Automated shape and pose updating of building information model elements from 3D point clouds

Abstract

Generating an up-to-date BIM that accurately reflects as-built conditions is becoming necessary for ensuring fit between assemblies and construction sites. If an initial BIM (“proto-BIM”) could be automatically updated to reflect as-built conditions by changing shape and pose of BIM elements, it would be preferable over scan-to-BIM in many instances. An approach is presented herein for creating geometric agency within BIMs by exploiting their parametric capabilities, the accuracy of 3D point clouds, and the dexterity of metaheuristics. The result is a dynamic BIM (“dyna-BIM”) capable of updating its geometry to match a 3D point cloud. A case study for cast-in-place concrete footings shows how the average error between a BIM and the as-built conditions can be reduced from 50.4 mm to 5.69 mm. This paper provides a way to progressively capture accurate as-built conditions in BIM and predict potential assembly conflicts, while maintaining the initial semantics and fidelity of an as-designed BIM.