3D scanning methodology: Bell tower of santa marÍa de daroca's church (Spain)

Abstract

Santa María's Church finds its origins in a medieval mosque located in the city of Daroca, whose historical centre was declared a Historic-Artistic Complex (1968) and, at present, it is considered an "Asset of Cultural Interest". The bell tower is the only remnant of the Islamic mosque that is preserved. In the 14th century, the Mudejar tower was covered with ashlar masonry and increased in height. The conjunction of successive stages of construction, with the different construction systems and materials used in each period, as well as the different architectural styles that can be contemplated in this tower, convert it into a unique and complex exemplary work. However, despite being a bell tower of great heritage value, there is no rigorous planimetry available of any kind allowing its in-depth study. Due to its complexity and diversity of materials, it has required the use of the 3D laser scanning technology. The shortage of space and light made it necessary to carefully plan the sequential stationing process and the results have been very satisfactory. The scanning has allowed detection of the tower's inclination with great precision and has facilitated the visualization of the meeting point of both Arabesque and Christian remnants. It has also been proven that the bell tower's inclination is not uniform throughout the height of the closing wall, but is slightly straightened from the Christian period. This communication describes the process followed to perform the scanning and subsequent manipulation of point clouds, presenting the results obtained. © Authors 2020. CC BY 4.0 License.