How about 3D laser scanning and BIM, together?

If you are unfamiliar with the terms; LiDAR, 3D laser scanning, point clouds, meshes, and NURBS, this article might scare you off, but I would hang on and hopefully learn something about reality capture from 3D laser scanners and the “point clouds” they generate. I will focus primarily on the use of point clouds into BIM platforms for architects and engineers.

Laser Scanning and BIM

GIS (Geographic Information System), ‘remote sensing’, stereo photogrammetry, and LiDAR are overlapping, competing technologies that very likely will find their place under the mother platform of BIM, working in concert to capture the world as it currently exists. Today’s architectural training is mostly directed towards creation, not the documentation of existing conditions. The “new” is simply more alluring to young, creative minds. It is far easier to create something new in BIM than it is to accurately model the terrain and detailed features of existing structures.

Documenting as-built conditions has historically been a tedious, often inaccurate process. 3D laser scanning offers a fast, accurate, albeit costly solution to this problem. The initial expense of the scanning is offset, however, by the speed, quality and quantity of the visual information produced. Scan data produces enormous file sizes. Accordingly, hardware must be up-to-date in order to accommodate the deluge of scan data. A minimum of 8GB of RAM (one cannot have too much RAM), 64 bit multi-core processors, and the latest generation graphic cards are required to handle point clouds efficiently. Fortunately, hardware costs have plummeted in recent years, while the software is racing to keep up with the processing advancements.

My first encounter with 3D scanning arrived in 2008 during a routine site visit to a house under construction for one of YouTube’s co-founders. A scanning service was employed to capture an area of complex geometry for a stone fabricator. Having used 3D modeling software since 1989, the value of laser scanning was immediate: Here was a way to capture as-built conditions into 3D, without having to laboriously transfer and interpret countless measurements and photographic references into CAD. It took several more years before I looked into 3D scanning, as applicable in architectural practice and BIM.

With the purchase 3D scanning equipment in 2011, I began testing scan data in a variety of software platforms including Revit 2013, ArchiCAD 15, Sketchup Pro , PointCab , and Pointools. Rapidform XOR, primarily a CAM application built around point cloud technology, is also a potential platform for architectural projects due to its robust tool set for meshes and NURBS. Transforming point clouds into polylines, solid models, and surfaces requires new training, of course, but it is both doable and rewarding once the work-flow is established.

Autodesk and Bentley have made the greatest inroads toward importing 3D scan data (point clouds) into their A/E product lines. Trimble’s recent acquisition of SketchUp, the fastest growing modeling software, and Tekla in 2011, provides a tantalizing window into the realm of possibility where specialized hardware and software are potentially crossed fertilized. Mergers and acquisitions don’t always result in product development, and may, in fact, stall promising technologies in favor of existing, profitable wares. So, it remains to be seen where point clouds will “make rain.”

Formats and Standards

3D imaging is a disruptive technology and has yet to find a settled position in the A/E world. With time, the process will be smoothly integrated into BIM platforms as file export standards such as the ASTM E57 format gain general acceptance. At present we must contend with a confusing mix of proprietary, ad hoc, and domain specific file formats. Just as DWG/DXF formats eased interoperability between many CAD programs, the fledgling open source E57 format will hopefully improve the importation and exchange of 3D scan data to most BIM platforms. The move to BIM is increasing the demand for 3D scan data from as-built conditions. In fact, the U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) has recently mandated the use of scanning: “Every federal facility must be documented in 3D.”  “GSA's Office of the Chief Architect (OCA) is currently encouraging, documenting, and evaluating 3D laser scanning technologies on a project-by-project need basis. 3D laser scanning has become a prominent vehicle for acquiring building spatial data in three dimensions with high fidelity and low processing time.”

Scanning data and BIM are potentially well matched for as-built documentation—all that is needed is a common language and uniform tool sets to complete the marriage. 2D deliverables derived from point clouds will only improve the quality of traditional plan sets essential for planning departments and builders, even if the additional 3D information is not directly accessed or immediately appreciated.

