Transforming The Construction Landscape With Point Cloud To Bim

By Author: NIBT Education
Total Articles: 111
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Summary
 Millions of Point Clouds recorded by Laser Scanners are making BIM useful
 As a single source of truth, Point Cloud to BIM models are capable of producing exact details of digital models with a physical space
 Laser Scans help building managers keep an updated version of their BIM for a renovated section or older structure
 Point Clouds help detail every aspect and convert it into a BIM-based schematic of existing buildings to enable building maintenance
 Architects can begin with a 3D model & superimpose a BIM on top of it
 The capability of matching building plans with various development stages and aligning them to achieve the result serves as an effective tool
 Scanning each phase of the construction project & comparing it to the BIM plan helps identify critical errors to avoid delays & guarantee the project moves according to plan
Challenges in Renovation, Retrofitting, and Expansion
 High cost of renovation, retrofitting, or expansion
 Lack of funding
 Challenges in adopting new processes and technology
...
...  Complete compliance with regulations and building codes
 Health and safety requirements
 Tenants resistance to disruptive renovation or retrofitting
 Delays in renovation due to scope creep
 Inadequate building resources
 Incomplete & inaccurate building surveys
Benefits of Scan-to-BIM technology
 Better transparency, coordination, and collaboration
 Enhanced performance, reliability, and QA based on a 3D model
 Significant reduction in renovation and retrofitting budget
 Quick decision-making based on any model change
 Better renovation sustainability
 Early error detection to reduce rework
Applications of Scan-to-BIM to build As-Is BIM models
 Design
1. Designing with a 3D site model
2. Quality Assurance and Quality Control
3. Progress Tracking

 Construction
1. Virtual installation & assembly
2. Safety management
3. Digital reproduction
4. Construction documentation

 Operations & Maintenance
1. Energy performance analysis
2. Accessibility analysis
3. Structural analysis
4. Operations and maintenance
5. Space management
6. Renovation planning and execution
7. Emergency management
 Application in the Design Phase.
1. Better understanding and decision-making of site terrain and conditions based on As-Is BIM models
2. Improved visualization of existing buildings through visual memory, design compatibility, aesthetics, and architectural features
 Application in the Construction Phase.
1. Better quality assessment or quality control (QA/QC) of onsite construction or prefabricated building components
2. Improved comparative analysis based on tolerances to identify inconsistencies between as-designed BIM and as-is BIM
3. Various QA/QC checkpoints for dimensional inconsistencies, surface distortion, and flatness, surface spalling defects, and positioning errors
4. Achieving building milestones with progress tracking through 4D BIM scheduling
5. Actual project schedules are compared to the planned schedule in a BIM environment
6. Virtual installation and onsite assembly with accurate As-Is model assemblies become achievable with Scan-to-BIM
7. Verification of virtual installations and assemblies help identify problems before actual onsite assembly and installation
8. Quick identification of clashes between prefabricated components & other construction activities leading to time and cost savings
9. As-Is BIM through Scan-to-BIM models also help enhance construction safety management for onsite personnel
10. Laser scan data can be used to identify excavated pits to mitigate fall hazards
11. Complex geometry can be re-printed in a construction 3D printer using Scan-to-BIM models
 Application in the Operations and Maintenance Phase.
1. Documenting building textures and geometries is a crucial application of Scan-to-BIM in the operations and maintenance phase
2. Scan-to-BIM based documentation enables greater preservation of heritage facilities and buildings
3. An As-Is Scan-to-BIM model helps project stakeholders build better retrofit systems to improve performance viz. accessibility, energy consumption, structural integrity, etc.
4. Various FM applications of Scan-to-BIM models include space management, renovation planning, emergency management, etc.
 Planning the 3D Laser Scanning and Scan-to-BIM process.

