Trimble Laser Scanners at World of Concrete

If we were to name a breakout construction technology for 2014, laser scanning would definitely be on the shortlist. Once only the realm of retrofits and renovations, laser scanning has become a de facto quality check on new construction, as well.

If you and your team are heading to Las Vegas for World of Concrete next week, you’ve got to put Trimble on your list of must-see technologies. Catch demos of our laser scanners and robotic total stations at Booth C4841, go in-depth with our field solutions experts, and even purchase instruments right on the show floor!

In particular, we’ll be demoing four applications for laser scanning: creating 2D construction drawings, creating 3D models from scans, measuring floors for flatness and walls for verticality, and comparing the design to the as-built. Count on the team from Trimble Buildings and our dedicated network of dealers to continually push the envelope and develop new best practices for your team.

Before you hop on the plane to Vegas – be sure to watch these video demos and get your questions ready for our team!

Create 2D Construction Drawings from 3D Point Clouds Using Trimble RealWorks

Oftentimes on adaptive re-use projects, retrofits, and renovations, there is incomplete, inaccurate, or even non-existent construction documentation. Laser scanning affords us the opportunity to correct that.

With laser scanning, we have the option to slice the point cloud in order to create construction drawings, or even trace over the point could to create a 3D model. Our customers use Trimble RealWorks (most often used in conjunction with the TX5 laser scanner) to manipulate the point cloud. RealWorks is Trimble’s 3D point cloud management software and it makes it very easy to produce usable construction drawings. Simply create a slice through the point cloud with the cutting plane and use 2D Easy Line to produce your linework (set at your preferred threshold variance). The Polyline Tool helps to edit the linework and even arcs.

We can export the file (perhaps as a dwg) and import into the CAD or BIM software of your choice -- we like Trimble SketchUp and Tekla.

Create 3D Models from 3D Point Clouds Using Trimble RealWorks

Just as it is easy to create 2D construction drawings from the 3D point cloud, we can also start modeling from the point cloud directly in Trimble RealWorks. With the scanned area loaded as a point cloud, we can isolate particular elements for fast modeling. We illustrate how to model three different elements: a steel beam, a run of pipe, and a stair core.

Modeling steel is very easy with the help of two catalogs of steel types and specifications. But Trimble RealWorks helps the process along by fitting the geometry to the point cloud. In the example we show how to segment out the point cloud, select the section type we’ll be modeling, and even copy that model so we won’t have to model every beam by hand.

Pipes are also straightforward to model using the Easy Pipe Tool. Just extract the points from the pipe you’d like to model and software examines the point cloud to determine the diameter of the pipe and runs along the point cloud to quickly model the pipe.

Again, these elements can be exported out of RealWorks and into the BIM modeling software that’s appropriate, like Tekla for steel and concrete, or even SketchUp. These BIMs can then be published to Vico Office for 3D constructability analysis, quantity takeoff, 4D scheduling, and 5D estimating.

Laser Scanning a Floor to Measure Flatness and Level

Today’s computerized robotic picking systems in warehouses and distribution centers require racking and shelving to be perfectly square. This means floors that are flat. Not flat to the naked eye -- level and true. And the same exactness applies to sports stadiums and arenas -- you name it. To accommodate these precise requirements, we created a Flatness Routine for our Trimble RealWorks scanning software that allows contractors to view peaks and valleys in the concrete slab and make the required adjustments before interior framing. This video illustrates how.

In Office Survey Mode we have two options: we can either compare a BIM model to the scan of our floor, or fit a horizontal plane to the scan of the floor. Then using the Surface to Model Inspection Tool we can generate a 2D map to see the highs and lows of our floor. We can also analyze the dips and ridges with the Sections and Shifts Tool or use the Differential Plot with an exaggerated scale to see our peaks and valleys. The Isometric Curve feature creates a contour map of the floor for analysis. We can then quickly see the Volume and Surface Comparison for a cut and fill. We can also pick points for manual inspection and export those to our Trimble Robotic Station and shoot those on the floor to locate the exact spots to grind down or fill.

And, of course, we can also use this tool set to measure walls for verticality!

Laser-Scanning As-Built Conditions to Compare to Design Intent

Laser Scanning is not just useful for retrofits and renovations. It can also be used as a quality control step in new construction. Case in point, comparing the as-built conditions to the design intent (either with measurements or against the BIM). We highlight a practical application of measuring steel deflection to see if it affects the clearance of the interstitial space. We show that 10-20 minutes spent measuring critical pieces of point cloud saves hours of on-site labor. We can then export these measurements as a *.csv file for further analysis.

For more information on Trimble Laser Scanning hardware, software, and services, please utilize these resources:

Website: Trimble Laser Scanning

Webinar: Best Practices in Laser Scanning

FAQs: Frequently-Asked Questions about Laser Scanning

Dealer Locator: Name the hardware you’re interested in and your location to find our authorized dealers in your area

And don’t forget to visit our Field Solutions Team in the Trimble booth at World of Concrete next week!� Our laser scanners and robotic total stations will be demo’d in Central Hall booth C4841. Our Trimble Buildings software solutions, Prolog, WinEst, Tekla, and Vico Office will be demo’d in Central Hall booth C4149 in the Technology Pavilion. You can schedule your appointment to sit down with� the folks from Trimble Buildings with this link.

