A new laser technology system is being used to aid in the renovation of the University’s iconic Rotunda. Four lasers will target 130 prismatic targets positioned through and around the Rotunda to detect any possible movements in the structure, according to a University press release.
The Rotunda renovation includes building a foundation and constructing an underground mechanical room. The new technology will notify architects and construction teams of any possible disruptions.
Purchased for about $500,000 from the Soldata Corporation, four lasers aimed at the targets can detect movement as little as one-twelfth of an inch. The four lasers are located on the terraces, Pavillion II and within the Rotunda itself. These lasers fire at 130 targets every four minutes. They were installed about a month before the renovation began to establish a baseline of normal movement levels.
“If there is a shift by one-quarter of an inch, the work comes to a stop immediately,” Jody Lahendro, the supervisory historic preservation architect, said in the press release.
Any detected movement could mean cracking in a part of the Rotunda, but Lahendro said construction teams have the necessary equipment to "stabilize the structure."
There have been no serious shifts so far, but Lahendro said the lasers are picking up “a lot of movements that we expected.” A few unexpected events, such as a tree sagging into the laser’s beam, have induced a few false alarms.
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