Challenges and Trends of Implementation of 3D Point Cloud Technologies in Building Information Modeling (BIM): Case Studies

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has gained wider acceptance in the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) industries in the U.S. and internationally. Capability of BIM technologies in early detection of spatial conflicts among various building systems and components concurrently designed by different design team members prior to construction has great potential in reducing construction delays, loss of productivity, and overall construction costs. Recent advancements in 3D point cloud technologies, such as 3D laser scanning, can greatly augment BIM technology applications in the A/E/C industry by providing a rapid three-dimensional capture of the built environment in great detail and accuracy. This paper discusses the current approaches of implementing 3D point cloud data in BIM and virtual design and construction (VDC) applications during various stages of a project lifecycle and the challenges associated with processing the huge amount of 3D point cloud data. Conversion from discrete 3D point cloud raster data to geometric/vector BIM data remains to be a labor-intensive process. The needs for intelligent geometric feature detection/reconstruction algorithms for automated point cloud processing and issues related to data management will be discussed. This paper also presents some innovative approaches for integrating 3D point cloud data with BIM to efficiently augment built environment design, construction, and management.