Implementing Mobile Laser Scanning Technology in a
Civil Engineering Firm
Tyler Paul, CAD/GIS Supervisor, Houston Engineering Inc.
Charles Rebsch, PLS, Survey Coordinator, Houston Engineering Inc.
Class Description
This class will focus on utilizing mobile laser scanners for surveying and mapping applications. We’ll attempt to explain
the advantages of using mobile scanners on complex topographic surveys. We’ll look at the procedure of setting up
the scanner and how data is collected. We’ll then show how raw data is exported to processing software. We’ll look at
combining the imagery and scanned data to create a colored point cloud and extract features from it using manual and
automatic tools. We’ll then compare the quality of points captured by conventional GPS and robotic total station to data
captured by the mobile scanner. Finally, we’ll discuss the best practices to reduce errors while scanning, organize raw
data and increase efficiency of feature extraction from point clouds. Please join us to find out how you can benefit from
using mobile laser scanning technology in your project workflow.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this class, you will be able to:

Understand how to set up and operate a mobile laser scanner

Learn common file formats and point cloud processing techniques

Discover the variety of mobile laser scanners and their uses

Recognize projects where mobile laser scanning is more efficient
About the Speakers
Tyler Paul, is a CAD/GIS Supervisor for Houston Engineering Inc. a full service engineering and
surveying consulting firm with offices throughout the upper Midwest. He specializes in AutoCAD Civil 3D,
Autodesk Infraworks, Autodesk Recap, Autodesk 3ds Max Design, Revit, ESRI’s suite of ArcGIS
products, Trimble SketchUp, and Trimble Business Center. Tyler has been involved in a wide variety of
digital design and drafting projects associated with transmission pipelines, electric power transmission,
commercial site development, plats, subdivisions, water distribution, municipal services, water treatment,
flood control, and transportation.
Charles Rebsch, PLS, is a Survey Coordinator for Houston Engineering Inc. a full service engineering
and surveying consulting firm with offices throughout the upper Midwest. His responsibilities include
serving as the initial contact for survey and construction staking, scheduling and directing all survey
crews, verifying data, and coordinating with other office personnel as necessary to develop the client’s
final product. He previously served the company as a Senior CAD technician. He is experienced in the
transition of field survey data utilizing Trimble Business Center, Trimble Geomatics Office, Civil 3D, Land
Desktop or GEOPAK engineering computer programs, which are for COGO, DTM modeling, design,
topographic mapping, cross sections, 3D mapping and earthwork calculations. He has extensive
AutoCAD and MicroStation drafting experience on a variety of projects, including floodwater, detention
structures, legal plats, site developments, rural water reservoirs, drainage channels, and transportation.
Rebsch is also responsible for project management in the Surveying Department, working with all types
of surveys. His experience includes work with ALTA/ACSM Land Title surveys, GIS and aerial
Implementing Mobile Laser Scanning Technology in a Civil Engineering Firm
photography control surveys, right-of-way and alignment surveys, plats, and other boundary and
topographic surveys. Rebsch is registered as a Professional Land Surveyor in North Dakota. He is a
member of the North Dakota Society of Professional Land Surveyors and the Great Plains Chapter of the
NDSPLS.
Class Outline
1. Company Background
a. Houston Engineering
b. Tyler Paul
c. Charles Rebsch
2. Conventional Project Workflow
a. Research
b. Field Survey
i. GPS
ii. Robotic Total Station
c. Survey Data Processing in Office
i. Trimble Business Center
d. Engineering, Design and Plan Set Production
i. Civil3D
ii. MicroStation
e. Staking and Construction Observation
f. Record Drawings
3. Mobile Laser Scanning Pilot Project
a. Project Scope
b. Field Survey
i. Trimble MX2
1. Scanner Setup
2. Data Collection
3. Exporting Raw Scan Data
c. Survey Data Processing in Office
i. Trimble Trident
1. Processing Raw Scan Data
2. Processing Imagery
3. Creating Colored Point Cloud
4. Extracting Features from Point Cloud
d. Comparing Laser Scanning to Conventional Survey
i. Benefits of Laser Scanning
ii. Benefits of Conventional Survey
iii. Accuracy
iv. Speed
4. Conclusions
5. Questions
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