Implementation of Point Cloud and BIM Technologies in a Construction Workflow: A Case Study of a Building Project in Yuecheng District, China

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a surge of retrofitting and building projects in rural China, to elevate the living standards in local areas. However, with the conventional use of surveying and inspection instruments, the amount of construction errors account to substantial waste of materials, time and labour. The issue is magnified in the current context that emphasises on efficient utilisation of resources. The emergence of laser scanning and BIM technologies is evident with scanning equipment and software being more accessible. This paper explores the use of the two technologies, to be integrated into the a construction workflow. The research includes a self-conducted site survey, data collection, data processing and analyses. The processed point cloud data is extracted and compared to the as-designed BIM model, to analyse and assess the construction errors in various scales. The result displays a significant portion of the building being out of tolerance and its causes. A theoretical framework is proposed to integrate point cloud and BIM technologies, not only to document and assess the overall building dimensional accuracy, but also to minimise construction errors and waste, ensuring a responsible consumption and production of building materials.