Presently, we have an abundance of third party software solutions, plug-ins, and competing CAD platforms—a veritable Tower of Babel of technology. It’s nice to have the variety, but it’s a confusing, inefficient, and unsettled mess to work with. Equipment makers have added limited drafting and modeling tools to their registration software, but most choose to cooperate with the major A/E software providers for drafting and modeling solutions. Any program that has 2D capabilities, imports point clouds, and has the tools to limit and slice the point cloud can satisfy the needs of most users. Indeed, ArchiCAD and SketchUp, which currently offer no serious plug-ins for point cloud insertion, have little problem accepting scaled photographs (called “orthophotos”) that can be easily traced and dimensioned for 2D deliverables . This solution, while lacking the flexibility, elegance, and power of direct point cloud insertion into CAD/BIM platforms (such as AutoCAD, Revit, and Microstation), does the job fairly well.

Conclusion

Revit looks to be the most promising platform for point cloud importation, but is currently a disappointment from its over-decimation of the scan points , its tepid object recognition capabilities, and its lack of point cloud editing tools (to select and deselect subsets of points). With Autodesk’s recent acquisition of Alice Labs(in 2011), there is the hope for robust point cloud editing tools within Revit, and across the entire Autodesk product line. It remains to be seen which features Autodesk will adopt and maintain over time. Likewise, Bentley’s purchase of Pointools (also in 2011) adds great potential value to its line of A/E software products. Once BIM software developers perfect point cloud object extraction, data compression, and dimensioning, we’ll have an extremely powerful platform that melds the actual world with the fertile dreams of creative designers.

Putting "Team" in BIM Team

BIM teams come together with a common goal in mind. Usually, that goal is part of a larger aim such as “deliver a good building to the Client.” The goal of a given BIM team may be to “provide approval documents” or “coordinate LOD300 contractor models” or “prepare federated models for transition to FM”. Depending on the nature of the goal, the BIM team will be structured and administered in vastly different ways. In some cases, one stakeholder (such as the Architect or General Contractor) will hold the majority of decision-making power, and most team members will have some measure of accountability to them through legal, contractural devices. However, things can get still get messy…

Many BIM teams can adequately define the goal, but they may struggle to define a positive and functional team structure. Who reports to who? Where is the chain of command or responsibility? How is performance measured, tracked, summarised and judged? Are there really any carrots or sticks, or is it just a case of “try and do it better next time?” Will failure be met with any real penalty, or just continuous stream of somewhat stern conversations?

The unique nature and size of multidisciplinary BIM and AEC teams can lead to further complications. While there may be a core team of persons who understand their roles and responsibilities (such as Model Managers for each contractor), the actual wider support network for those persons (sometimes termed “back of house”) may not really understand the implications of their decisions or performance.

Imagine (what BIM could do) | The B1M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qubgKg1aNj0

UK’s programme for Level 3 BIM announced

A new website from the UK Government, Digital Built Britain Website, was launched to announce another step forward on the BIM history of the country with a clear goal, “to build a digital economy for the construction industry in support of dramatically improving delivery, operations and services provided to citizens”.

UK lives a period of transition with the first deadline right here. By the end of this year, starting on 2016, all public sector projects shall use Level 2 BIM, as mandated by the Government.

The website also reveals the recent benefits of BIM: ‘BIM was identified as a significant contributor to the savings of £804m in construction costs in 2013/14 announced at the Government Construction Summit in July 2014. This success has focused the need to continue to deliver the vision described in the Bew-Richards (2008) ramp and the tasks required to realise Level 3. This Digital Built Britain strategy describes how we intend taking the next steps in defining advanced standards, creating new commercial models and identifying technologies to transform our approach to social infrastructure development and construction.’

‘We seek to create a mature digital economy for the built environment which delivers high performing assets and exceptional client value as well as a knowledge base to enable the Smart City and community members to thrive in our urban environments. This approach will attract the most talented individuals from diverse backgrounds into an industry seen to add demonstrable value to society.

This is an ambitious world class programme based on significant progress demonstrated through Level 2. To ensure we can enter the market with an equally successful Level 3 programme we must commence the detailed planning, research and develop significant cross industry partnerships.’

The available document also states that ‘a new round of investment in these technologies and the skills that support them will enable us to continue and extend the work that began in 2011.’

