Researchers used the RIEGL VZ-600i in profile scanning mode to capture the movement of a railway bridge as trains crossed it.
Laser scanning is commonly used to create an accurate 3D record of a site or structure. Recent field testing on a railway bridge in Chile explored another application: measuring structural movement as it happens.
Researchers used the RIEGL VZ-600i in profile scanning mode to capture the movement of a railway bridge as trains crossed it. Instead of creating a complete 3D scan, the scanner repeatedly measured a selected profile of the bridge at high speed.
A conventional terrestrial laser scan captures millions of measurement points to create a detailed 3D representation.
Profile scanning works differently. Instead of capturing the entire scene, the scanner repeatedly measures a selected line or profile. The RIEGL VZ-600i can record up to 420 profiles per second.
Measuring the same area repeatedly at this speed allows small changes in position to be observed over time. Teams can investigate not only the geometry of a structure, but how a selected part of it moves.
The field trial took place in September 2025 at Puente Las Cucharas, part of the Metro Valparaíso railway network in Chile.
The current steel bridge was constructed between 1908 and 1913 and remains operational today.
Researchers positioned a RIEGL VZ-600i to observe the bridge during normal railway operations. As trains crossed, the scanner continuously captured a selected profile of the structure, allowing the research team to examine short-duration movement under actual operating load.
According to RIEGL, the initial field experience produced stable and consistent measurement results, supporting further investigation of profile scanning for dynamic monitoring applications.
For the complete methodology and findings, see RIEGL's original case study: Dynamic Bridge Monitoring in Chile – First Field Experience with the RIEGL VZ-600i Profile Scanning Mode at Puente Las Cucharas.
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) helps engineers understand how a structure behaves under operational conditions, providing information that can support maintenance and risk management decisions.
At Puente Las Cucharas, terrestrial laser scanning was tested for this purpose.
Unlike sensors that need to be installed directly on an asset, laser scanning allows measurements to be taken remotely. It can also capture movement while the structure remains operational. In Chile, the bridge was measured during regular railway operations as trains travelled across it.
These characteristics are also relevant to road, rail and other infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand, particularly where assets need to remain operational or physical access is difficult.
No. Structural monitoring can involve accelerometers, GNSS, fibre-optic sensors and other specialist instrumentation, each providing different information.
High-speed terrestrial laser scanning adds detailed, non-contact measurement to that toolkit rather than replacing established monitoring systems.
The Puente Las Cucharas project shows how terrestrial laser scanning can extend beyond conventional 3D capture.
The RIEGL VZ-600i terrestrial scanner can capture detailed 3D data for surveying and mapping applications, while profile scanning provides a different way to use the same instrument when short-duration movement needs to be measured.
For surveyors and infrastructure teams, that means looking beyond the familiar specifications of range, accuracy and scan speed, and considering the different measurement modes an instrument can support.
Source: This article and accompanying images draw on a RIEGL case study on dynamic bridge monitoring at Puente Las Cucharas in Chile, using the VZ-600i terrestrial laser scanner in profile scanning mode.