The Barbican 3D Laser Conservation Survey
As part of ongoing conservation work for the Alnwick Estates, Digital were commissioned to produce high resolution 3D laser scans of the Barbican.
Built to guard the main gates to the castle the Barbican is a very interesting building in itself.
Visitors are met by a grand carving of the Percy shield with its rampant lion and the family’s motto which adorns the main archway. The barbican and main gatehouse are physically separated by a ditch, which still exists and spanned by a drawbridge. This massive structure dates to 1440, the era of the 2nd Earl of Northumberland, and would have been self-sufficient during a siege.
As well as providing a digital snap shot in time of the Barbican, the laser scan data allowed us to generate high resolution ortho rectified images. These ortho rectified images have been embraced by the Estates as an alternative to traditional line drawings as they are able to show the stones state of repair in high detail. Plans produced form these will form the basis of the ongoing conservation work and submissions to English Heritage.
Scanning at the castle has posed a number of logistical issues as often the scanner would have to be maneuvered through tight passages and up spiral staircases to gain access to the ramparts. To comply and exceed English heritage specification all the areas were scanned on a point density of 3mm which was later re-imported at 1/4 density to make the data more usable.