The funding will be used for a series of key measures including:

• The creation of a set of new, international ‘Open Data’ standards which would pave the way for easy sharing of data across the entire market
• The establishment of a new contractual framework for projects which have been procured with BIM to ensure consistency, avoid confusion and encourage, open, collaborative working.
• The creation of a cultural environment which is co-operative, seeks to learn and share
• Training the public sector client in the use of BIM techniques such as, data requirements, operational methods and contractual processes
• Driving domestic and international growth and jobs in technology and construction

Supertall Buildings: Sky is the limit?

Supertall buildings have become a symbol of the modern age and advanced technology, numerous skyscrapers are challenging the impossible around the globe. However, is there a real limit on the height for current industry development? Could we have a chance to witness the supertall buildings that we have imagined in the science fiction movies?

An organization known as the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat(CTBUH) has defined the “supertall category” of skyscrapers as any building taller than 984 feet. To be categorized as “megatall,” the building must reach 2,600 feet in height. The height of a building is measured from the sidewalk to the structural top, including spires, but not antennas or flag poles.

For reference, the Empire State Building is 1,250 feet tall, the Willis (Sears) Tower is 1,451 feet tall, and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is 2,716 feet tall. The Chinese broke ground on Changsha’s Sky City, which is expected to stand about 2,750 feet tall by mid-2014. At this time, there are 73 supertall buildings and 2 megatall buildings on Earth. From an architectural and engineering standpoint, several factors set these buildings apart from their less-impressive counterparts.

Structural System

In the mid-1960s, an engineer, Fazlur Khan, introduced a structural system known as the “tube.”By replacing the internal steel frame of a traditional building with a series of inter-connected columns, Khan ensured that the strongest part of the building was on the outside. One a building exceeds 40 stories, wind becomes more of a concern than gravity.

But the tube design was abandoned  in the late 1990s, as Bill Baker and Adrian Smith created a “stayed mast” design for Chicago’s 7 South Dearborn. This design featured a centered core, surrounded by eight large columns. Dozens of “post tube” designs emerged in the following years. However, Baker and Smith’s “buttress core” design, which involved a central hexagonal concrete core with triangular buttresses on three sides, secured Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as the tallest building in the world.

Building Materials

Today’s supertall buildings are unique in both design and composition. Although engineers once built high-rise buildings with steel, modern buildings contain a complex cocktail of chemicals and microfibers. Concrete is generally preferable to steel because a concrete tower can be thinner, without sacrificing wind resistance, and concrete towers don’t need fireproofing. Carbon-fiber materials, similar to those in jet airplanes and racing bikes, are promising but pose challenges of their own. Not only is carbon-fiber expensive, but its lightness and flexibility could feel insecure to people inside the building.

Use and Purpose

Although supertall buildings were once reserved for offices, they are being utilized for condos, hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers. Chicago’s Willis Tower is considered a single-function building because more than 85% of its total floor area is dedicated to office space. On the other hand, Chicago’s John Hancock Center is categorized as a mixed-use building because it has nearly equal parts office and residential space, with a large section for parking as well. Supertall buildings are trending towards mixed-use, especially as space becomes a rare commodity in overcrowded cities.

So aside from bragging rights, what do supertall buildings have to offer for the future? “Vanity height” is such a big deal that CTBUH recently produced a new report examining the egotistical side of skyscraper construction. Shockingly, the report found that 44 of the world’s 72 supertall buildings would lose their “supertall status” without their unusable, uninhabitable spires.

Statistical experts have predicted that the world’s population will surpass nine billion by 2050, and around 70% of  these people will live in cities. Supertall buildings posit a solution to extreme urbanization growth, while regarding environmental concerns. For city-dwellers, they present the opportunity to go ice skating, see a movie, eat dinner, and get a night’s rest without ever taking a breath of fresh air. Despite terrorist attacks, anti-urbanization movements, and architectural challenges, supertall buildings have nowhere to go but up. Saudi Arabia’s 3,280-foot Kingdom Tower is set to open in 2017, but what’s next and how high will it go?

High Speed 2 Uses BIM to Connect Cities Across the UK

First, there’s the Crossrail project, a 73-mile rail line going east to west through London, with 26 of those miles underground through central London. The £15.9 billion ($24 billion) project began in 2009 and is expected to reach full operation by 2018.

