From May 22–25, 2023, we—seven students in the Bachelor’s program in Geoinformatics and Surveying—assisted the Graz University of Technology with surveying work on a reinforced concrete composite bridge on the Austrian Brenner Highway. To participate in the measurement campaign using the MoDiTa system, we traveled to the Alps with our measurement equipment. MoDiTa stands for Modular Digital Camera Tachymeter and is a prototype designed to measure vibrations at high frequencies using camera systems.
In the run-up to the measurements in Austria, we carried out intensive preparations in Mainz. Under the expert guidance of Martin Schlüter and Kira Zschiesche, we conducted numerous test measurements to familiarize ourselves with the measurement system and hone our skills in its proper operation. We worked both in the lab and on the university campus to record the vibrations of various moving objects, such as the tram’s overhead wire suspension. The nighttime measurements on the measurement roof, which we students conducted on our own, were particularly realistic and exciting. Here, we gained valuable experience and identified and optimized the camera system to address additional challenges encountered at night. This preparation proved extremely valuable for our measurements at the Brenner Pass, as this situation better simulated real-world conditions.
On site, we were briefed on the situation by Werner Lienhart, a professor at the Institute of Engineering Geodesy and Measurement Systems at Graz University of Technology, who led the measurement campaign, and we coordinated the planned measurement procedure with the staff and students at Graz University of Technology.
The actual measurements then took place at night on a closed-off highway using reference weights in the form of heavy trucks. In addition to our measurements with MoDiTa, various other measurement systems were used. These included, for example, a microwave interferometer, profile laser scanners, high-frequency tachymeters, and a measurement system using fiber-optic cables attached to the structure. Thanks to this variety of measuring instruments, we as students were able to gain a wealth of new experience and learn about new areas of surveying. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Graz University of Technology and Florian Schill, from whom we were able to learn a great deal about profile scanning.
Authors:
Niklas Bockshecker, Leoni Kinzel, Fynn Hommer, Luisa Trapp, Lukas Laub, Malte Horn, and Tobias Altmaier
