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An Enhanced Geodetic Network and Geoid Model for Municipalities of Abu Dhabi Emirate (10296)

Jean-Louis Carme, Benjamin Weyer (France), Hamad Mohamed Al Rashedi, Hassan Mohamed Al Mulla (United Arab Emirates) and Ahmed Syed Iliyas (India)
Mr. Jean-Louis Carme
Technical Director
Fugro France
Castries
France
 
Corresponding author Mr. Jean-Louis Carme (email: jl.carme[at]fugro.com, tel.: +33 4 67 59 26 44)
 

[ abstract ] [ paper ] [ handouts ]

Published on the web 2020-02-28
Received 2019-10-01 / Accepted 2020-02-03
This paper is one of selection of papers published for the FIG Working Week 2020 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and has undergone the FIG Peer Review Process.

FIG Working Week 2020
ISBN 978-87-92853-93-6 ISSN 2307-4086
https://fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/fig2020/index.htm

Abstract

Nowadays, the combination of both an up-to-date geodetic network, with accurate positions and ellipsoidal heights, and a high accuracy gravimetric or hybrid gravimetric geoid model, is clearly the optimal combination to ensure accurate georeferencing of all survey works in both position and height, which is the prerequisite for efficient management of integrated land/water. The availability of a dense CORS network allows obviously improving the integrity and accuracy of the related survey works while also providing a very convenient, cost-effective surveying and positioning solution. The availability of accurate complementary First order geodetic markers allow both strengthening the robustness of the survey works and providing redundant solutions for contingency in case of a CORS failure. Finally, a hybrid gravimetric geoid model provides an accurate, convenient, height reference surface enabling all survey practitioners to obtain orthometric heights above MSL in the national vertical datum directly from GNSS observations. From mid 2017 to mid 2019, Abu Dhabi Municipality and Fugro have executed a two-fold geodetic project intended to provide the Abu Dhabi Emirate with an accurate geodetic infrastructure. Abu Dhabi GPS Reference Stations network, consisting of 32 CORS, was recomputed in both ITRF2014 at Epoch 2019.0 and historical ITRF2000 at Epoch 2000.0, which allowed confirming significant station displacements for a number of CORS over the 12 last years. 53 new geodetic control points, consisting of pillars, were established to complement the AD GRS network. Gravity grids at 1 km and 2.5 km spacing, totalling more than 12,000 points were surveyed over the entire Emirate, and 4 new absolute gravity stations were established across the Emirate, hence constraining the relative gravity network and avoiding error propagation. These grids were used to compute a high accuracy gravimetric geoid model, which was then fitted by least squares collocation onto the GPS-Levelling network for consistency purpose with the national Ras Ghumays vertical datum realization.
 
Keywords: GNSS/GPS; Engineering survey; Land management; Reference frames; Geoid Modelling; Rigorous Orthometric Heights

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