Application of 3D Laser Scanning for the Digitization, Design, and Analysis of a Multistoried Building

Abstract

Laser scanning is a fast-developing technology that collects millions of points and creates a framework within a few minutes, generating a point cloud of the structure. Laser scanning is a relatively new but rapidly evolving technology. This research used modern models of laser scanners (and their accompanying software) that are capable of accurately capturing and aligning point clouds. Consequently, the laser scans have precisely captured the current geometry of each structure, which is irregular in many cases due to inherently complex geometry, anomalies during the original construction, aging, deterioration, and structural damage. As the exterior and interior components of the structures were scanned, the point cloud became a digital 3D image of the historical building, which can be virtually toured from the inside and outside. A four-story public building was scanned using a 3D laser scanner to generate architectural and structural drawings of the response to an earthquake. The application of passive control using a damper with the laser scanner has been modeled in this study. The results show that this technique provides the best outcomes for reducing seismic damage collapses.