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The field scanning process: How to get the best results

Once your laser scan has been ordered, there are some things you can do to prepare for our crews.

First, prior to the scan, have someone (preferably a knowledgeable project manager) onsite to communicate with the scan team when they arrive.

Make sure your plant managers know crews are coming. If there is a local safety course that needs to completed or specific plant instructions, let them know upfront. Also let crews know if there is special gear they may need like moon suits, hairnets, safety glasses or ear protection.

The project walk-through is a very valuable process because this is where we determine the location of the scanner setups. Let crews know what is most important and what is less important. If a major conduit with fiber optics, a power transmission conduit, or particular piece of machinery is important to your project, for example, it is important to let the scanning crew know.

Also make sure the scanning crew has a contact that they can call if they have questions or need clarification mid-scan.

Crews will place targets around the scan area to tie all of the scans together and will remove them upon completion of the site visit. Once they understand the limits and the prime areas of interest, the scanning process will begin.

Though it is great to watch them work, these teams are professional and the less direction they have, the better the results! A typical job can take two days to several weeks. Each night, scanned data for the day will be checked to make sure there are no gaps or geometric issues with the data.

For black and white scan data, the process is simply this: scan, move to a new location, scan, move to a new location, etc. For color data, a set of photographs is added to the process: scan, remove the scanner, add a camera, take seven photographs (six at 60-degrees horizontally, one straight up), move the scanner, take photos at the new location, replace the camera with the scanner, scan, and repeat this sequence throughout the site.

This allows our crews to produce high-quality TrueView files. When they get into a rhythm, the above sequence maximizes efficiency up to 100%.

Post Processing

When the scan data comes back into the office, data is exported from the crew’s field laptop to the desktop. On large jobs, this will take several hours.

Next, if there are color photos, the color photo data is downloaded and registered to the point cloud. This process can take 5-10 minutes per set up. Around 100 set-ups can take 15 hours of technician time. (If there is only black & white data, we skip this step.)

Once the photo data is added to the raw data, the target information is then added to the data set. The data is then run through the final registration process. This program compares the data set to all the other common data sets and produces the final registered point cloud.

The point cloud is then tested visually and geometrically to make sure there are no errors. This is done by cutting it like a wedding cake to see that all of the horizontal surfaces line up and also looking at elevation views and pipe runs to make sure that these are consistent throughout the cloud.

After these are tested, the final registered point cloud is ready to be used. Files are then loaded on to a hard drive and shipped to you, the customer!

Now that you have the point cloud data, what do you do with it?

Registered point cloud data can be exported into AutoCAD, MicroStation, Bentley, Revit, Autodesk Recap and many other computer programs. Designers can then take this data and design and model it in a 3D environment.

A TrueView map of the site showing 3D spherical data in black & white or color can be created. You can measure between points in the point cloud with this free program.

Warning: We always recommend that for precise measurements, you use the point cloud information and not TrueView. The angle of the view can affect the measured distance in TrueView. At a minimum, check the measurement from several different views.

Computer models can also be built in Revit, AutoCAD or MicroStation and delivered to the client. These models can be imported into the point cloud and then “clashed” to see if the new model interferes with the existing point cloud.

Want to learn more? Contact us today to learn if a laser scan is right for your next project.

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Tate Jones has over 40 years of experience in land and aerial surveying and was one of the country’s earliest adopters of 3D laser scanning technology. A nationally recognized expert in the field of 3D data capture, he has worked with hundreds of clients in the engineering, architectural and construction industries. Contact him at tjones@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.

3D Laser Survey: The new industry benchmark

Having just turned 60 years-old, I hit one of the major benchmarks in life.

When I was younger, I can remember thinking 30 was as old as you could ever get. Time changes the way we think about things.

I started my business in 1988 and still enjoy running our firm 25 years later. I have lived through the changes from ink on Mylar to Cad drawings, the introduction of GPS and the effect the internet has had on all of our lives. The latest change in the engineering world is the natural progression from 2D plans to 3D deliverables.

In 2005, when we started collecting data with high definition lasers, we were on the cutting edge. Today, this method is becoming even more mainstream.

Most of the sales we made in those first years required us to collect data in 3D and turn it into a 2D AutoCAD or Micro station deliverable. Today, probably 15-20% of our clients just ask for the “point cloud” data and use software that is written for their design and construction needs, making the information much more user friendly. How the industry has changed.

Transportation
For many decades, we went out and surveyed roads the same way using digital survey equipment. While we still use traditional GPS and total stations, we incorporate 3D laser scanning more and more.

