Digital 3D measuring techniques for an industrialised construction process for new projects and renovation (3DMT)

The current knowledge in the field of measurement - via lasers, scanners, total stations and photogrammetry, whether via drones or not - has expanded greatly in recent years. Contractors and other construction partners are also launching numerous small experiments to see where they can use digital measurement techniques for all kinds problems in different construction phases. This is already generating a stream of punctual questions and challenges. However, the structural link with building processes is still missing and is the focus of the present project. The flow of questions and ideas is channelled towards a series of type applications and building situations, which form the core of the project and the work program.

These measuring techniques fit into a broader framework, in a construction sector that has started the digitization, and will continue on this track, which will lead to further industrialization of the sector. Analogous to other industrialized sectors, many construction processes will be controlled and coordinated from a central point. A BIM-based ecosystem will act as a central platform in the future, with links to the design, production, construction and operational phases. Information on planning, ordering, logistics and quality control, among other things, will pass through such platforms. An unprecedented innovation is the possible automation of these processes, making it possible to regularly evaluate all objects on site. The impact of this on failure costs can be enormous.

Both the digital measuring techniques themselves, and the broader integration into a model/BIM environment bring many questions and challenges, but also new opportunities. For example, one of the (many) challenges is the transformation of some serial processes (e.g. construction of the structure and then taking measurements for ordering the carpentry) to more parallel processes (e.g. ordering carpentry immediately based on digital models). It is precisely this increased interaction between construction processes, digital models (BIM or otherwise) and the accelerated processing of digital measurement techniques such as (laser) scanning and photogrammetry, for example, that now makes generalization possible, both to monitor progress and tolerances, and to prepare construction phases. The reflex to continuously build such tools and controls will (have to) become automatic in the industrialized construction methods of tomorrow.

Barriers to overcome include the lack of specific roadmaps, measurement agreements and solutions tailored to construction professions and applications. Furthermore, intuitive links with other construction software are lacking, as are partners who focus on the interface between technology/hardware and construction companies.

The project aims to refine, document, demonstrate, and disseminate type measurement solutions for digital measurements in four concrete but broad construction situations. These four situations cover a very wide range of construction applications:

1) Quotation phase and site preparation,

2) Assembly, production preparation and layout,

3) Tolerance checks during and after element placement,

4) Automatic recognition/detection of building elements/materials/ pathologies.

In addition to the demonstration series, the business cases showcased should make various implementations tangible, both on the construction company side, and at various technology players or service companies.