Deformation Monitoring and Analysis: Geodetic Techniques

This chapter discusses the role of geodetic deformation monitoring and analysis. Deformations of objects are essentially three dimensional, but it is common to measure the horizontal and vertical deformations separately for better accuracy. Deformation analysis is about detecting, localizing, and modeling monitoring network point movements based on deformation measurements. The chapter also discusses the characteristics of geodetic deformation monitoring techniques in contrast with other similar techniques. It describes the differences between deformation monitoring and control surveys. The chapter shows how the design elements of deformation monitoring schemes is used to carry out deformation monitoring surveys. It explains the various monumentation and targeting requirements for deformation monitoring networks. The chapter addresses the concept of the iterative weighted similarity transformation (IWST) to solve the problem of datum instability. It describes the use of geodetic leveling procedure in deducing tilt, strain, and curvature resulting from ground subsidence.