Facility renovations can be complex, requiring a detailed plan to maintain operational continuity. Operational continuity is the ability of an organization to keep its core functions running despite disruption.
A facility renovation can disrupt operational continuity by causing interruptions to essential utilities like power and water, and potentially halting critical operations, especially if the renovation isn't carefully planned and phased to minimize interference with ongoing business activities.
For industries like manufacturing, healthcare, or data centers, downtime during facility renovations can lead to operational disruptions, revenue loss, and frustrated stakeholders.
Ensuring a seamless renovation process begins with obtaining accurate as-built documentation, which provides a detailed understanding of the facility's existing conditions. As-built documentation helps facilities create a detailed renovation design plan, improves communication, manages risks, and ensures quality construction standards are maintained throughout the process.
Two technologies that deliver as-built documentation are subsurface utility detection and 3D laser scanning. Together, they allow for informed decision-making, risk mitigation, and cost-efficient renovations.
What is the Importance of Accurate As-Built Documentation?
As-built documentation refers to detailed records of a facility’s current architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. It delivers a reference point for renovation projects, ensuring that design teams can align their plans with the existing infrastructure. Inaccurate or outdated as-built documentation can lead to unexpected issues, such as encountering buried utilities or unknown structural elements, which can delay projects and increase costs.
Accurate as-built documentation provides several key benefits:
- Informed Decision-Making: With a comprehensive understanding of the facility’s current layout and systems, teams can make informed decisions that minimize disruption and maximize efficiency.
- Improved Safety: By identifying hidden utilities and structural anomalies, project teams can avoid accidents or damage during construction.
- Cost Efficiency: Accurate documentation prevents rework, design errors, and unnecessary resource allocation, saving both time and money.
Subsurface Utility Detection: Mitigating Risks Below the Surface
Subsurface utility detection is an essential technology for identifying underground utilities and infrastructure before beginning renovation work. Utilities such as water lines, gas pipelines, electrical conduits, and telecommunication cables are often buried beneath facilities and can pose significant risks if damaged during construction.
How Does Subsurface Utility Detection Work?
Subsurface utility detection employs non-invasive methods to locate and map underground utilities. Common equipment utilized includes:
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): GPR technology uses radio waves to detect buried or otherwise concealed subsurface objects. It can detect both metallic and non-metallic components, making it useful in a variety of environments and applications.
- Electromagnetic Locating: An electromagnetic locator, also called a utility locator or cable locator, is a specialized device used to detect and locate underground utility lines like electrical cables, water pipes, and gas lines by emitting an electromagnetic signal and then detecting the signal reflected from the conductive metal of the buried line.
- Acoustic Methods: Acoustic leak detectors consist of a DXMIC Ground Microphone, an elephant foot microphone, noise-cancelling headphones, and a monitor for acoustic leak detection. This equipment can pinpoint the location of a water pipe leak.
What are the Benefits of Subsurface Utility Detection?
- Accurate Mapping: Detailed utility markings, field sketch, and maps ensure better planning and execution of renovation activities.
- Minimize Risks: Real-time information helps facilities avoid utility strikes, which reduce the risk of service interruptions, costly repairs, and safety hazards.
- Save Time: Accurate utility location enables faster excavation processes by allowing contractors to work around existing lines efficiently.
- Compliance with Regulations: Facilities utilize utility locating services to ensure compliance with local "dig safe" laws and regulations.
3D Laser Scanning: Capturing the Existing Conditions Above Ground
While subsurface utility detection focuses on what lies beneath the surface, 3D laser scanning provides a comprehensive view of the facility’s above-ground conditions. This technology captures precise measurements of structures, equipment, and MEP systems, generating a detailed point cloud that serves as the basis for as-built documentation.
How Does 3D Laser Scanning Work?
3D laser scanning uses LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to measure distances between the scanner and surfaces. By emitting laser beams and recording the time it takes for the light to return, the scanner creates a high-resolution point cloud that represents every detail of the scanned environment.
What are the Benefits of 3D Laser Scanning?
- Unmatched Accuracy: Scanning captures precise as-built details within millimeters, delivering dimensionally accurate, measurable, and shareable data sets.
- Comprehensive Data Collection: Laser scanning captures millions of data points, providing a complete and accurate representation of the facility, reducing the need for site revisits.
- Time Savings: A 3D laser scanner can document large and complex spaces quickly. In many cases, scanning can be done in a matter of hours, rather than days or weeks. This can help minimize operational shutdowns and speed up the project timeline.
