Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

Uses of drones in construction

2016-06-28T19:46:41Z

Construct Digital: Created page with "The usage of drones in construction has rocketed in recent years. Large projects such as [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31817098 Crossrail] are now using drones on projects...."

The usage of drones in construction has rocketed in recent years. Large projects such as [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31817098 Crossrail] are now using drones on projects. Construct Digital break down the Top 10 uses of drones in construction…

== 1. Building Surveys ==

Building surveyors will know that most building surveys require visibility of the buildings roof to identify its condition and assess any defects.

In most instances getting access to a roof can be tricky and often involves the erection of a scaffold, use of a cherry picker or ladders.

Using a small drone to perform the survey can save time, money and reduce health and safety risks involved with surveying a roof and other tricky areas.

== 2. Construction Site Inspections ==

Carrying out site inspections on a busy construction site can dangerous and complicated at times.

The ability for a drone to carry out a visual inspection of high-risk areas can save time and reduce H&S risks. Drone footage can be recorded from the safety of the site cabin and then sent to project stakeholders in HD.

== 3. Health and Safety Inductions ==

Site inductions can often be a tedious exercise. Often involving a premeditated talk in the site cabin or a pre-recorded induction video…

Using a drone to fly over a site can show new site operatives H&S risks in real-time. Enabling site managers to demonstrate moving vehicles, moving cranes, or active excavation areas etc.

== 4. Maintenance Inspections ==

Carrying out planned or reactive maintenance inspections of high-up structures such as bridges, towers, roofs and scaffolding, can often involve costly access arrangements, and site personnel working at height.

Drones can provide a quicker and easier way of carrying out the inspections, feeding back HD real-time footage to the engineer or surveyor from the ground.

== 5. Project Progress Reports ==

Construction progress reports are often prepared monthly to record site progress against the project programme. These reports include the surveyor or CA taking multiple photographs of various parts of the site.

A regular drone flight can be a speedy way to record and visualise project progress. Through a series of aerial shots and HD video project stake holders can gain a better insight into the progress that has been made without actually being on-site.

== 6. Promotional Photography ==

Impressive photography is becoming more and more important in the way construction organisations promote their business, especially as the use of social media is becoming more important as a work tool.

The ability to capture impressive 4K HD video and photos from unique angles can provide an interesting insight into a project or building, making it great for marketing material.

In particular, this could be a great tool for estate agents looking to demonstrate impressive shots of a property or building they are looking to sell!

== 7. Live feed/ virtual walk around ==

When carrying out high risk work on-site it may be necessary for certain professionals to gain real-time updates on what is happening.

Utilising First Person View (FPV) technology, a drone camera can stream HD footage to the project team or project stakeholders in real-time. This experience could also be enhanced by the use of VR glasses.

== 8. Site logistics ==

Construction sites are ever evolving and the movements on-site don’t always stick to programme.

Drones can provide a real-time update of what is going on around the site. Carrying out a speedy flight around the site can give a good overview of potential issues to be aware of. For instance moving vehicles, machinery or cranes etc.

== 9. Point cloud/ laser scanning ==

Often for a surveyor it can be hard to gain access to a suitable location to laser scan high up areas of a building, meaning the point cloud is returned missing vital information.

Laser scanning from drones has become a recognised method of capturing the exact detail of topography, buildings and cityscapes and can provide the missing piece to point cloud scan for input into [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/what-is-bim/ Building Information Models (BIM).]

== 10. Thermal Imaging recording ==

Similar to laser scanning, drones can be used to take aerial thermal imaging recordings which can be used to assess potential cold spots in buildings or even heat spots in areas holding electrical components.

This can give engineers and surveyors essential information when trying to identify and rectify building defects.

>>>>[http://construct-digital.uk/latest/top-3-drones-construction/ Check out the Top 3 Drones for Construction!]<<<<

[[Category:Appointments]] [[Category:Client_procedures]] [[Category:Construction_management]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Cost_/_business_planning]] [[Category:Design]] [[Category:Products_/_components]] [[Category:Property_development]] [[Category:Public_procedures]] [[Category:Roles_/_services]]

Interview with David Southam about laser scanning in construction

2016-06-15T15:09:05Z

Construct Digital:

[http://construct-digital.uk/latest/ Construct Digital] talk to David Southam, Regional Manager Europe North for BIM/CIM and Product Design, about BIM and Laser Scanning in Construction!

Let’s take a look at what he had to say:

== 1. How did David get into laser scanning technologies? ==

I left school at 16 and went straight into an Engineering Apprenticeship with a company called Superform Aluminium in Worcester who specialise in forming aluminium to create components for the Aerospace, Automotive and the Architectural industries. This was a mix between practical and study leading to an HNC in Manufacturing.

During my time at Superform I was working in the Quality Department which involved measuring components and checking them against the master CAD file, it was during this time, over 10 years ago, that I had my first encounter with a Laser Scanner.

We had a demonstration on the FARO Arm with a non-contact Laser Line Probe and I was literally blown away with the portability, speed, accuracy and could see that this type of technology was going to be the way forward and the 3D Laser Scanning market was going to explode in many areas.

