Tachymetrie auch die luftgestützte Photogrammmetrie. Neben dem Vergleich der Messverfahren hinsichtlich der Genauigkeit und der Anwendbarkeit wurde hier der Umfang der Massenbewegungen abgeschätzt und ein EDV-basiertes Berechnungsmodell erstellt.

The Arabian plate is classified as medium sized. It is surrounded by the Nubian, Somalian, Eurasian and Indian plates. Previous investigations of present-day kinematics of the Arabian plate using GPS measurements were primarily obtained from stations located on surrounding plates, with few stations actually located on the Arabian plate itself. Due to the inhomogeneous distribution of these GPS stations and the fact that some of these were actually located in the plate boundary zone, the motion of Arabia was only sensed in a few locations of the rigid plate interior. Through the establishment of GPS networks in Saudi Arabia, the aim of this study was to compute an updated estimate for the absolute and relative motion of the Arabian plate Euler pole and rotation rate. Then to investigate, at the regional scale, the strain rate accumulation within the Arabian plate. Then, to investigate, at a local scale, the strain rate accumulation in the tectonically active south-western part of Saudi Arabia. The results of this study are on absolute motion model for the Arabian plate which is significantly different from those obtained in previous studies, as a result of the number of stations used and their distribution. This does not mean that the previous studies were in error, but that they suffered from a lack of evenly distributed geodetic data for Arabia. Hence, this study result is a new contribution to the knowledge of Arabian plate motion. The results of this study for the relative motion model of the Arabian plate with respect to the Eurasian, Nubian and Somalian plates confirms the results from previous studies, and confirms that the Arabian plate motion is slowing down. This study has also shown that, in general, the strain values are low in most of the Arabian plate, where there is a compression in the north-east to south-west directions and an extension in the north-west to south-east direction, except in two areas, the north-west, close to the Aqaba Gulf and the Dead Sea fault, and the southwest where there are high strain values and variable directions for the principle strain. Furthermore, this study agrees with geologic studies in that there is a compression north-east to south-west and extension north-west to south-east between Farasan Island and the coast of the Red Sea.

The primary aim of this research programme was to enable damage detection in glass fibre reinforced composites using the reinforcing fibres as the sensing element. In other words, E-glass fibres were used as light guides to detect the fracture of individual fibres, when loaded in tension. This was achieved by monitoring the transmitted light intensity through the reinforcing glass fibres. Two types of glass fibres and matrices were evaluated. In the case of glass fibres, E-glass and custom-made small-diameter (12 µm) optical fibre (SDOF) were used. Three types of low refractive index resin systems with specified failure strains were also used. The basic technology involved illuminating one end of the fibre bundle or composite with a white light or laser source and the opposite end was imaged using a high-speed CCD camera. Acoustic emission monitoring of fibre bundles revealed that there were two types of failures occurring in a bundle, a lower amplitude of the acoustic emission signal (AES) related to the inter-fibre friction and a high amplitude of the AES to fibre fractures. This characteristic was also confirmed by a Weibull statistical analysis where it was demonstrated that a two parameter distribution was present corresponding to two different flaw distributions. In the case of self-sensing composites, it was found that the specific failure modes in the composites (matrix failure, fibre fracture, debonding) generate their characteristic amplitudes of the AES and frequencies. These failure modes were recorded and correlated to the tensile test data. It was demonstrated that the attenuation of transmitted light can be related to the fracture of fibres in the bundle or a composite test specimen. It was found that the image analysis routines were capable of identifying and tracking the survival or fracture of each fibre in the bundle or composite. The results obtained from mechanical loading, acoustic emission and images analysis were cross-correlated.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are recognised globally as effective tools for protecting valuable and vulnerable marine ecosystems (habitats, species and communities), maintaining the biological diversity, and safeguarding the associated historical and cultural resources. MPAs accommodate local communities and regulate the different uses of the sea, fostering more sustainable use of marine resources. Moreover, MPAs are increasingly being used as environmental laboratories, enabling a greater scientific understanding of marine systems. In the Mediterranean Sea about a hundred of MPAs have been designated during the last decades, all but one of which are in coastal areas. This study develops a new way of using RS techniques tailored for the monitoring and management of Mediterranean MPAs. The advance in satellite Remote Sensing (RS) technologies has made possible to look at the MPAs not only by means of discrete in situ surveys but rather on the basis of a “synoptic” and repeated view. The primary aim of this thesis was to establish how the satellite sensors can be successfully used and whether RS provides reliable tools for monitoring and managing Mediterranean MPAs. The study aimed specifically at describing and identifying, by means of passive remote sensors, the spatial and temporal scale of the bio-physical processes occurring in Mediterranean MPAs. Observations retrieved by ocean colour and thermal infra-red sensors, for a range of MPA study sites, were used to depict system functioning by the analysis of the prevailing spatial and temporal variations of the geophysical parameters and biophysical conditions. The seasonal variations of the ecological indicators (i.e. phytoplankton blooms and thermal trends) were analysed over various MPAs located in different regions of the Mediterranean basin, and different biooptical algorithms were tested in a coastal MPA. The short-term and long-term monitoring (interannual) of the ecological indicators is key to elucidating trends and modifications in the biogeochemical balance of the basin possibly caused by environmental changes which could potentially affect the MPA’s resilience. Consequently it is now possible to monitor MPAs easily and at low cost, by integrating RS with the traditional sampling methodologies to work towards safeguarding of valuable marine habitats and species. RS should be considered as key tool that fosters the ecosystem-based management.