We were on teams that won some of the intersection projects north of Atlanta on I-85. On all of these projects, we scanned the roads, ramps, bridges and main line. Why? Because safety is always #1. Our surveyors don’t go into traffic or stand by the road unless there is no other way to do the job.

We were also able to produce very precise useable bridge data in a relatively short timeframe, which allowed our clients to begin preliminary planning. Another benefit is that the free point cloud viewer that comes with every project allows the client to visit the site, make precise measurements, and view the project in 360-degree photography without leaving their desks.

Nothing is more valuable than a site walk, but trying to remember if there were four light poles or six at a crucial intersection can be solved instantly with the click of mouse. Micro Station, AutoCAD and Revit now have programs that can import 3D survey data directly into the design file, which is a very big advantage for designers.

Structural Elements
In 1978, I was asked to survey the interior of Lenox Mall in Atlanta and produce an as-built for a structural survey. We used a steel chain and offset lines and it took many days to document simple column lines.

Now we can capture and document the most extreme and difficult data in just a few hours. We regularly use laser scanners to document wall failures, roof collapses, and to certify that massive complex structures are build per the design drawings.

Imagine having to perform a complex as-built survey of something like the Georgian Dome without a laser scan. It would be unthinkable! Likewise, engineering for tank farms and pipe transfer areas are much easier to document with a scanner.

Today, more and more clients are asking for a “laser survey” and then importing the registered point cloud data to begin designing the “fix.” As a result, travel expenses are roughly one third of what they were before.

Architecture
New Greenfield architectural as-builts are required and one day in the not too distant future they will require a laser scan point cloud to document the final conditions.

The real advantage in the 3D world is when you can scan older buildings that are not uniform and not consistent prior to construction and find all of the asymmetrical areas that will give a contractor and owner fits when construction begins.

For many reasons, we are documenting existing conditions in older buildings and in some cases they have very nice architectural features built by real artisans that we are able to capture to give the client a much clearer picture of what is there.

Older buildings have sagging floors, walls with varying thicknesses, and sometimes no interior air-conditioning or duct works. These are all areas where 3D technology is the only way to fly.

MEP Energy and Complex Plumbing
We call these highly complex environments. The original laser scanner was invented to map oil platforms and massively large refineries so that engineers could document and design the required elements correctly.

Unfortunately, there was no other way to do this. Weekly, I talk to clients who make 4-6 trips to jobs to check and recheck hand measured structures. Good news: there is no reason to do this ever again! Using a laser scanner is cheaper, faster and more accurate and once you capture the data, you have it forever. There is no better tool.

In this field, “smart point clouds” have turned from a dream to a reality. There are now programs that can automatically turn a point cloud into a series of pipes. Though it is not perfect yet, it is so much better than what was available in the past. The time it takes to model a pipe room is one third the time it took five years ago.

Most serious pipe designers are requesting laser scans on large projects. The new software models and performs clash detection and can export the data into many mainstream Cad platforms. This is now considered an industry best practice.

Low-tech Solutions
When we began in 2005, high speed laser scanners were our main tool. But unless the renovation was complex, the cost benefit for documenting relatively simple environments like hotels and commercial space was not very high.

For the past year, we have been providing Revit models of existing buildings cheaper and more efficiently than ever before. Previously designers sent interns or fresh college grads in the AEC industry to measure the space, who then took the data back to build a model.

Now we can measure the interior with a handheld laser and when we leave the building, the model is complete. Many projects can be completed in a single day. With a few hours of clean up the next day, the project is finished and out the door.

Our price is generally very competitive compared to the cost of sending designers to measure the space and the advantage is that they are designing and generating revenue. It is a win-win.

I am often asked by designers why they have to change the way they have been designing when it has been successful for decades. The answer is simple: there is a better way to do it.

With the advent of 3D printers, many designs will be printed and go straight from design to printer to the construction site with no human intervention.

The construction industry is changing, as are the designers who shape that industry. We have reached the new benchmark of 3D survey, design, fabrication and testing and there is just no going back.

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Tate Jones has over 40 years of experience in land and aerial surveying and was one of the country’s earliest adopters of 3D laser scanning technology. A nationally recognized expert in the field of 3D data capture, he has worked with hundreds of clients in the engineering, architectural and construction industries. Contact him at tjones@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.

3D Laser scanning helps with job site safety

When most people think of laser scanning, they think of capturing and documenting existing conditions prior to a construction project.

