Pub. 5 2015 Issue 3

15 MINING FOCUS DECISIONS continued on page 16 so that one measureable point cloud is created for the entire scanned area. The point cloud can then be modeled in AutoCAD, Revit, or other 3D modeling software packages to capture all avail- able visual information for analysis. Wow!! What’s all that really mean? It means that this technology will gather more accurate data in a shorter amount of time. More bang for your buck! How Can 3D Laser Scanning Help My Bottom Line? Let’s take a look at two ways 3D laser scanning can help your bottom line. This is the “what’s in it for me” part. Let’s talk about facility modification and improvements as well as volume calculations. Facility Modifications and Im- provements: Have you ever tried to make modifications or improvements at your facility and the measurements on the plans were just not working out? Or you spend hours or even days taking measurements, only to find out there are additional conflicts you did not ac- count for. The use of 3D laser scanning technology gives you the ability to design from extremely accurate record docu- ments. No more hand measurements that take days to capture and produce less desirable record drawings. With 3D laser scanning technology, data capture is extremely FAST and ACCURATE; it takes the guess work out of design and gives you the ability to make educated design decisions. In addition to the scan data collected at each scanned location 360° panoram- ic photos are taken and embed directly into the pdf file of the survey drawing. These panoramic photos cover the en- tire scanned area and are taken with a High resolution camera. This additional information can provide a better under- standing of the existing conditions of your project and allows for quick design decisions. Project Example: A Utah mining company needed to make modifications to their Mill Works Building. 3D laser scanning technology was utilized in the design stage of this project. A scan of the building was completed and the data col- lected was used to create a 3D model of the facility. The model was then used to design modifications around the existing conditions. It is much better to determine conflicts on your computer monitor rather than discovering them during the con- struction phase. This process greatly reduces those costly over-runs and change orders. In addition, the amount of time the Mills Work Building is out of service due to modifications is greatly reduced. Volume Calculations: Are you tired of using traditional methods to get volume measurements, just to find out that they weren’t accurate? Are accu- rate monthly volume reports important to your bottom line? If the answer is yes, 3D Model from Industrial Building Scan Point Cloud from Industrial Building Scan cisions