Procedure for Generation of Finite Element Models of Steel Members from 3D Scanned Data

Abstract

AbstractWith rapid development of 3D scanning technologies and implementation of digital twinning and reverse engineering in the construction industry, it became possible for finite element simulations to facilitate analysis of measured geometries when it is needed. A new approach to generate 3D solid models using advanced techniques in the field of 3D scanning is introduced in this paper. Constructing three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models with measured geometry of structures or structural elements can be technically difficult. To date, there is no robust automated approach to translate the data obtained from 3D scans directly into a model for FE analysis. This paper provides an overview on current applications of 3D scanning, and a case study that addresses the issue of processing three-dimensional point clouds that are generated from 3D scans of steel links. Another objective of this paper is to present a simple and practical procedure to convert point clouds into solid models that can be further used in FE analysis. Five distinct 3D scanning technologies were selected for the measurement of replaceable steel links to generate solid models based on the measured geometry. For the specific application addressed in this paper, the blue laser scanner with measuring arm has shown the most satisfactory results in terms of efficiency.