 

While this is LandAir’s primary use of our laser technology, there are many additional benefits that our clients are beginning to take advantage of from the scans we provide. One of these benefits is safety, a priority for all of us in the construction industry.

 

Virtual job site

Laser scanning is a great way to incorporate new personnel into an environment. Enabling workers to view a job site prior to physically stepping onto the site is just one valuable resource provided by a scan. 

 

Whether it is identifying hazards on a site like open pits or high traffic areas, or just identifying where the lay-down areas for supplies will be, the ability to immerse workers into a site can protect them and cut down on miscommunications in the field. 

 

Visualization can also assist with language barriers that may be present on a site or tradespeople who don’t understand the entire safety plan of everyone onsite. It can also provide “virtual tours” to interested parties or at least help them identify caution areas before walking the site. 

 

Training

Laser scanning and modeling can also provide virtual training in a 3D space. The ability to identify parts on equipment and look at the space the equipment is in helps workers identify potential hazards and ensure that they have the necessary tools to make repairs or installations. 

 

There are partner companies today who are putting virtual “how to” training guides online that demonstrate anything from changing a tire to repairing valves in a virtual environment. This virtual 3D training not only allows for repairs and replacements to be done faster, which can save money on shut downs, but lessens the time workers are exposed to the elements. 

 

Many times, moving machine parts, extreme temperatures and dangerous spaces are involved with repairs or replacements and cutting down time in the field can help get workers out of harm’s way. 

 

Clash avoidance

Many times on job sites large equipment is present and cranes are erected. Staging these areas and making sure that the equipment has room to maneuver without colliding with anything else on a site is very important. 

 

Laser scanning can provide very precise measurements of equipment and the surrounding environment prior to being onsite. A crane’s radius can be measured, modeled and dropped into the virtual site to determine where potential clash areas may exist.

 

Risk management

In the event an accident does occur, having a laser scan of the site allows the team to go back in and examine the area where the accident took place. It may provide a better understanding of how the accident happened and who may have truly been at fault. 

 

Having a 3D laser scan of the existing conditions may help limit liability and demonstrate an added level of due-diligence. This information could also be used to create a guide for “what not to do” on future sites.

 

First responders and safety plans

Providing valuable information to first responders is another benefit created by a 3D laser scan.  Demonstrating the fastest and safest routes on a job site is something that can be easily demonstrated with a laser scan.

 

Floor plans can be developed or access to a web-based viewer like Leica’s TruView can allow 360-degree views of the environment. Evacuation routes can also be reviewed and demonstrated with a fly-through video for workers on the site.

 

Deliverables

The deliverables for 3D laser scanning that we provide are various and based on the needs of our clients. We provide drawings, models, fly-throughs and TruViews.

 

Autodesk’s AutoCAD and Revit are the two most popular formats in which we deliver drawings and 3D models. Our 3D point cloud fly-throughs are easily shown in Windows Media and Leica’s TruView allows clients to see our scan set-ups in full 360 views from each station. 

 

As the virtual world and building information modeling become more prevalent in the construction industry, new uses for 3D laser scanning that provide increased safety on job sites will hopefully increase as well.

 

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Mitch Dorsett has over 15 years in the building and construction industry and serves as director of business development for LandAir Surveying. Mitch is rapidly becoming an expert in 3D data capture and virtual design and construction, having attended and represented LandAir’s laser scanning capabilities at SPAR, RTC and Autodesk University in 2012. Contact him at mdorsett@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.

Rapid As-Builts for the Retail Industry

In the real estate market, timing is everything.

 

Those who have better and faster information win. This is what inspired LandAir Surveying to develop Laser Measuring to BIM technology to quickly document existing as-built conditions. 

 

Many retail projects begin with an existing space needing a build out for a new tenant. Field measurements must be taken to document the existing as-built conditions of the current space and owners use these as-builts to evaluate tenant requirements, determine rental rates, and create design plans. 

 

Traditional methods of field measuring are slow, inaccurate, and inefficient. In contrast, LandAir Surveying’s Laser Measuring to BIM technology provides a better way to connect the dots from prospect to rent-paying tenant.

 

As we are closing in on the start of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Annual RECon Conference, I thought it would be a good time to explain how Laser Measuring to BIM is revolutionizing as-built field measuring.

How it works

Laser Measuring to BIM works based on a blue-tooth enabled BIM workstation. LandAir’s survey team uses a laser rangefinder to transmit very precise field measurements into software that enables our technician to draw in Revit, Autodesk’s 3D software solution. 

