Keywords: displacements measurement, landslide, road cut, terrestrial laser-scanning After the heavy rains of 2009/10 winter, a road cut in the national highway A-44 and the upper slope became unstable; the mass invaded the way and caused important traffic interruptions by several months. The landslide was measured by means of terrestrial laser-scanner techniques and, because of the zone morphology, the used methodology involved scanning the mobilized zone from different stations with several captures from each point. Two scanning campaigns were carried out in a time interval of 14 days. The antenna phase centers were determined by GPS techniques and incorporated to the point clouds as an additional point in the TLS reference system; next, the relative orientation of the different point clouds of each scan station is made, adjusting and merging them in a single point cloud; finally, we proceed to data transformation to a reference system global and common to both campaigns, in which surface and terrain models can be compared. From field data, a digital surface model have been built, and then filtered and edited to have digital elevation models of centimeter spatial resolution. The results obtained by the comparison of models show two rupture zones in the road cut affecting also to the upslope, in which an important volume material flowed with superficial displacements of about 0,55–0,65 m day^-1. We also calculated 210 m³ of depleted material and 124,5 m³ of accumulated material; the differences between these volumes (wasting material) are explained because the civil works that were made to clear the road of materials.

This paper describes the automation and optimization in control points measurement and elaboration of sketches in Close Range Photogrammetry. The system can be controlled by an operator alone and it integrates a robotized and reflectorless total station, two digital cameras, a laptop computer and the control software. The measured data with the station are registered and the control point will get associated to their marks in the images. So, it is possible to eliminate the handmade sketches since the marking of control points in the image is instantaneously made. The sketch includes object images with enlargements so the point is clearly identified and marked with the support of a virtual reticle. Also the sketch includes object coordinates, image coordinates, identification code (ID) and some additional information about the point. The use of the system by only one operator allows the reduction of costs, organization and time in control point surveying. Different tests have been made in order to check the system. TDC: this test has been made in close range conditions with targets and artificial illumination. EDIF: in this case the test includes long range conditions and control points targeted at natural points in building façade. The tests have allowed several analyses to study the feasibility and the improvement of the system. So we have made in situ tests by comparing direct observations with and without the camera telescope, with targets and natural points, close and long distances and different conditions of illumination. Moreover in one of these tests we include the observation and sketch realization with a manual method. With respect to the use of the aiming eyepiece camera, the tests (TDC) realized in laboratory (close distance -4 m- and good light conditions) show very small spatial differences (below the nominal precision of the total station) comparing the direct aim through the telescope without camera. Other test (EDIF) made over longer distance (130 m) and natural targets show differences of few centimeters. Hence, the appending of the eyepiece camera does not involve an excessive aiming error. On the other hand, the improvement of the system is relevant in the observation, measurement and registration of control points. Hence, the decrease of tasks involved and the use the system by an operator reduce the total time employed in two thirds. Although the aim is not completely accurate, the approximation is enough so the final aim is quickly achieved and the lost of time is negligible. After these tests, this system has shown to be an affordable and fully operational method that optimize and reduce the cost and time of control point measurements.

At present, cultural heritage documentation projects use a variety of spatial data acquisition techniques such as conventional surveying, photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning. This paper deals with a full documentation project based on all those techniques in the Royal Chapel located in the Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba in Spain, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. At present, the Royal Chapel is under study for a detailed diagnostic analysis in order to evaluate the actual state of the chapel, pathologies, construction phases, previous restoration works, material analysis, etc. So in order to assist the evaluation, a documentation project with photogrammetric and laser scanner techniques (TLS) has been carried out. With this purpose, accurate cartographic and 3D products, by means of the integration of both image and laser based techniques, were needed to register all data collected during the diagnostic analysis.

The province of Jaen (Southern Spain) has one of the largest concentrations of medieval fortresses of all Europe. Moreover ancient Iberian settlements located in oppida (fortified villages) and dated at VI-IV BC also are outstanding examples of historical heritage landmarks in the region. Most of these places are being restored or under documentation analysis to prevent their progressive deterioration. These places have several geometric characteristics in common, such as isolated locations, elongated shapes, largemedium size objects (in the order of tens to few hundred of meters), architectural features with vertical development (such as masonry or rammed earth walls, towers, gates, battlements, etc) or without it (walls, buildings or paths layouts at ground level). The object size, the required level of details and accuracy (of the order of some few cm) and both vertical and horizontal features imply that present UAS techniques can be advantageously used with respect to conventional aerial and terrestrial photogrammetric techniques. Vertical stereoscopic and oblique convergent UAS photogrammetric networks combined with processing techniques based on Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms allow detailed low cost 2D/3D products. The proper selection of the UAS, camera, image acquisition mode (stop and/or cruising), the network and the processing software will determine the quality of final products and their usefulness in metric documentation, 3D modelization or museology. The efficiency of the use of UAS has been analyzed in several selected examples in Jaen (Burgalimar and Berrueco castles, Xth and XIIIth centuries, respectively, and the Iberian Puente Tablas oppidum, Vth-IVth centuries BC).

Nowadays, one of the techniques more used for documentation of cultural heritage is terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). This kind of instrumental has become essential in this kind of heritage projects. However, in many projects, the captured information by these systems are excessive, which hinders its data processing and information extraction. But when the documentation purpose is limited to the visualization or dissemination, the final products can be simpler than those obtained from the dense point clouds and the resulting detailed models. In this paper it is presented an approach based on TLS data processed with spherical images algorithms. TLS point clouds are used to simulate spherical images allowing the storage, processing, visualization and dissemination of both data and products. This approach has been applied to a real study case in the documentation of the chapterhouse of the Cathedral of Jaén.