3D Laser Scanning

Laser scanning measures a surface directly instead of reconstructing it from photographs. The scanner records the distance to hundreds of thousands of points every second, producing a dense point cloud of the building or terrain that you can measure. An as-built survey that would take days with a tape is captured on site in a few hours and drawn up in the office at the scale you need.

We work with two scanners. The SHARE S20 is a handheld SLAM scanner: scanning continues while the operator walks through the building, so interiors, basements, tunnels and narrow corridors are captured quickly. The DJI Zenmuse L2 is an airborne LiDAR sensor mounted on the Matrice 350 RTK; it reaches the ground through vegetation and produces terrain models even in wooded areas.

Scan data is tied to control points measured with GNSS and placed in the national reference frame (TUREF), so the point cloud lines up with base maps and drone data. A local grid is also available when the project needs it.

How we work

1. Survey planning. We visit the site and plan the scan route and control points. Scale, level of detail and file formats are agreed here.
2. Scanning. Interiors are scanned on foot with the S20, large and wooded areas from the air with the L2. Control points are measured separately.
3. Processing and checks. Scans are joined, noise is removed and deviations at the control points are reported.
4. Drafting and modelling. Plans, sections, elevations or a BIM model are produced to the agreed standard.
5. Delivery. Files are handed over, and the point cloud is also published to the MapSurvey 3D Portal so your team can explore and measure it in a browser.

Typical uses

• Heritage documentation and restoration projects
• Plant layouts, machinery and pipework revisions
• BIM models of existing buildings
• Terrain models of wooded and rough ground
• Construction progress and as-built checks