Once the entire space is drawn in Revit, field technicians perform quality control on the data and finalize the as-built model. The Revit model data will be verified again back in the office and the final deliverable, usually either AutoCAD drawings or the 3D Revit model, is generated. 

Accuracy and speed: The best of both worlds

The Laser Measuring to BIM approach produces a more accurate depiction of existing conditions than traditional methods, because the field technicians see the final drawings as they are mapped in our CAD software. The ability to field-verify measurements while on site not only produces more accurate data, but saves time over the traditional field measurement to office drawing back to field to verify and catch what you missed technique. 

This workflow typically allows drawings to be created in hours as compared to the days traditional methods took. Because this technology can generate as-built documentation so rapidly, it expedites the rest of the process to move a tenant into the vacant space. 

Start construction faster

Producing as-built documents rapidly and accurately allows owners, brokers, and property managers to more efficiently submit sites for approval to the tenants’ corporate design team.

Since the plans are presented in a very user-friendly manner, decisions regarding the suitability of a space are easily determined. This reduces the due diligence time required by prospective tenants. And since the space-defining measurements come from an unbiased third party, rate calculation and space designation can be agreed upon faster. 

All of this leads to the design team beginning on design documents and demolition plans more quickly. Additionally, the precision of laser measuring and field verification of the Laser Measuring to BIM workflow gives designers confidence that the as-built conditions are correct and the production format (AutoCAD or Revit) is something that they can use immediately. 

Deliverables

Laser Measuring to BIM can produce both 2D drawings and 3D models with as much information, or as little detail, as needed. Some brokers may only need a simple PDF of the floor plan with doors, windows, and walls. 

On the other hand, an architect doing a full tenant build out may require a reflective ceiling plan, kitchen MEP systems, and utility plan with outlets and switches. Regardless of the need for information or the level of detail required, Laser Measuring to BIM will produce as-builts faster and more accurately than any field measuring technique used in the past.

Are you planning to attend the ICSC RECon Conference this year? If so, e-mail us. We would love to connect!

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Mitch Dorsett has over 15 years in the building and construction industry and serves as director of business development for LandAir Surveying. Mitch is rapidly becoming an expert in 3D data capture and virtual design and construction, having attended and represented LandAir’s laser scanning capabilities at SPAR, RTC and Autodesk University in 2012. Contact him at mdorsett@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.

Hotel and Casino Markets Bring Big Opportunities for 3D Laser Surveys

It looks like 2013 will be a banner year for the hospitality industry.

In 2012, U.S. hoteliers collectively sold more than 1.1 billion rooms. Las Vegas welcomed a record 40 million visitors last year and nationwide commercial gambling revenues surpassed the $35.6 billion mark in 2011, up from $34.6 billion in 2010.

A recent study released by the American Gaming Association (AGA) reports that the commercial casino industry supported approximately $125 billion in spending and nearly 820,000 jobs in the U.S. economy in 2010, based on direct, indirect and induced impacts.

Though development, funding, business travel, convention participation and disposable income were almost non-existent over the last five years, the hospitality industry is making a comeback.

So, what does all of this mean to the construction industry? How can the AEC community, which has struggled for years, take advantage of this opportunity?

It already is. The number of projects in the pipeline has already greatly increased during the first two months of 2013 over the first two months of 2012. The AIA reports that the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) is reflecting its strongest growth since November 2007.

Not only is the number of new ground-up projects increasing, but renovations and expansions are also happening at a record pace.

Hotels and resorts are expanding, updating rooms, adding new restaurants, providing more services and implementing property improvement plans (PIP) that have been on hold.

As a result of all of this construction, we have seen a tremendous surge in the need for accurate as-built documentation from owners, designers, engineers and contractors.

They need to know what they have and they need to know fast – and 3D laser scanning and measuring services are in high demand.

In just the past few months, our firm has completed a wide variety of projects and requests including field measuring and verification of rooms, hallways and common areas; documentation of exterior elevations and connect points for building expansions, theatres, meeting spaces and parking decks; and complete renovations of old hotels or buildings being transformed into new facilities.

Here are just a few examples of some of our recent projects:

Hotel Renovation

We provided as-built documentation for common areas, hallways and over 100 interior rooms in a major hotel renovation project using laser scanning and laser measuring to produce AutoCAD documents and 3D models.

Rather than measuring each space then returning to the office to create documents, we utilized our laser data capture techniques to wirelessly import to a BIM workstation. This allowed us to measure and create 3D models and AutoCAD files on site and in real time.

