Discontinuity information is important to evaluate the security of rock mass for discontinuity spacing distribution, which affects the mechanical properties and stability of the rock mass. Numerous studies have recently been conducted on semiautomatic or automatic extraction of discontinuities from point cloud data. A procedure named RANSAC (Random Sample Consensus) Discontinuity Detection was developed in this study to automatically extract discontinuities in a rock mass. The proposed method is entirely based on a raw point cloud instead of a triangular mesh, which can retain the integrity of data.
A modified RANSAC algorithm is also used to increase the degree of automation. The proposed approach consists of four steps: (1) Calculation of the normal vector of point cloud; (2) Plane extraction using the modified RANSAC algorithm; (3) Delineation of the boundary of the discontinuity by using the modified Graham scan algorithm, and (4) Calculation of the orientation and area on the basis of the normal vector and the boundary of discontinuity. In addition, the results and the raw data source are freely provided for a reproducible research and a more preferable method.
For the full paper on automatic extraction CLICK HERE. There may be a fee to download. Published in the Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, a publication of the Geological Society of London.
Automatic Extraction of Rock Mass Discontinuity
