5-Minute Bridge Scans: Replacing Hours of Total Station Traverses with SLAM scanner + RTK

Email Nolan at nolan@bench-mark.ca with your questions and suggestions!

David from Benchmark shows how to scan a bridge into a 3D point cloud using the LiGrip O2 Lite — a SLAM LiDAR scanner with built-in RTK. The big win: it can capture detailed data in places where a normal RTK rover can’t work because there’s no satellite visibility, and it carries RTK positioning into those shaded areas without needing to traverse a total station under the bridge.

The setup is quick in the Green Valley app: connect to the scanner over Wi-Fi, link it to a phone hotspot, enter NTRIP/RTK info, confirm a fixed solution, then start a job and begin collection. The scan starts with the unit sitting on level ground for a few seconds, then the route is walked at a slightly slower pace with a gentle “weave” for better depth. Slow, smooth tilts help capture areas below edges without losing tracking.

After the walk, the point cloud is generated on the phone for a quick preview. If any gaps show up, the scan can be resumed by placing the unit back where it recognizes the environment and continuing the collection.

The result: a usable point cloud of the underside of the bridge in minutes — ideal for as-builts, inspection, GIS, and measurements, and dramatically faster than total station work in these GPS-denied environments.

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Bench Mark Equipment & Supplies is your team to trust with all your surveying equipment. With over 20 years of exceptional after-sales service on an individual basis, we have been providing high-quality surveying equipment to land surveyors, engineers, construction, airborne and resources professionals in Calgary, Canada, and the USA. We provide a wide selection of equipment, including global navigation satellite systems, RTK GPS equipment, GNSS receivers, data collector systems, and more. Whether you are in the field or in the office, our highly trained staff of engineers are always ready to help because we strive to provide the highest level of customer care and service for everyone.

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