SERVICE FLYER

FUGRO
AIRBORNE LIDAR MAPPING
Airborne lidar data provides location and elevation information that
defines the surface of the earth and the heights of above-ground
features. With a suite of lidar sensors and advanced processing and
production techniques, Fugro remains a leader in the lidar industry.

Lidar is an active laser system that measures Fugro’s suite of lidar sensors produce from Lidar-derived slope map with colours representing
the time of return from the emitted signal to 1 to 40 points per square metre (ppsm). The various slope angles.
the target. Airborne lidar systems can be systems can record multiple returns from one
categorised into bathymetric or topographic laser pulse, providing measurements above
systems. Bathymetric systems are used to and below tree canopy from a single pulse.
measure water depth using multiple green The systems also record an intensity value
lasers. Airborne lidar data defines topography from each pulse - this is used to produce a
and the elevation of above-ground features, raster image for feature detection. Our lidar
such as buildings, roads and tree canopy. technology includes Riegl, Leica and
Mounted on a helicopter or fixed-wing in-house developed sensors that acquire
aircraft, topographic lidar systems use the data in many formats, including full
near-infrared portion of the electro-magnetic waveform. We also specialise in bathymetric High-density lidar data of the iconic Mount Rushmore
spectrum to collect data night or day, in lidar, providing a full solution of land-to-sea landmark in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
shadow, and beneath clouds. elevation information.

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 Hydro-enforced and flattened bare earth DEM from 4ppsm lidar data.

LIDAR PRODUCTS visualisation, fly-throughs, 3D modelling, Sensing (ASPRS) standards

Lidar range and intensity data help generate line of sight, feature extraction,
bare-earth surface models, feature extraction orthorectification and other applications ■■ Hydro-flattening – is a cartographic or
and land-use characterisation. Fugro’s aesthetic enhancement to a DEM. A
proprietary production routines include ■■ Classifications – Fugro meets all of the hydro-flattened DEM is created by
automated processing of data to bare United States Geological Survey’s extracting breaklines along water
ground, automatic extraction of water (USGS) base QL lidar classifications: features within the lidar dataset to
boundaries, generation of synthetic 3D processed, unclassified, bare earth, low present a constant elevation for water
breaklines and creation of land-cover noise, water, ignored ground, bridge bodies. Streams and rivers are flattened
classifications for calculating roughness of decks, and high noise. Additional bank-to-bank and forced in a downhill
hydrologic features. We use these processes classifications are available to meet any flow to accurately represent flow
deliver detailed and reliable lidar and related client-specific requirements, including
mapping products. buildings, culverts, roads and low, ■■ Hydro-enforcement – used for
medium and high vegetation hydraulic and hydrologic modeling. In a
■■ Digital elevation models – lidar hydro-enforced model, terrain is cut
provides a fast and cost-effective ■■ Intensity images – georeferenced lidar away at false obstructions (bridges and
method for producing digital elevation intensity images look similar to culverts) to model drainage connectivity,
models (DEMs), including reflective- low-resolution photographs. They can simulating how water would flow
surface DEMs from first returns for be used to extract planimetric features through the bridges and culverts. In the
elevation of above-ground features, and and serve as ancillary input for lidar data absence of hydro-enforcement, water
bare-earth DEMs for accurate processing. Intensity images can also be would essentially be dammed by the
measurement of the earth’s surface. used to check the horizontal accuracy of topography, giving a false sense of
the lidar data and other criteria pooling in areas where bridges or
■■ Point cloud – once all the elevation culverts exist
points are computed from the individual ■■ Contours – lidar-derived contours can
returns, the resulting dataset consists of be generated at 1' to 5' intervals, ■■ Land use / land cover – data may be
a ‘cloud’ of points that represents meeting National Map Accuracy used to generate preliminary land-cover
elevations of ground and above-ground Standards in accordance with the classification depicting open, scrub or
features. Lidar point clouds can be Federal Emergency Management shrub, urban, and forested
imported directly into numerous Agency (FEMA) lidar mapping classifications. This can be useful for
computer-aided design (CAD) specifications and the American Society hydrologic and hydraulic modelling in
programmes for volume computations, for Photogrammetry and Remote support of floodplain mapping