This project concerns the use of an electromagnetic sensor for the detection of leaks/cracks in water pipes. As old metal pipes corrode they start to become brittle, resulting in the potential for cracks to appear in the pipes. In addition corrosion can build up resulting in a restricted flow of water in the pipe. Using an electromagnetic (EM) wave sensor to monitor the signal reflected from the pipes in real time, provides the necessary information to determine where a leak in the pipe has occurred. Analysis of the reflected signal can provide the operator with information about the condition and position of a leak within the pipe. This is the first time research has been carried using EM waves for leak detection in water pipelines. This project involves the design and construction of an EM sensor operating at frequencies in the range of 240MHz to 560MHz, and at a power of OdBm. The sensor is launched into the water pipeline through any existing hydrant and is moved along the pipeline to check for leaks. The simulation software High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) was used to model the pipe section as a circular waveguide cavity, and also for antenna simulation. The monopole and loop antenna were designed to determine the best antenna for this project. The printed circuit board (PCB) design package Eagle was used to provide the surface mount layout for the sensor, and the PCB board was fabricated by using a computer numerical control (CNC) routing machine. Finally the graphical interface package LabVIEW was used to control the frequency sweep for the sensor and to capture the data from the sensor. Based on the findings of this project, the EM wave sensor could be used to determine a leak up to a 0.9 correlation limit using low cost RF electronic devices.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have become an interesting and active research topic for photogrammetry. Current research is based on images acquired by an UAV, which have a high ground resolution and good spectral and radiometrical resolution, due to the low flight altitudes combined with a high resolution camera. UAV image flights are also cost effective and have become attractive for many applications including, change detection in small scale areas. One of the main problems preventing full automation of data processing of UAV imagery is the degradation effect of blur caused by camera movement during image acquisition. This can be caused by the normal flight movement of the UAV as well as strong winds, turbulence or sudden operator inputs. This blur disturbs the visual analysis and interpretation of the data, causes errors and can degrade the accuracy in automatic photogrammetric processing algorithms. The detection and removal of these images is currently achieved manually, which is both time consuming and prone to error, particularly for large image-sets. To increase the quality of data processing an automated process is necessary, which must be both reliable and quick. This thesis proves the negative affect that blurred images have on photogrammetric processing. It shows that small amounts of blur do have serious impacts on target detection and that it slows down processing speed due to the requirement of human intervention. Larger blur can make an image completely unusable and needs to be excluded from processing. To exclude images out of large image datasets an algorithm was developed. The newly developed method makes it possible to detect blur caused by linear camera displacement. The method is based on human detection of blur. Humans detect blurred images best by comparing it to other images in order to establish whether an image is blurred or not. The developed algorithm simulates this procedure by creating an image for comparison using image processing. Creating internally a comparable image makes the method independent of additional images. However, the calculated blur value named SIEDS (saturation image edge difference standard-deviation) on its own does not provide an absolute number to judge if an image is blurred or not. To achieve a reliable judgement of image sharpness the SIEDS value has to be compared to other SIEDS values of the same dataset. This algorithm enables the exclusion of blurred images and subsequently allows photogrammetric processing without them. However, it is also possible to use deblurring techniques to restor blurred images. Deblurring of images is a widely researched topic and often based on the Wiener or Richardson-Lucy deconvolution, which require precise knowledge of both the blur path and extent. Even with knowledge about the blur kernel, the correction causes errors such as ringing, and the deblurred image appears muddy and not completely sharp. In the study reported in this paper, overlapping images are used to support the deblurring process. An algorithm based on the Fourier transformation is presented. This works well in flat areas, but the need for geometrically correct sharp images for deblurring may limit the application. Another method to enhance the image is the unsharp mask method, which improves images significantly and makes photogrammetric processing more successful. However, deblurring of images needs to focus on geometric correct deblurring to assure geometric correct measurements. Furthermore, a novel edge shifting approach was developed which aims to do geometrically correct deblurring. The idea of edge shifting appears to be promising but requires more advanced programming.

