Digitising Building Materials for Reuse with Reality Capture and Scan-to-BIM Technologies

Abstract

AbstractEffective building component reuse requires specific information about recoverable components. However, 85% of the European building stock predates the building information modelling (BIM) technology that stores and links such information. Digitisation technologies can be used to recover this information. Scanning and scan-to-BIM technologies such as LiDAR and photogrammetry enable us to capture and analyse large amounts of raw geometric data as point clouds to create digital records or BIM models of existing buildings. These digital representations can be used by building owners, inspectors, and deconstruction groups for deconstruction, new design, procurement, and new construction. They help implement closed circular resource strategies linking recovered materials to new projects. In this article, we look at a specific case study of these applications through the circularity consultant Concular. Digitisation technologies are compared based on their range and accuracy in conditions with noisy and cluttered data, as well as their cost and accessibility. Additional sensor technologies may integrate further compositional or structural details to ultimately produce insights beyond surface geometry that can be communicated through integrated digital platforms for data access and exchange. Further technological development will lower the time and labour costs during data collection, processing, and analysis.