2 MAPPING AND SURVEYING

APPLICATIONS
Lidar data serves a wide range of
applications:
■■ Base mapping – lidar DEMs are
accurate for image orthorectification as
well as for contour generation
■■ Floodplain mapping – lidar data
supports erosion forecasting, flood
hazard analyses and hydrologic and
hydraulic modelling
■■ Natural resources management – lidar Point cloud and
data is used to calculate tree-stand profile view of lidar
heights, biomass, and timber density. It data in Fugro’s
is also useful in establishing volume viewing software,
calculations for mineral extraction FugroViewer,
■■ Transportation and utility corridor which is available
mapping – lidar data can supplement online for free
traditional ground and aerial surveys in download.
the planning and design of new
transportation and utility corridors, as
well as ongoing maintenance of utility
corridors
■■ Urban modeling – 3D models from
bare-earth and reflective-surface lidar
data can be used to analyse and
visualise things like urban planning,
line-of-sight studies and view-shed
analysis
■■ Change detection – point clouds from
multiple years of elevation data can be
compared, to reveal areas of change
and to track urban change, as well as Lidar dataset with
for disaster mapping, forest restoration value-added
and shoreline mapping topographic
mapping data
created from the
PROJECT PLANNING lidar point cloud.
Proper point spacing and vertical accuracy
are critical considerations for any lidar
mapping project. Factors that determine
optimum point spacing include desired
vertical accuracy, terrain, land cover, and the
ultimate data application. More is not always
better: the higher the point density, the Fugro
greater the volume of data and the higher the provides lidar
processing cost. For many applications, a derived highest
lower point density is sufficient and can save adjacent grade
potential data storage and handling (HAG) and lowest
difficulties. To that end, Fugro plans projects adjacent grade
with optimum flying height, point spacing, (LAG) values for
field of view and overlap between flight lines use on elevation
to meet project-specific requirements. certificates and
other floodplain
management
needs.

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 SERVICE FLYER

Base Lidar Specifications

USGS National ASPRS 1990
Geospatial Program Vertical NVA at 95% ASPRS 1990 Class 2
lidar base accuracy confidence Class 1 contour contour
specification V1.2 PPSM (RMSEz)* level Compilation Product interval interval
QL0 8 ≤5.0 cm ≤9.8 cm Water bodies such as lakes and Hydro-flattened DEM (0.5 m, 1'), raw 15 cm 7.5 cm
ponds ≥8000 sqm or 2 acres, lidar point cloud, classified point cloud,
streams and rivers ≥30 m or 100' hydro breaklines, Federal Geographic
Data Committee (FGDC) compliant
metadata
QL1 8 ≤10.0 cm ≤19.6 cm Water bodies such as lakes and Hydro-flattened DEM (0.5 m, 1'), raw 30 cm 15 cm
ponds ≥8000 sqm or 2 acres, lidar point cloud, classified point
streams and rivers ≥30 m or 100' cloud, hydro breaklines, FGDC compliant
metadata

QL2 2 ≤10.0 cm ≤19.6 cm Water bodies such as lakes and Hydro-flattened DEM (1 m, 2'), raw 30 cm 15 cm
ponds ≥8000 sqm or 2 acres, lidar point cloud, classified point
streams and rivers ≥30 m or 100' cloud, hydro breaklines, FGDC compliant
metadata

QL3 0.5 ≤20.0 cm ≤39.2 cm Water bodies such as lakes and Hydro-flattened DEM (2 m, 5'), raw 60 cm 30 cm
ponds ≥8000 sqm or 2 acres, lidar point cloud, classified point
streams and rivers ≥30 m or 100' cloud, hydro breaklines, FGDC compliant
metadata

Additional products available: USGS base classifications: Additional classes:

• Digital surface model (DSM) • 1: Processed, unclassified • Buildings
• Hydro enforced DEM • 2: Bare earth • Culverts
• Hillshade • 7: Low noise • Roads
• 9: Water • Low vegetation
• 10: Ignored ground • Medium vegetation
• 17: Bridge decks • High vegetation
• 18: High noise
* RMSEz - Root mean square error in z
Vertical accuracy is calculated using non-vegetated surfaces at a 95 % confidence level = 1.96 RMSEz

(Left) Buildings represented as an additional classification in a QL2 DEM. (Right) A comparison DEM to illustrate hydro-enforcment - the surface obstruction, a bridge in this
case, is removed in the far right image to create a seamless flow through a culvert.
© FUGRO 1 2019 FUSALI

[email protected]

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