Landscape is about the relationship between people and place and in 2000 was defined by the European Landscape Commission (ELC) as "an area as perceived by people whose character is the result of natural and human actions and interactions”. In the 70s the reason for studying the landscape was because of the necessity of attributing a value to it. Nowadays the motivations behind managing, conserving and enhancing the landscape is because the landscape is the place where people belong to and, consciously or not, recognise themselves. In addition, people identify different landscapes on the basis of the particular combinations of the elements in the landscape. As a consequence a landscape can be distinguished from another on the basis of its character which, according to the Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) guidance for England and Scotland (C. Swanwick and Land Use Consultant, 2002), is defined as “a distinct, recognisable and consistent pattern of elements in the landscape that makes one landscape different from the other rather than better or worse”. This definition was the starting point of a PhD research project aimed at developing and implementing a methodology able to identify and quantify the character of the Scottish landscape through the application of GIS and statistics. The reason for doing this research was to provide the landscape architects and practitioners with a tool that could help them to define the landscape character types in a more consistent, objective, and scientifically robust way. One of the objectives of the research was to identify the spatial patterns formed by the landscape elements by taking into account the influence of the spatial location. The first law of geography, which states that "everything is related to everything else but near things are more related than distant ones" (W Tobler, 1970), was transposed in the assumption of the presence of spatial autocorrelation amongst the data which contributes to form spatial patterns within the data. Since landscape comprises of many elements, data were also multivariate, thus the analysis required a method of calculation able to deal simultaneously with multivariate and spatial autocorrelation issues. MULTISPATI-PCA, a spatially constrained Principal Component Analysis, was the statistical technique applied for the analysis of the data whose results showed that it was possible to detect the spatial structure of the data and that each spatial pattern corresponded to a distinct landscape. Despite their importance in forming the character of the landscape, aesthetic and perceptual aspects were not inlcuded in MULTISPATI-PCA analysis. It was preferred to test the technique only on data that were quantifiable in a more objective way. Perhaps taking into account the human perception of the landscape can be the starting point for future investigation.

Birds are a key environmental asset and this is recognised through comprehensive legislation and policy ensuring their protection and conservation. Many species are active at night and surveys are required to understand the implications of proposed developments such as towers and reduce possible conflicts with these structures. Night vision devices are commonly used in nocturnal surveys, either to scope an area for bird numbers and activity, or in remotely sensing an area to determine potential risk. This thesis explores some practical and theoretical approaches that can improve the accuracy, confidence and efficiency of nocturnal bird surveillance. As image intensifiers and thermal imagers have operational differences, each device has associated strengths and limitations. Empirical work established that image intensifiers are best used for species identification of birds against the ground or vegetation. Thermal imagers perform best in detection tasks and monitoring bird airspace usage. The typically used approach of viewing bird survey video from remote sensing in its entirety is a slow, inaccurate and inefficient approach. Accuracy can be significantly improved by viewing the survey video at half the playback speed. Motion detection efficiency and accuracy can be greatly improved through the use of adaptive background subtraction and cumulative image differencing. An experienced ornithologist uses bird flight style and wing oscillations to identify bird species. Changes in wing oscillations can be represented in a single inter-frame similarity matrix through area-based differencing. Bird species classification can then be automated using singular value decomposition to reduce the matrices to one-dimensional vectors for training a feed-forward neural network.

L'objectif de la thèse est de développer une méthode de modélisation 3D des tunnels canaux en service, afin de les documenter de manière précise. Le levé des structures est effectué en dynamique depuis un bateau, avec un ensemble de caméras au-dessus de l'eau et un sonar pour la partie immergée. La construction du modèle 3D doit combiner des données acquises dans deux milieux différents, en l'absence de signal GPS pour la localisation du système de mesure. L'approche proposée exploite pleinement les capacités du calcul photogrammétrique, à la fois pour construire le modèle 3D de la voûte et pour estimer la trajectoire du bateau, laquelle permet de géoréférencer les profils de points sonar. L'application du procédé en vraie grandeur dans le tunnel de Niderviller a permis d'obtenir un premier modèle 3D. L'analyse de la méthode a mis en jeu une technologie innovante de mesure sonar statique, nécessitant le développement de traitements appropriés. Elle a permis de jauger les capacités du sonar à numériser les canaux, d'évaluer les trajectoires estimées par photogrammétrie et de comparer quantitativement le modèle obtenu à un modèle de référence préalablement construit. / The aim of this thesis is to develop a 3D modeling method for canal-tunnels in service, in order to document them accurately. The survey of the structures is carried out dynamically from a boat, with a set of cameras above the water and a sonar for the submerged part. The construction of the 3D model must combine data acquired in two different environments, in the absence of a GPS signal to locate the measurement system. The proposed approach makes full use of the capabilities of photogrammetric computation, both to build the 3D model of the vault and to estimate the trajectory of the boat, which allows georefencing of sonar point profiles. The application of the process to field test data acquired in the Niderviller tunnel allowed a first 3D model to be obtained. The analysis of the method involved an innovative static sonar measurement technology, requiring the development of appropriate treatments. It enabled to assess the capacity of the sonar for canal surveying, to evaluate the trajectories estimated using photogrammetry and to compare quantitatively the obtained model with a previously constructed reference mode