How to Overcome Challenges of 3D Laser Scanning?

Technological innovations are reshaping the AEC industry. Contractors and design professionals embrace technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and custom-designed apps to build projects faster and cheaper. One such technology, 3D laser scanning, plays a crucial role in the construction project's success.

3D laser scanning is changing the world of surveying, including design, construction & visualization. Applications that support laser scanning, such as Scan-to-BIM, require that the point cloud data be of adequate quality in terms of point density and accuracy. Eliminating human errors is critical to achieve quality results and reduce wait times in a project.

Basics of a site plan for 3D Laser Scanning Projects:

A smart site plan enables you to achieve an efficient and accurate scanning process. Dedicated time to planning ensures that you have the most updated data and that the structure coordinates gets calculated and loaded appropriately.

The site map will primarily respond to four outcomes:

Number of scans to execute

If color scan data is required or not

Possible difficulties of performing scans

Characteristics of the site location

Site planning is a time-consuming process. The site data must be acquired most efficiently with a minimum number of possible scans. Here are a few guidelines to get started:

Sufficient Time for Planning: Preparation for planning is vital. Creating the right site map and relevant control grid is critical for any laser scanning/ 3D modeling project. Make sure you have allocated sufficient time for the pre-investigation stage. Consider getting the right people on-site to set up the site plan and generate a control grid. At this stage, determine how to collect information useful for the project. Avoid using paper and use mobile applications to decide where you should place your scans and targets on-site. It is easy to record scan locations as you move through the area and download a hand-drawn sketch or even a 2D floor plan for higher accuracy to plot your scanning points. Although mobilizing your team for the survey campaign is right, you must also mobilize collaborators to develop a site map. These people must have experience in using the equipment you have chosen.

Plan your Scan Path and Minimize the Number of Scans: Laser scanners perform line-of-sight measurements using a straight laser beam. An area with lots of pillars, small corridors & other challenging obstacles requires many more scans than a larger space. Consider the amount of detail needed and scan the structure accordingly. Nothing can beat a site walk, but a set of 2D plans and images can help. The first objective in planning a scanning route is to ensure full coverage of the area. The whole process will be more efficient if you perform fewer scans to get a complete range. It helps accelerate the registration process and reduces the time spent on site.

Minimize Errors and Avoid Reworks: The combination of multiple 3D laser scans leads to propagation errors. They are the inherent limitations of the scanner. These errors can be minimized but can never be eliminated. An essential step in site planning is to decide whether the total number of scans needed to produce full coverage of the area will create more errors than the job specs' precision parameters. You can potentially eliminate the need to create a site grid by being judicious in the number of scans you make. Depending on the type of project, you may choose not to install a site grid; however, ensure that you get the required accuracy.

Speed up the Process: The use of the latest generation scanners allows you to make significant timesaving. Targetless scanning saves time by avoiding target placement in the site field and enables you to scan larger projects more quickly.

Conclusion

3D scanning is widely accepted for its accuracy, reliability, speed & ease of use. If you're looking for industrial 3d scanning services, then consider outsourcing a multi-discipline engineering services company.

Judith Morrison is an expert in the field of industrial engineering and writes articles related to piping, civil, equipment engineering related articles.