The construction industry is increasingly embracing innovative technologies to enhance its processes. One such technology is laser scanning, which is widely used to capture and process data related to assets and construction projects.1 Laser scanning is a reality capture technique that creates detailed three-dimensional (3D) models representing the current state of buildings. This process involves generating 3D point clouds of both indoor and outdoor environments from laser scanning data.
From AZO Build by Nidhi Dhull.
Real data capturing through laser scanning finds numerous applications in construction, including progress monitoring, rehabilitation, facility maintenance, and waste management. This article explores different laser scanning technologies, their application in enhancing precision and reducing rework in the construction sector, and existing challenges.
Laser Scanning Technologies
Laser scanning, called high-definition surveying or reality capture, uses a laser to accurately map an area of interest. It captures detailed data on a construction site, providing accurate information for all project stages. Construction professionals infer this recorded data as a point cloud, a database connecting points in a 3D coordinate system. This highly accurate digital record of an object or space comprises raw information that can be processed to extract useful information for the target applications.1
Laser scanning techniques are broadly classified based on different working platforms: terrestrial (TLS), airborne (ALS), and mobile (MLS). While TLS is a ground-based method with a laser usually mounted on a static tripod, the scanning system is mounted on an aircraft such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or helicopter.3
Alternatively, MLS used land-based mobile platforms such as cars or robots. All these systems differ in scanning mechanism, speed, and accuracy. For instance, ALS and MLS can quickly scan large areas and areas with limited accessibility, while TLS provides more detailed point clouds with relatively high accuracy and low cost.3
The overall performance of a laser scanner depends on numerous factors, including angular resolution, scanning speed, and required range. In addition, the quality of the point clouds generally depends on the number of times the measurement is repeated for each point; a higher number of measurements per point yields better-quality point clouds.
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