I then approached FARO aged 24 to see if there were any opportunities to get more involved in this highly technical and fast paced industry.

I worked my way up from an Account Manager covering a small part of the UK to my current role as Regional Manager Europe North for BIM/CIM and Product Design and it has been an amazing 10 year journey.

== 2. Has the BIM movement caused an increase Laser Scanning? ==

Laser Scanning has grown in popularity over the past few years for many reasons, the cost of ownership has come down, the units are lighter, faster and most importantly the main software providers now supply software that can use the data in an efficient way to create the deliverables.

BIM has had a massive impact on the use of Laser Scanning, the main reason is that people want more and more detail, we have also learnt that the more detail you have the more you can make informed decisions to improve safety and get things done correctly.

In the UK we have congested cities and to be able to build or renovate we need to know exactly what we have in or around a site. BIM is also making companies really look at costs, often Laser Scanning can be seen as a cost that may seem high for the initial outlay but it has been proven on many projects that the right information at the start can save time and money later in the project.

Many companies using BIM are multinational so you may not be able to pop to site to take a few dimensions or to check a certain area that you are designing. With the scan data, you are able to visit the area virtually while sat at your desk without inductions, health and safety issues and importantly lost time travelling.

We have seen a real rise in popularity of web based deliverables like FARO SCENE WebShare Cloud which allows you to access your scan data via a secure cloud platform and use your internet browser as the software interface, this really opens the information up to everyone and leads to better [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/integrated-design-a360-collaboration-for-revit/ collaboration].

== 3. What is David’s favourite FARO scanning products construction? ==

Scanners like the FARO Focus3D X330 have been used in construction for many years, normally to capture the as built dimensions of a structure for renovation or to capture the site in full detail.

The scanners can then be used during the construction phase so that the project can be checked against the working Model and any issues highlighted and rectified before it disrupts project timelines and costs.

You could also capture ceiling voids and details during the first fix, these will be covered later with ceiling tiles and plaster board but you have a record of where the assets are exactly in the building.

Finally, once the construction is complete you can scan the entire area and produce a true As-Built record of the area, this negates the need for poorly marked up construction drawings and could be then used as a Facility Management tool in the future.

== 4. FARO’s handheld scanner for Construction? ==

We have the FARO Freestyle X which is great for Construction as it’s simple and quick at capturing 3D data, if you arrive onsite and you have 3 pipes at different angles it could take some time to work out the details and dimensions.

With the Freestyle you can just point it at the area you wish to capture and move around the object, you are then collecting a Point Cloud which can be used in conjunction with your other scan data or moved into your CAD package.

We waste hours and hours taking pictures, making sketches on notepads and walking around building sites, most of the data we capture is not used by anyone else; Laser Scanning streamlines this and gives you all of the information in a fraction of the time.

== 5. Can the 3D Point Clouds be sent straight to the 3D printer? ==

There are already ways of doing this directly from Point Clouds but it is far better to mesh the Point Cloud and create a surface. 3D printers produce much better results from solid data rather than point data.

== 6. Laser Scanning using Helicopters and [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/drones-in-construction/ Drones]? ==

Across the world, there are many companies doing scanning from [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/drones-in-construction/ Drones]. Our FARO Focus unit has been used on many projects as it has a weight of 5.2 kg so is one of the lightest terrestrial scanners on the market. Have a look at [http://www.sabresurvey.com/ http://www.sabresurvey.com/] for some examples of scanners on vehicles and [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/drones-in-construction/ Drones].

== 7. What advances in scanning technologies do you expect to see in the future? ==

The main developments in Scanning technology in recent years have come from the software’s that we interface with.

The advancement of computing power and storage have really helped the major software companies use the amount of detail that we capture and allow users a smoother workflow.

The hardware side of scanners has not changed too much as they are light, fast, simple and the cost has come down significantly. FARO have recently introduced built in HDR imagery and also linking the scanner to other sensors like the Scan Localizer.

The Scan Localizer is currently available through FARO Labs Early Adopter Program and is specifically aimed at the indoor BIM market. The Scan Localizer mounts under the FARO Focus3D Laser Scanner and makes continuous 2D scans to provide detailed registration information, removing the need for reference targets. This speeds up the process and you leave the site with data registered and ready to use.

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:International]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Research_/_Innovation]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Design]] [[Category:Products_/_components]] [[Category:Property_development]] [[Category:Public_procedures]]

Interview with David Southam about laser scanning in construction

2016-06-15T15:06:05Z

Construct Digital: Created page with "David Southam, Regional Manager Europe North for BIM/CIM and Product Design, talks BIM and Laser Scanning in Construction! Let’s take a look at what he had to say: == 1. How ..."

David Southam, Regional Manager Europe North for BIM/CIM and Product Design, talks BIM and Laser Scanning in Construction!

