Mining and Construction: Stockpiles Overgrown with Vegetation

3D view of Stockpile Toe

Client: Wiregrass Construction

The Challenge

Wiregrass Construction has been using GeoCue’s drone imaging and analysis products since they were first introduced in 2013. Using Loki direct positioning system and LP360, Wiregrass has performed hundreds of site mapping missions for quarries, asphalt plants, and construction projects. Photogrammetry has been an invaluable tool, however on less active sites where stockpiles become overgrown with vegetation and overburden volumes need to be computed in vegetated areas, photogrammetry is not enough. These are clearly situations where LIDAR is the right tool for the job.

The Solution

The True View 410 system immediately proved its value by providing fused, concurrently collected point cloud data and imagery in a single flight. Not only does this save time but it provides just want you need from this type of fusion; the visual cues of imagery and the vegetation penetration of LIDAR. Accuracy was assessed in True View Evo, assuring that the model was tied to the network with sufficient accuracy to ensure consistent results with prior surveys. Evo’s automatic ground classification tool, automatic stockpile toe tool, and volumetric analysis tools were used to streamline the process of separating vegetation from the stockpile surface to get an accurate volume. The results can be published to our Amazon Web Hosted dissemination tools, True View Portal, for direct use by other departments, such as accounting. This entire post-processing and analytic flow was all conducted without leaving the True View Evo environment. Not only is this highly efficient, but also means that GeoCue can support your entire collection and workflow should you encounter a problem.

Profile view of stockpile with Vegetation and Ground classified