- Custom Deliverables: Data can be processed into 2D CAD drawings, 3D BIM models, or virtual walkthroughs, catering to various project needs.
What are the Applications of 3D Laser Scanning for Facility Renovations?
- Design Integration: Designers and architects can integrate scanned data into Building Information Modeling (BIM) platforms like Revit to create accurate renovation plans.
- Clash Detection: By overlaying new designs onto the scanned data, teams can identify and resolve conflicts before construction begins.
- Lifecycle Maintenance: The detailed digital representation of the facility can be used for future maintenance and upgrades.
Combining Subsurface Utility Detection and 3D Laser Scanning
When used together, subsurface utility detection and 3D laser scanning provide a comprehensive view of a facility. This integrated approach ensures that both above-ground and below-ground conditions are accounted for, reducing the likelihood of unforeseen challenges during renovations.
What is the workflow for comprehensive as-built documentation?
- Conduct Initial Assessment: Begin with a thorough review of existing documentation and site conditions.
- Detect Subsurface Utilities: Conduct utility detection to locate and map underground infrastructure.
- Perform 3D Laser Scanning: Capture the above-ground conditions to create a detailed point cloud.
- Integrate Data: Combine subsurface and laser scan data into an intelligent 3D BIM model.
- Renovation Planning: Use the integrated model to develop renovation plans, identify risks, and streamline workflows.
Utility Locating Case Study:
GPRS Performed Utility Locating at a Manufacturing Facility
A manufacturing facility needed a permanent record of their 60-acre facility’s buried infrastructure. GPRS located, marked, and mapped all utility and sewer lines at the manufacturing facility, and provide comprehensive infrastructure data management for O&M purposes.
3D Laser Scanning Case Study:
Pharmaceutical Upgrades Completed With the Help of Laser Scanning
A pharmaceutical company was installing some new equipment in various areas of the facility. Existing machinery was being removed, new machinery was being installed and MEP piping was being re-routed throughout the area. GPRS provided laser scanning services to collect point cloud data on four levels and generate a 3D Revit model for the client. Before starting renovations of this existing facility, the client desired to document existing conditions to plan layout and process flow upgrades.
What are the Best Practices for Ensuring Operational Continuity?
- Plan Early: Engage utility detection and laser scanning teams early in the project to gather comprehensive data.
- Collaborate: Foster communication between designers, contractors, and facility managers to align goals and expectations.
- Capture Progress: Update as-built documentation as renovations progress to reflect any changes or new installations.
- Use Advanced Tools: Leverage BIM platforms and clash detection software to optimize designs and reduce errors.
- Prioritize Safety: Follow all safety regulations and best practices when working with utilities and construction sites.
Facility renovations present unique challenges, when maintaining operational continuity is a priority. Accurate as-built documentation is the cornerstone of successful renovations, enabling teams to plan effectively and mitigate risks. Subsurface utility detection and 3D laser scanning are indispensable tools for capturing comprehensive site data, ensuring that both above-ground and below-ground conditions are fully understood. By adopting these technologies and following best practices, facility managers can minimize downtime, reduce costs, and achieve seamless renovation outcomes.
Why Use GPRS Utility Locating Services?
GPRS Utility Locating Services mark utility lines to prevent damage and service disruptions and keep excavators and our communities safe. GPRS has achieved and maintained a better than 99.8% accuracy rating on utility locates due to our commitment to the Subsurface Investigation Methodology, or SIM. Through the SIM program, GPRS Project Managers complete 320 hours of field training and 80 hours of classroom training, where they encounter real-world scanning scenarios in a safe and structured environment that allows them to create consultative solutions to unique problems. This training ensures that GPRS Project Managers can accurately interpret the readings provided by GPR, EM locators, and other infrastructure visualization technologies.
Why Use GPRS 3D Laser Scanning Services?
GPRS 3D Laser Scanning Services are fast, accurate and reliable. Three-dimensional data provides exact measurements of sites with a level of confidence and speed not possible with traditional tools. There’s no better way to drive decision making than to have accurate and intelligent, real-time data.
GPRS 3D Laser Scanning Services provide 2-4mm accuracy by capturing 2 million data points per second, for efficient planning, design, and construction. And our in-house Mapping & Modeling Team can export your data to create accurate existing condition as-builts – above and below ground – to give you the accurate information you need in a format you can easily work with and share to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.
