Whether as-built drawings are needed for insurance purposes, to fulfill legal requirements for the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) or for planning a major expansion and retrofit, it is important to ensure that they are accurate and readily available. With the realities of daily O&M requirements over years of operation coupled with traditional as-built recordkeeping, it is not uncommon to have as-built drawings that are outdated and incorrect. This is not only a liability for reporting, outdated or incorrect as-built drawings can significantly drive up unplanned costs for a project and drastically increase vendor bids. Millimeter accurate laser scanning ‘reality capture’ hardware can record as-built conditions in a series of scans. These scans, once stitched together, create a holistic picture of structures, equipment and clearances. In the last ‘Reality Capture’ blog we talked about the benefits of 3D Building scans. In this blog, we want to discuss when to implement 3D building scanning and Building Information Modeling.
Opportunities to Bring Your BIM On-Track
With the advancement from traditional survey methods to laser scanning for the creation of as-built records and the concurrent move from 2D drawings to digital 3D models, detailed insight into the environmental realities for a retrofit is deeper and more available than ever. When planning a new expansion, equipment installation or retrofit project accurate as-built records are vital. Taking the opportunity during planning to put a comprehensive scanning process in place can be a crucial step to avoiding unforeseen costs, reducing downtime risks and enhance project control. With the efficiency of laser scans compared to traditional methods, accurate up-to-date information can be collected at various stages of a project giving critical insights to all project stakeholders and ensuring communications and collaborations are coordinated.
When new records are required by an insurance carrier or AHJ, employing 3D building scanning brings many advantages. The needed information can be collected significantly faster than traditional methods, working within tight deadlines. Comprehensive building scans are far more accurate than survey methods, providing millimeter accuracy in measurements. As-built records created with comprehensive scans can be leveraged throughout the organization, returning value beyond their original purpose.
When installing new equipment, or retrofitting old equipment, with sensors that will deliver digital data in real-time, it can be beneficial to have up-to-date 3D building scans. As equipment evolves, more and more data is supplied through wireless interconnected sensor networks. To take full advantage of the enhanced data collection and the delivery ability of modern equipment as part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), new innovative ways of visualizing data must be implemented. Up-to-date BIM data acquired through 3D building scans provide the backdrop upon which Virtual Reality (VR) simulations and Augmented Reality (AR) real-time information systems can be built. These VR and AR systems can be used to onboard new employees, deliver critical safety information, improve efficiency or aid in project planning.
Acensium brings decades of material handling engineering and project risk management experience coupled with cutting-edge laser scanning and 3D analysis tools to deliver engineering services to both industrial and commercial clients. Don’t forget to check out part one and part three of the Reality Capture series if you missed them.