Let’s take a look at what he had to say:

== 1. How did David get into laser scanning technologies? ==

I left school at 16 and went straight into an Engineering Apprenticeship with a company called Superform Aluminium in Worcester who specialise in forming aluminium to create components for the Aerospace, Automotive and the Architectural industries. This was a mix between practical and study leading to an HNC in Manufacturing.

During my time at Superform I was working in the Quality Department which involved measuring components and checking them against the master CAD file, it was during this time, over 10 years ago, that I had my first encounter with a Laser Scanner.

We had a demonstration on the FARO Arm with a non-contact Laser Line Probe and I was literally blown away with the portability, speed, accuracy and could see that this type of technology was going to be the way forward and the 3D Laser Scanning market was going to explode in many areas.

I then approached FARO aged 24 to see if there were any opportunities to get more involved in this highly technical and fast paced industry.

I worked my way up from an Account Manager covering a small part of the UK to my current role as Regional Manager Europe North for BIM/CIM and Product Design and it has been an amazing 10 year journey.

== 2. Has the BIM movement caused an increase Laser Scanning? ==

Laser Scanning has grown in popularity over the past few years for many reasons, the cost of ownership has come down, the units are lighter, faster and most importantly the main software providers now supply software that can use the data in an efficient way to create the deliverables.

BIM has had a massive impact on the use of Laser Scanning, the main reason is that people want more and more detail, we have also learnt that the more detail you have the more you can make informed decisions to improve safety and get things done correctly.

In the UK we have congested cities and to be able to build or renovate we need to know exactly what we have in or around a site. BIM is also making companies really look at costs, often Laser Scanning can be seen as a cost that may seem high for the initial outlay but it has been proven on many projects that the right information at the start can save time and money later in the project.

Many companies using BIM are multinational so you may not be able to pop to site to take a few dimensions or to check a certain area that you are designing. With the scan data, you are able to visit the area virtually while sat at your desk without inductions, health and safety issues and importantly lost time travelling.

We have seen a real rise in popularity of web based deliverables like FARO SCENE WebShare Cloud which allows you to access your scan data via a secure cloud platform and use your internet browser as the software interface, this really opens the information up to everyone and leads to better [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/integrated-design-a360-collaboration-for-revit/ collaboration].

== 3. What is David’s favourite FARO scanning products construction? ==

Scanners like the FARO Focus3D X330 have been used in construction for many years, normally to capture the as built dimensions of a structure for renovation or to capture the site in full detail.

The scanners can then be used during the construction phase so that the project can be checked against the working Model and any issues highlighted and rectified before it disrupts project timelines and costs.

You could also capture ceiling voids and details during the first fix, these will be covered later with ceiling tiles and plaster board but you have a record of where the assets are exactly in the building.

Finally, once the construction is complete you can scan the entire area and produce a true As-Built record of the area, this negates the need for poorly marked up construction drawings and could be then used as a Facility Management tool in the future.

== 4. FARO’s handheld scanner for Construction? ==

We have the FARO Freestyle X which is great for Construction as it’s simple and quick at capturing 3D data, if you arrive onsite and you have 3 pipes at different angles it could take some time to work out the details and dimensions.

With the Freestyle you can just point it at the area you wish to capture and move around the object, you are then collecting a Point Cloud which can be used in conjunction with your other scan data or moved into your CAD package.

We waste hours and hours taking pictures, making sketches on notepads and walking around building sites, most of the data we capture is not used by anyone else; Laser Scanning streamlines this and gives you all of the information in a fraction of the time.

== 5. Can the 3D Point Clouds be sent straight to the 3D printer? ==

There are already ways of doing this directly from Point Clouds but it is far better to mesh the Point Cloud and create a surface. 3D printers produce much better results from solid data rather than point data.

== 6. Laser Scanning using Helicopters and [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/drones-in-construction/ Drones]? ==

Across the world, there are many companies doing scanning from [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/drones-in-construction/ Drones]. Our FARO Focus unit has been used on many projects as it has a weight of 5.2 kg so is one of the lightest terrestrial scanners on the market. Have a look at [http://www.sabresurvey.com/ http://www.sabresurvey.com/] for some examples of scanners on vehicles and [http://construct-digital.uk/latest/drones-in-construction/ Drones].

== 7. What advances in scanning technologies do you expect to see in the future? ==

The main developments in Scanning technology in recent years have come from the software’s that we interface with.

The advancement of computing power and storage have really helped the major software companies use the amount of detail that we capture and allow users a smoother workflow.

The hardware side of scanners has not changed too much as they are light, fast, simple and the cost has come down significantly. FARO have recently introduced built in HDR imagery and also linking the scanner to other sensors like the Scan Localizer.

The Scan Localizer is currently available through FARO Labs Early Adopter Program and is specifically aimed at the indoor BIM market. The Scan Localizer mounts under the FARO Focus3D Laser Scanner and makes continuous 2D scans to provide detailed registration information, removing the need for reference targets. This speeds up the process and you leave the site with data registered and ready to use.

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:International]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Research_/_Innovation]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Design]] [[Category:Products_/_components]] [[Category:Property_development]] [[Category:Public_procedures]]