Engineering Geological Assessment of Lin Ma Hang Mine Caverns Using Handheld LiDAR Scanner

Lin Ma Hang Mine, in the former closed border zone in the northeast New Territories, rewards intrepid visitors with impressive 19th century mine caverns. As part of the planned establishment of the Robin’s Nest Country Park, the caverns have been earmarked for revitalization to increase public awareness and accessibility. A key aspect of the scheme is to assess the stability of the accessible caverns. Maintaining the natural heritage and appearance of the historical mine workings is forefront in tailoring specific solutions. Faced with a highly irregular cavern layout due to a complex history of mining activities, the engineering geological assessment was facilitated by 3D digitalisation of the cavern developed from handheld and aerial LiDAR scanning. Point cloud data obtained provided a fast and efficient means to form models for 3D and 2D assessment and visualisation. The ability to handle data through GIS and Common Data Environments (CDE) means management of vast point cloud sets is no longer a daunting task. The digital model developed will be showcased as part of the planned public engagement and educational information about the capabilities of digital geoscience and also to further explore in virtual reality the mine cavern extent.