PhD-research Hiddo Velsink

Geodetic deformation measurements: communication, technology and governance

These web pages are dedicated to the PhD research of Hiddo Velsink. The research started in the autumn of 2011. The research focuses on building a communication model for geodetic deformation measurements. The working title is: "Adding value to deformation measurements". The research tries to connect as closely as possible to the professional practice and hence these web pages.
To construct a communication model four sub-models are developed in the framework of the research, i.e. models on:

• governance arrangements
• mathematical-geodetic techniques
• standards
• acceptance / credibility

In the course of the research it became clear that there was no good mathematical model for geodetic deformation analysis and that its development was important and would take much time. In a number of scientific publications the model is and will be presented. In MATLAB programmes have been coded to validate the developed model.

As a consequence the emphasis in research has shifted since 2011 from communication and governance arrangements towards mathematical and geodetic models.

In 2014, a grant (programme Maps4Society) was obtained for research into a standardisation model for geodetic deformation measurements, the project DefoGuide. The research fits within the PhD research and focuses on standardisation. Partners in the project are:

• Rijkswaterstaat
• Grontmij
• Fugro Geoservices
• Antea Group
• Geomaat

A number of other partners joined the project later on (NAM, Brem Funderingstechniek, RPS). The project analysed the current practice of formulating contracts for geodetic deformation analysis and developed an analytical model. From this model it has been derived how statistically sound standards can be formulated.

The PhD research is supervised by Prof. R.F. Hanssen, head of the department of Geoscience and Remote Sensing of the Technical University of Delft. Co-supervisors are professor Johan Versendaal from Hogeschool Utrecht and Prof. Niemeier from the Technische Universität Braunschweig.