{"id":130221,"date":"2023-07-24T08:33:54","date_gmt":"2023-07-24T07:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=130221"},"modified":"2023-07-25T17:23:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T16:23:48","slug":"3d-reality-capture-technology-construction-projects-economic-uncertainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/digital-construction-news\/construction-technology-news\/3d-reality-capture-technology-construction-projects-economic-uncertainty\/130221\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the impact of 3D reality capture technology on construction projects amid economic uncertainty?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Economic uncertainty could provide an opportunity for construction companies to harness 3D reality capture technology that could transform their business for the better<\/h2>\n

In the last 12-15 months, it seems economists\u2019 crystal balls have become a bit cloudy.<\/p>\n

Some of those crystal balls portend a significant global recession, while others forecast a milder slowdown.<\/p>\n

Others, still, happily predict continued growth.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the World Economic Forum found that two-thirds of those surveyed expect a global recession in 2023.<\/p>\n

One-third of survey respondents said a 2023 recession was \u2018unlikely\u2019<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s enough uncertainty to send the construction industry scrambling for the nearest bottle of paracetamol.<\/p>\n

On one hand, a pending economic slowdown has staffing and hiring implications. But it also has technology implications too, and whether or not the purchase of 3D reality capture devices, laser scanners, 360\u00b0 panoramic cameras and geolocation mapping systems for a particular project, makes the most sense.<\/p>\n

Timeworn logic suggests the obvious: hold your cards. Recessions are about belt-tightening, cutting back and whatever other weight-related comparisons one can make.<\/p>\n

The point of point clouds<\/h3>\n

Too often, though, such logic is showing its age as it fails to accurately take into account the cost, speed, efficiency and accuracy savings such technology can create.<\/p>\n

Staying with 3D laser scanners<\/a>, for instance, with proper use and training to maximise
\nperformance, such a device will pay for itself over time and the long-term savings for a
\ncompany using it could be significant. Estimates place industrial site project
\ncompression at 10% while reducing total project costs by 7%.<\/p>\n

Laser scanners work by emitting laser light at a target, essentially any physical object. They then measure the time it takes that beam of light to be reflected back to the scanner after striking the object\/s it was capturing in a 360\u00b0 space.<\/p>\n

Like echolocation for a bat or sonar for marine life that allows these creatures to navigate their worlds, light-sounding technology is what generates the 3D pointcloud, consisting of millions of data points to construct a complete image.<\/p>\n

Individual scans are stitched together like a giant jigsaw puzzle through a process called registration.<\/p>\n

This means that whatever is scanned in the physical world has identical dimensional accuracy in the digital world, down to the millimetre level.<\/p>\n

Laser scanners save on project costs and provide smart resource allocation<\/h3>\n

When dealing with large construction projects, it\u2019s vital that a building\u2019s constituent parts fit together without requiring multiple repeat measurements or unnecessary trips back to the job site.<\/p>\n

A laser scanner ensures that this will not happen. And by doing so, saves on project costs thanks to smarter resource allocation and reallocation.<\/p>\n

The point cloud, as a shareable, digital file is also an ideal remote project oversight tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Instead of project stakeholders having to physically visit a site (which includes flight and lodging expenses, as well as an increased carbon footprint \u2013 an economic cost only beginning to be factored) or hear about such progress by word-of-mouth (lending toward inaccuracy), they can view project updates in real-time as the data is shared increasingly via secure cloud platforms.<\/p>\n

Not only are new buildings being constructed, but post-Covid-19, many are being retrofitted to new purposes<\/a> or redesigned outright. In the UK, arguably the largest retrofit in history has been the work done at Battersea Power Station. Here, too, laser scanners can assist – as can 360\u00b0 panoramic photography and geolocation technology.<\/p>\n

Ensuring compatibility between older and newer sections of buildings is vital for structural longevity and sectional interoperability.<\/p>\n

Rethinking \u201crecession-proof\u201d<\/h3>\n

Another point to consider is that even the logic of \u201crecession-proof\u201d might be flawed too.<\/p>\n

A mild slowdown in economic activity could have several longer-term economic cycle benefits:<\/h3>\n