3D laser scanning has transformed the AEC industry for better design through enhanced visualization and sustainable construction
 Applications supported by laser scanning viz. Point Cloud to BIM is sufficient in terms of point density or quality
 Mitigation of human error is crucial to reduce waiting times, deliver high-quality results, and reducing mistakes
 Accurate planning allows project stakeholders to define precise location sets, quality, and accuracy
 The planning needs to conform to 4 crucial requirements viz.
o No. of scans
o Requirements of a color or greyscale scan
o Scan complexity
o Characteristics of the site location
Step 1:

Plan to Prepare:

 Pre-investigate the project site to build a baseline control grid
 Control grids & job planning are critical to laser scanning and Scan-to-BIM
 Determination of information capture needs to be identified on the site
 Scan locations can be recorded moving through the site, or 2D plans can be used to achieve greater precision to plan the scan points
 Identifying key personnel to create site inspection checkpoints and laser scanning enables an efficient planning process
Step 2:
Minimize the number of scans and minimize the scan path:
 Laser scanners use a line of sight to capture measurements
 Jobsites with many corridors, pillars, and other elements will require a greater scan coverage
 Analyzing the level of detail required can help understand the intent of the scan
 Full-coverage of the area is key to achieve a successful scan
 Fewer scans of the job site can make the Scan-to-BIM process easier and augments the registration process
 Joining the scans would require an overlap of about 30 % – 50 % based on the software and onsite uniformity
Step 3:
Reduce errors after the scans are combined.
 The greater the number of steps between any given scan, the more are the numbers of propagation errors
 Uncertainties increase by a value of +-4mm for every scan that strays away from the previous scan
 The presence of a site grid is necessary to set fixed targets with a known relative location to reduce these errors
 Calculating the number of required scans can mitigate the need to set up a site grid
Step 4:
Augment the process with targetless scanning or multiple zone scans.
 Targetless scanning saves time by mitigating the need to evaluate target placement
 With a larger scan probability, it can save scanning time for large projects
 Targetless scanning can reduce time to scan, yet extend time in poor workflow or cloud alignment
 Setting multiple scan zones helps improve accuracy and reduce propagation errors
 This also helps reduce data set size for quick and efficient processing
Proposed Scan-to-BIM Framework.
1. A Scan-to-BIM framework moves towards BIM to build as-is BIM

2. The Scan-to-BIM process can be achieved in 4 steps viz.
 Requirements for identification of information
 Analysis of required scanned data quality
 Acquisition of scanned data
 As-Is Scan-to-BIM or reconstruction

BIM Standards
Point Cloud accuracy can be defined in a myriad of ways viz. LOA or Level of Accuracy. Point Clouds registered by the scanner are classified into various levels of accuracy.
LOA 10 (Lowest value of Accuracy)
LOA 20
LOA 30
LOA 40
LOA 50 (Highest value of Accuracy)
 Other parameters to define the accuracy of the point cloud include Precision and Correctness
 Precision is defined by random deviations of a sensor or describes the bandwidth of statistically independent measurements
 In comparison to precision, correctness is determined by systematic deviations viz. mis calibrated equipment, inaccurate angles of incidence, etc.
Scan-to-BIM with Machine Learning capabilities.
 Machine learning helps identify BIM objects from scanned data
 It helps build quick Scan-to-BIM models through Machine learning capabilities
 Machine Learning framework identifies various objects in a Point Cloud based on a Scan-to-BIM framework and creates accurate color codes for multiple objects
 This annotation process enables clear and better visualization

Benefits of using Machine Learning for Scan-to-BIM.

 Reduction in site visits to collect data
 Reduction in errors and reduced rework costs
 Quicker and greater data processing through machine learning
 Output can be imported into any BIM software
 Quick project turnaround based on machine learning algorithm for Point Cloud Data extraction
Various Laser Scanners – Station-based and Mobile.
 Trimble TX 8
 Trimble TX 6
 Faro Focus
 Faro Focus m 70
 Geo Slam Zeb Revo
 Paracosm PX-80
 Faro Freestyle
Conclusion.
 The construction landscape will continue to evolve with Point Cloud to BIM
 3D laser scans are reliable for their accuracy, speed, reliability, and simplicity of use
 The adaptability and flexibility of laser scans make it an ideal tool to model building elements in various locations
 BIM Engineering US, L.L.C. delivers top-notch solutions for AEC companies to make good business sense through reduced site visits, accurate site plans, control points, reduce costs, and more
 High-quality point cloud recording and Scan-to-BIM solutions are key to quick, effective, and efficient renovations, retrofitting, and expansion.

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Visit us: - www.bimengus.com/

BIM Engineering US is a leading Building Information Technology solution service provider offering end to end solutions in Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection systems engineering, design and construction.