We were able to generate floor plans, reflected ceiling plans and interior elevations in the field, which led to increased accuracy, reduced collection and drafting time, and eliminated the need for return visits.

The architect was able to begin work on floor plans immediately while we continued to measure additional floors.

Mechanical Room Boiler/Chiller Replacement

We generated a 3D laser scan of a 20,000 square foot mechanical room, providing a level of accuracy and detail that would have been unattainable with traditional measuring techniques due to the amount of heavy piping and ductwork required.

This enabled designers to drop their prospective model into the point cloud and determine clash issues and tie-in points. The laser scan saved field rework time, material costs and allowed enhanced coordination amongst the project team.

Casino Theater Addition

Because there was insufficient data on the existing condition of the space targeted for the design of a theater, we provided a point cloud and TruView to the contractor and design team via a 3D laser scan. The point cloud allowed for existing mechanical systems and structural elements to be measured and inventoried.

The results increased the speed of design, reduced cost of materials and field rework, assisted with developing a safety plan, and increased collaboration efforts between team members.

As the hospitality industry continues to expand, the demand for 3D laser surveying will increase as clients search for ways to save time and money on their construction and renovation projects. You can bet on it!

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Mitch Dorsett has over 15 years in the building and construction industry and serves as director of business development for LandAir Surveying. Mitch is rapidly becoming an expert in 3D data capture and virtual design and construction, having attended and represented LandAir’s laser scanning capabilities at SPAR, RTC and Autodesk University in 2012. Contact him at mdorsett@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com

Autodesk University 2012: watching an industry grow up!

Attending and exhibiting at shows like Hexagon, Spar, and Autodesk University is always fascinating because you get to interact with clients all over the country and see what’s new in the industry.

This was our first time exhibiting at Autodesk University, but having been to three conferences in Las Vegas in one year, I was quite familiar with the surroundings. At this year’s show – which was attended by over 8,000 people from 102 countries – what I saw was an industry that has grown up and is beginning to make a real impact on design and construction.

I remember in 1986 when a new drafting program named AutoCad came out and everybody was debating if it would become the standard…it did. And it brought with it – along with the digital age and computers – the plotters and all that went with the introduction of this new paradigm.

Most of us waited to see how it would be received in the industry, but then – as now – it proved to be a very valuable tool.

And just a few years ago, we were all still discussing the advances in AutoCAD and Civil 3D.  Though we knew these programs would remain relevant, it was evident from all of the different software that interacted inside of Revit and enhanced the user experience that the world of 3D design was here to stay. (As a friend of mine said not long ago, “If you are not designing and interacting in 3D and models, you are quickly going to be obsolete.”)

Autodesk University 2012 showed us how design is being done today and where it is going in the future. One of the more interesting observations was that besides the architects, engineers and designers, there were contracting companies, retail companies and owners all talking about the new Autodesk programs that were being used in the workplace.

There was lots of talk in these groups about building “Revit families” specific to their business types, as well as discussions around how to mix the contractors (who have the knowledge about how a building is built in the actual world) with the BIM modelers so that the models are also constructible.

This will be a big challenge. Contractors and superintendents who know how to pour a slab and build 20-story buildings have knowledge and insight that is absolutely critical to building a proper BIM model.

As any techno geek, I am always very interested in the new products on the exhibition floor and the showcase included hundreds of third-party vendors developing exciting products that work alongside Autodesk.

There were lots of new software and hardware lines in the 3D laser scanning industry, as well as new software offerings for BIM models, Revit technologies and GIS products. But for me, the most intriguing products were related to 3D printing applications.

These fabrication and modeling solutions enable products to be created directly from their computer models.

Almost anything you could imagine – from cars to motors to guitars – was printed and on display. Though 3D printing has been a popular topic in recent years, it was there, it was real, and it will definitely change how items are built in America and around the world.

At the conference in Vegas, there were actual printers producing objects out of wood, metal and polymers. The only difference was whether the printer was loaded with plywood or metal.

BIM is an acronym for Build Information Models, meaning to build computer models that have built-in intelligence. What I observed was BIM in the context above – building models and objects with just the information in a computer.

My, how we have grown.

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Tate Jones has over 40 years of experience in land and aerial surveying and was one of the country’s earliest adopters of 3D laser scanning technology. A nationally recognized expert in the field of 3D data capture, he has worked with hundreds of clients in the engineering, architectural and construction industries. Contact him at tjones@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.