Columbia Missourian
Calculating the columns
By Tara Ballenger
January 23, 2008 | 9:17 p.m. CST
A team of contractors from Chicago used a laser scanner Wednesday to gather information on the MU Columns’ exact positions – height, width, distance from other quadrangle landmarks – so the university can monitor any movement over time. Phil Shocklee, director of campus facilities, said the scans were part of a facilities maintenance plan to protect the columns. The measurements will also set reference points for future surveying. The laser scanner used gathers 120,000 reference points per second which can be used to create three dimensional data. The last significant work done to the columns was in 1996 when MU placed metal tops on the columns to prevent water from leaking inside.
¦ Tara Ballenger