Now, a similarly grand project is ramping up with the planning for High Speed 2 (HS2), a high-speed railway to connect London to Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester, and potentially all the way to Scotland. There are two phases planned to date, with the 119-mile London to the West Midlands as Phase 1, and a Y-like connector to both Manchester and Leeds as Phase 2.

This is HS2 because the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is being retroactively dubbed High Speed 1 (HS1). HS1 had its financial difficulties and controversies, but 20 years later it has proven popular and economically beneficial for both France and the UK. HS1’s £5.8 billion ($8.7 billion) cost was a stretch for the country, but much lower than the projected cost of £43 billion ($65 billion) for HS2. To say the least, the investment is huge.

Scheduled to start in January 2017, the HS2 project has done a great deal of outreach and analysis to justify its big spend. Like most infrastructure projects, it’s not enough to say that this will speed travel times and provide more efficient transportation options. It also needs to be tied to quality of life and demonstrate a benefit for all citizens.

HS2 and BIM. HS2 is a complex technical system, involving power, communications, earthworks, structures, tracks, control systems, noise mitigation, and much more. The project also has many more stakeholders than most, given its national scope and the impacts it will have on cities and the countryside.

With such a large and intricate project, delivering on time and on budget is a significant challenge. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is seen as central to that delivery effort, allowing the project to collect and communicate via data that is tied to a detailed visual model. Using BIM for education of stakeholders is also of supreme importance.

“The project is utterly reliant on BIM,” says Prof. Andrew McNaughton, technical director of HS2. “It provides the means for communicating with local councils and to engage the public. Everything about the model has to be right because people want to know what it looks like from bedroom windows, how it will impact wildlife, and what it will sound like.”

Sharing the Benefits. In the initial report tasked by the Department of Transport to deliver this new network, the correlation between current rail capacity constraints to the south of London and poor connections to the north have helped to unbalance the national economy.

“HS2 is a key to making this geographic equalization and rebalancing the country’s economy possible, bringing Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham as close as a cross-town underground trip in London,” says McNaughton. “The country wants people to travel and connect.”

BIM: A two-way flow of information

There are a lot of interesting discussions happening at the moment around BIM as the industry moves towards reaching BIM Level 2 maturity before April 2016. Our first #BIM4M2chat with Steve Thompson, chair of BIM4M2, on 3rd February 2015 raised many great questions and comments from the product manufacturing community about how they are adopting BIM.

Why can’t BIM inform a supplier when their products have been specified?

A small manufacturing company approached me with their concern that, as a supplier, they rarely get to know when their products have been specified until the traditional old way of either receiving requests for tender information from contractors or sub-contractors, or following up on projects.

With BIM being promoted as a process that can improve efficiencies within the supply chain, I wanted to look at why this might be happening, and spoke to Steve in more detail about this issue.

The industry is focusing on working with product manufacturers to adopt BIM processes in time for April 2016, including providing the right information and delivering this content in the right way. It seems that looking at how we can improve efficiencies in the supply chain – including establishing a two-way flow of information – is the next stage.

Early manufacturer engagement

It makes sense that manufacturers want to know at an early stage what projects their products have been specified on so they can offer expert advice from the beginning, as well as looking to reduce the impact of lead times for a particular product, enabling them to schedule production and helping to improve internal processes.

We often talk about early contractor engagement, but is there also a need to focus on early manufacturer engagement to ensure the supply chain is receiving the right information at the right time?

Steve agreed that this is a real problem for product manufacturers. He said: “My concern is that engagement with manufacturers is too often seen as a one-way, not a two-way process. It is a real missed opportunity to make significant efficiencies through the supply chain.”

“There are short term solutions. In creating content we need to make sure manufacturers and the supply chain and specifiers work together, instead of throwing information over the fence and saying that we ‘do BIM’. We need to maintain the link between the manufacturing process and project (and product) delivery and operation."

Steve explains that often the best way to do this is for a product manufacturer to hold content on their own website, or issue it on request, so they know when their content is being used. Specifiers can also contact manufacturers directly from the model, which improves the speed of information transfer and ensures additional support can be given where required.