title: From Laser Scanning to Finite Element Analysis of Complex Buildings by Using a Semi-Automatic Procedure.
abstract: In this paper, a new semi-automatic procedure to transform three-dimensional point clouds of complex objects to three-dimensional finite element models is presented and validated. The procedure conceives of the point cloud as a stacking of point sections. The complexity of the clouds is arbitrary, since the procedure is designed for terrestrial laser scanner surveys applied to buildings with irregular geometry, such as historical buildings. The procedure aims at solving the problems connected to the generation of finite element models of these complex structures by constructing a fine discretized geometry with a reduced amount of time and ready to be used with structural analysis. If the starting clouds represent the inner and outer surfaces of the structure, the resulting finite element model will accurately capture the whole three-dimensional structure, producing a complex solid made by voxel elements. A comparison analysis with a CAD-based model is carried out on a historical building damaged by a seismic event. The results indicate that the proposed procedure is effective and obtains comparable models in a shorter time, with an increased level of automation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, V.le Risorgimento 2, Bologna 40136, Italy. giovanni.castellazzi@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, V.le Risorgimento 2, Bologna 40136, Italy. antoniomaria.daltri@studio.unibo.it.
authors.forename: Antonio Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: D'Altri
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, V.le Risorgimento 2, Bologna 40136, Italy. gabriele.bitelli@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bitelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, V.le Risorgimento 2, Bologna 40136, Italy. ilenia.selvaggi2@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Ilenia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Selvaggi
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, V.le Risorgimento 2, Bologna 40136, Italy. alessandro.lambertini@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lambertini
keywords: cultural heritage; finite element analysis; geometric modeling; historical buildings; structural analysis; terrestrial laser scanning