Mobile mapping systems and algorithms for Italian tunnel assessment

Over the last few years, mobile mapping systems for monitoring civil railway works have found widespread use because they offer several advantages to Infrastructure Managers. Since 2013, RFI, the Italian Infrastructure Manager, has started a project for surveying the railway tunnels with mobile mapping systems. This system is based on the integration of different sensors on a railway vehicle. The system collects a large set of data about the geometry and the defects of tunnel lining. By means of a specific algorithm there is the possibility to define a priority in the planning of maintenance interventions and a comparison of different tunnels. The use of mobile mapping systems clearly represents a powerful tool for Infrastructure Managers. The paper shows up the main features of the technology, his advantages and the results obtained.