Faster, Higher, Stronger: Digital Architecture Techniques Make Building A Breeze

Imagine how much faster construction could be if you could make a 3D scan of a building, make a computer model of the entire structure, then create a new building in prefabricated modular blocks. What if inspectors could virtually walk through buildings to point out any compliance issues or design flaws? Those are all reality, and it’s part of how digital architecture is disrupting the construction industry. Computers have had a key role in construction for decades, but digitalisation is making life a lot easier for builders and taking things to a new level.

- Damien Martin

3D SCANNING & PRINTING

Whether you need to retrofit, refurbish, or simply do routine maintenance on an existing building, 3D laser scanning can deliver a full, more accurate picture of parts or entire structures much faster than traditional surveying. A 3D laser scan can help reverse engineer objects without the cycles of trial and error that are normally a drag on such projects.

Companies such as Laser Scanning Australia, 3D Scanning Australia, and National Survey Solutions help with life cycle management and quality control for existing and new builds. The Sydney Build Expo taking place 19 and 20 March will for the first time feature a geospatial summit at the digital construction zone, with a discussion of 3D scanning and 3D laser mapping.

By measuring one data point at a time, 3D laser scanners create a “point cloud,” which can be loaded into modelling software to show what new additions would look like laid over an existing structure. These models can be loaded into virtual and augmented reality headsets that workers wear as they build, giving them an interactive blueprint to assist in their task.