Mapping an industrial tankfarm — the 31st March complex : scanning of 31st March Plant in Birżebbuġa, Malta

Abstract

The digital documentation of the 31st March complex provides a detailed spatial record of an industrial site through the combined application of aerial photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning. This approach captures the geometry, appearance and spatial relationships of the site’s structures, establishing a three-dimensional foundation for visualisation, analysis and future reference. Particular attention was given to documenting external areas and accessible internal spaces, including the interior of one tank. Data acquisition was undertaken across three site visits, combining gridded and manually controlled drone surveys with ground-based LiDAR scanning. Photogrammetric capture comprised 6,839 images, including photographs acquired directly and frames extracted from video, while terrestrial scanning involved 391 individual scans. These complementary methods enabled the recording of the site from multiple perspectives, bringing together aerial coverage and detailed observations of structures and accessible interiors. The resulting datasets were aligned, georeferenced and integrated using specialised photogrammetric, point-cloud processing and geographic information systems software. Approximately two terabytes of data supported the production of point clouds and three-dimensional meshes, made accessible through interactive online and desktop environments. These outputs allow users to explore the documented site remotely and provide a spatial resource that can support subsequent measurement, interpretation, planning and immersive presentation.