Building Information Modelling of a Multi Storey Building Using Terrestrial Laser Scanner and Visualisation Using Potree: An Open Source Point Cloud Renderer

Abstract

Abstract. With the rapid development in infrastructure, the need to document man-made structures is in increasing demand and inevitable. Such a process of digital documentation of buildings is called Building Information Modelling (BIM). Conventional techniques of BIM involve manual drafting & modelling using computer aided design, drafting & modelling software. Although these techniques are more accurate, given the increase in the size and complexity of modern structures, it would be tedious and time consuming for such manual work. It is in this context LiDAR shows great potential to simplify this task. Laser scanning enables rapid mapping of a building with a high degree of spatial accuracy. Since the spatial point sampling distance of any LiDAR scanner is usually in the order of centimetres or millimetres, this has potential not only to generate high density scans of the building but also to identify even the smallest defects in a structure. This facilitates using LiDAR to study the serviceability of a building. In this project, the feasibility of using a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) to scan a multi-storey building was investigated. Additionally, the reliability of Potree for visualising point cloud data was tested. Potree is an open-source WebGL based point cloud renderer. Potree enables us to render point clouds and visualise in a portable web application. This application is also capable of making measurements of high accuracy on the 3D model of the library. This could serve to be of great utility in surveying applications. The object of study was chosen as a six-storey building, each floor having differing layouts. Two of these storeys were below ground surface level which also proved to be a test for the reliability of TLS in challenging terrain. The building has a towering height and large footprint which made it a perfect candidate for this project. A total of 54 scans (44 interior scans and 10 exterior scans of the library) were acquired with each subsequent scan station not more than 10m apart from the previous one. This data was brought to the lab for further processing. The processing was carried out using open-source software packages (LAStools, CloudCompare, etc). After processing, the complete point cloud data had 483,292,994 points. In order to make the data easier to handle, spatial sub-sampling of the data was done after which the final point cloud had 87,789,548 points. Finally, this sub-sampled point cloud was published using the open source Potree Converter into an interactive web application.

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“…One of the primary benefits of visualizing point clouds through a web browser is the ability to share information among stakeholders without requiring the installation of third-party applications or the transfer of large amounts of data beforehand. Additionally, the variety of measuring tools allows users to analyze and measure building geometry using Potree, without the need for time-consuming 3D modeling (Yeshwanth Kumar et al, 2019). A point cloud obtained through photogrammetry and laser scanning can only record and enable analysis of the current state of a building.…”