Trimble Buildings Solutions

All the Trimble Buildings solutions for General Contractors will be hands-on at World of Concrete next week! Try out all the layout and laser scanning instruments in Central Hall Booth C4841 and then head over to the Technology Pavilion to test out Prolog, WinEst, Tekla, SketchUp and Vico Office!

We have all gotten a call from an Owner with the plans for a new stadium or laboratory. The program sounds amazing and the thrill of a new project takes over. We want to get started right away, so the design-build team opens SketchUp Pro to start mapping out the plans and seeing the project come to life. So many Architects, as well as General Contractors and Construction Management firms, use SketchUp Pro to get a jump start on the project, not only for conceptual estimates and visualization, but also because it is bar none, the easiest way to draw in 3D.

Case Study: SketchUp Pro Virtual Mock-Up on Westminster Campus

Case Study: SketchUp Pro for Prefab on a Data Center Project

Firms who self-perform concrete and steel need a comprehensive 3D modeling platform to capture the complexity of their projects. Tekla Structures delivers in spades. Tekla BIMsight enables the entire design-build workflow to combine models, check for clashes, and share information—in the same easy-to-use BIM environment—empowering project participants with the insight to solve issues in the design phase, before construction begins.

Case Study: Tekla Structures for Concrete on the Westminster Campus

Case Study: Tekla Structures for Steel on the Westminster Campus

Webinar: Using Tekla Models in Vico Office

Vico Office delivers an integrated BIM workflow for construction projects. Working with models from Revit, ArchiCad, Tekla, SketchUp and other popular solutions, Vico Office extends basic 3D models with constructability analysis and coordination, 4D location-based scheduling and production control, and 5D estimating. Now BIM-based projects are managed with rigor, science, and connectivity. And the integrated workflow means that every time the models are updated with design changes, the design-build team immediately sees the schedule and budget implications.

Demo: Vico Office Presentation

Organizing and routing construction project data to the people who need it most is what Prolog does best. RFIs are routed, budgets are reconciled, drawings and documentation are organized – it’s Command Central whether you are walking the site with a tablet, updating contracts in the trailer, or managing project cash flow back at HQ. Prolog is the complete system of record for managing construction project information.

Webinar: What’s New in Prolog 9.7

Webinar: Collaboration at the Speed of Prolog

Blog: Not Your Grandfather’s Project Management

Trimble Field Solutions are ubiquitous on construction jobsites around the world. The hazard yellow rugged tablets and Robotic Total Stations are hard to miss. But did you know that this equipment and their critical layout measurements are integrated with the project models in Vico Office and Tekla BIMsight? Installation points from the coordinated models are exported to the field equipment for layout slab edges, openings, and sleeve penetrations. Using these layout points makes the process much more efficient, as one person can now do the job of three. It also improves accuracy and quality by ensuring that vertical work is aligned and no offsets or rework will be needed during installation. We also run the process in reverse for quality assurance: points can be captured to validate that field installation matches the coordinated design.

Case Study: RTS with Tekla for Concrete Layout

Case Study: RTS with Tekla for Steel Layout

Case Study: Interior Framing Scrimmage

Case Study: Exterior Framing and Glazing

Webinar: The Case for Trimble Layout

Trimble also provides Laser Scanning hardware and software so your team can compare the as-built conditions with the as-planned design, augment existing 3D data, or even create documentation where none existed on older structures. You can scan existing mechanical systems to better understand existing conditions and design a new build-out. You can scan existing structural components to create an architectural or structural model. And, of course, you can scan to verify what was intended in the model to what has been constructed on-site, whether that be the edge-of-slab after a concrete pour. You can also scan a floor for level and make the needed adjustments before interior framing.

Webinar: Best Practices in Laser Scanning

We recognize that design-build firms need and want estimating solutions that fit the way they work. WinEst comes to the table with the industry’s most powerful, robust and adaptable cost-estimating and cost-modeling software—a database-driven estimating solution that uses a highly flexible spreadsheet for creating, adjusting, and presenting estimates. Having a highly-customizable database allows each contractor to capture their methodology and best practices for creating detailed estimates.

Webinar: Sharpen Your Competitive Edge with WinEst Estimating

FAQs: Frequently-Asked Questions about WinEst

And Modelogix is the keystone for Trimble Buildings’ construction solutions. Modelogix enables design-build teams to analyze their project cost history for fast and accurate creation of early-phase budgeting and benchmarking against the final detailed estimate. We can compare project estimates from WinEst and Vico Office and any other estimating package, as well as reconciled budgets from Prolog.

Webinar: Adding Modelogix to Your Estimating Arsenal

Webinar: The New Estimating Lifecycle (Modelogix, WinEst, Prolog)

Blog: Harnessing Your Estimating IP

FAQs: Frequently-Asked Questions about Modelogix

VDC Services extends your team’s capabilities overnight. Whether you need to augment your staff for a new project or learn new BIM workflows and best practices side-by-side, our team is ready. We can customize any package to include:

And to see how all the solutions come together for General Contractors, check out the webinar featuring Klorman Construction and the LAX Terminal Expansion Project. Klorman chose Trimble Buildings solutions including Tekla, Prolog, and Vico to complete the new terminal. See ROI statements from this project along with unique workflow for project management, BIM modeling and clash avoidance, location-based scheduling and estimating.

Don’t walk aimlessly through World of Concrete. Schedule your appointment to sit down with� the folks from Trimble Buildings. The meeting will be much more productive and you’ll walk away with a better understanding of our construction solutions.