A GPRS Case Study

3D BIM Model for Renovation of Two Office Towers

Highlights

THE BOTTOM LINE

Large-scale renovation projects involve a massive amount of data, planning, and coordination. GPRS delivered a 3D BIM model in phases, allowing the General Contractor to focus on specific sections of the project at a time, ensuring an accurate and quality design before moving on to the next phase.

INDUSTRY

Construction Renovation

SERVICE

3D Laser Scanning, Mapping & Modeling

LOCATION

West Palm Beach, Florida

PM Insight

A 3D BIM model delivered precise data to guide project decisions, maximize efficiency, and minimize rework. 3D laser scanning delivered a level of detail that is critical to accurate design planning, preconstruction, and field execution.

Deliverables

PROJECT APPLICATION

ASK

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Task

GPRS partnered with Promethean Builders to 3D laser scan Phillip's Point East and West Commercial Office Towers in West Palm Beach, Florida to capture as-built data of 637,180 square feet of space and generate a 3D BIM model for extensive building renovations.

PROBLEM

This was a large-scale renovation of two commercial office towers that required several mobilizations of laser scanning to capture existing site conditions.
Built in 1985, the property sits on 4.3 acres, contains two towers, the East Tower totaling 255,523 square feet and West Tower totaling 416,636 square feet, 40,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, and two parking garages.
Survey control was important in this project to ensure that the 3D laser scans precisely fit together and were geographically accurate.
The client requested that the 3D BIM model be delivered in phases to manage the complexity of this project.
Structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering schematic design plans were required for this extensive renovation.

Solution

The GPRS Project Manager created a thorough plan to capture comprehensive existing conditions documentation while working around trades on site, including determining the scanner set-up locations and site workflow, to properly coordinate and estimate the time needed on site.
GPRS coordinated with the client’s survey team to establish project survey control prior to laser scanning to ensure accuracy of the laser scan data. This process helped tie the laser scan data into an established coordinate system, capture measurements with high precision, and ensure that the scan data was georeferenced and properly aligned.
GPRS CAD technicians utilized Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) to centralize project information, allowing multiple technicians to work inside the model at the same time. The team was able to send the 3D BIM model in phases to hit client deadlines.
The BIM model was used to detail specifications for the HVAC systems, ensuring a precise design, coordination across disciplines, clash detection, and accurate construction timelines.

Benefits

The Leica P-Series and RTC360 LiDAR laser scanners captured every detail of the 637,180 square feet of space with 2-4 millimeter accuracy in a point cloud file, delivering precise architectural, structural, and MEP system layout and dimensions for renovation planning.
ACC provided a document management system that saved a web-based record of every single project file and submittal. It allowed the GPRS CAD technicians to archive old submittals and track progress.
Working with tools like Revit and Navisworks within ACC immediately synchronizes designs, so if the General Contractor revises information, the changes can be transmitted to the field, and the jobsite is always working from the latest information.