Accuracy Evaluation of a 3-D Spatial Modeling Approach to Model Linear Objects and Predict Their Lengths

dc.contributor.advisorJoseph E. Hummer, Committee Memberen_US
dc.contributor.advisorHugh A. Devine, Committee Memberen_US
dc.contributor.advisorHeather M. Cheshire, Committee Memberen_US
dc.contributor.advisorWilliam J. Rasdorf, Committee Chairen_US
dc.contributor.authorCai, Huboen_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-04-02T19:15:49Z
dc.date.available2010-04-02T19:15:49Z
dc.date.issued2004-03-28en_US
dc.degree.disciplineCivil Engineeringen_US
dc.degree.leveldissertationen_US
dc.degree.namePhDen_US
dc.description.abstractReal world objects are three-dimensional. Numerous applications in geographic information systems (GISs) require modeling spatial objects in a 3-D space, but many current GISs only represent two-dimensional information. The GIS community has been struggling with solving complex problems dealing with 3-D objects using a 2-D approach. This research focused on modeling linear objects in a 3-D space, predicting their 3-D distances, and evaluating the accuracy. A point model was developed, which modeled a 3-D line with a group of 3-D points (with X/Y/Z-coordinates) connected by straight lines. It required two input datasets, an elevation dataset and a planimetric line dataset. With elevation datasets in different formats (point data and digital elevation models (DEMs)), two approaches were proposed, differing in how the third dimension (elevation) was introduced. With point data, a snapping approach was developed. With DEMs, elevations for points uniformly distributed along planimetric lines were obtained via bilinear interpolations. Mathematical equations were derived to predict 3-D distances. A case study was designed in the transportation field because of the rich source of linear objects and the criticality of 3-D distances in GIS-T and LRS. Two elevation datasets were used: LIDAR and national elevation dataset (NED). LIDAR datasets were further categorized into point data and DEMs (20-ft and 50-ft resolutions). Two intervals were taken to locate points planimetrically along lines when using DEMs (full cell size and half cell size). Consequently, each line was associated with seven calculated 3-D distances (one from LIDAR point data, two from LIDAR 20-ft DEM, two from LIDAR 50-ft DEM, and two from NED). The accuracy of predicted 3-D distances was evaluated by comparing them to distance measurement instrument (DMI) measured distances. Errors were represented in two formats: difference and proportional difference (based on DMI measured distances) between the predicted 3-D distance and the DMI measured distance, taking road types into consideration. Evaluation methods included descriptive statistics, error distribution histograms, hypothesis tests, frequency analysis, and root mean square of errors (RMSE). The effects from the use of different elevation datasets and intervals on the accuracy were evaluated via a sensitivity analysis. The effects from the geometric properties of linear objects on the accuracy were evaluated via significant factor analyses. Factors under consideration included distance, average slope and weighted slope, average slope change and weighted slope change, and the number and density of 3-D points. The usefulness of this research was proved by applying the resulting 3-D road centerlines to determine flooded road segments under flooding scenarios. This research concluded that errors in the predicted 3-D distance varied with elevation datasets and road types, but not with the use of different intervals with the same elevation dataset, given the interval was less than or equal to the cell size. Using elevation datasets with higher vertical accuracies resulted in higher accuracies in predicted 3-D distances. In this research, using LIDAR point data improved the accuracy by 28% and using LIDAR DEMs improved the accuracy by 6%, compared to using NED data, with 100% RMSEs as the accuracy measure. It was also concluded that there was a positive association between the error and any one of these factors from the aspect of the difference but a negative association from the aspect of the proportional difference. Each factor had a threshold, above which effects from the increase of the factor value were insignificant.en_US
dc.identifier.otheretd-12182003-091314en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/5556
dc.rightsI hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report.en_US
dc.subjectGISen_US
dc.subjectFrequency Analysisen_US
dc.subject3-D Modelingen_US
dc.subjectFloodplain Delineationen_US
dc.subjectError Propagationen_US
dc.subjectErroren_US
dc.subjectSpatial Data Accuracyen_US
dc.subjectSnappingen_US
dc.subjectSensitivity Analysisen_US
dc.subjectDMIen_US
dc.subjectDistance Predictionen_US
dc.subjectDEMen_US
dc.subjectData Qualityen_US
dc.subjectBreaklineen_US
dc.subjectANOVAen_US
dc.subjectAccuracyen_US
dc.subjectLIDARen_US
dc.subjectGIS-Ten_US
dc.subjectGPSen_US
dc.subjectNEDen_US
dc.subjectRMSEen_US
dc.subjectRoad Centerlineen_US
dc.subjectLIDAR Point Cloudsen_US
dc.subjectSurface Lengthen_US
dc.titleAccuracy Evaluation of a 3-D Spatial Modeling Approach to Model Linear Objects and Predict Their Lengthsen_US

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