Executive Summary: From Point Cloud to Performance The Shift: In 2026, Scan to BIM is evolving into Scan to BEM (Building Energy Modeling) to meet aggressive decarbonization mandates like LL97 and TGS v4. The Workflow: A precise 5-step path: Reality Capture...
Executive Summary: The "Invisible" Beam The Scenario: A luxury office-to-residential retrofit in a 1980s concrete tower. The Failure: Relying on legacy 2D drawings ("As-Builts") that showed a flat slab, missing a critical structural transfer beam. The Cost: A...
TL;DR: The "Good Enough" Fallacy The Conflict: The industry conflates virtual tours (marketing) with accurate as built models (engineering). They are not created equal. The Physics: 3D laser scanning uses laser pulses to measure space with millimeter precision....
TL;DR: The "Go/No-Go" Decision The Market: 2026 is the era of the "Stranded Asset." Vacant office space in North American cities is ripe for new life, but industry estimates suggest only 20-40% of buildings are suitable candidates. The Kill Factors: Deep floor...
TL;DR: The "Program Scale" Strategy The Problem: National brands need to renovate 50-100 stores in a 3-month window. Sending design teams to every site burns $1,500+ per visit in travel costs. The Speed Gap: Manual surveys take 8 hours. Static tripods take 4 hours....
TL;DR: The "Zero Rework" Strategy The ROI: Correcting a high spot during the pour costs near-zero (tap it down). Grinding it down after cure costs $15/sq. ft..In vertical construction, the "Pour Cycle" is the heartbeat of the project. If the concrete stops, the job...
TL;DR: The "Ghost Asset" Insurance Policy The Risk: 1990s warehouses are full of "Ghost Assets"—abandoned crane rails, buried utility trenches, and off-grid columns that don't show up on old blueprints. The Cost: A single hidden beam can trigger a $50,000 change...
TL;DR: The "Crane-Ready" Strategy The Problem: Concrete tolerances (ACI 117) are loose ($\pm$1 inch). Steel tolerances (AISC 303) are tight ($\pm$1/8 inch). This "Tolerance Gap" causes field clashes. The Cost: A single column that doesn't fit keeps a 300-ton crane...
TL;DR: The 2026 Decision Matrix The Quick Answer: If you need a building permit, lease calculations (BOMA), or a simple renovation layout, Scan to CAD (2D) is faster and ~40% cheaper. The Long Game: If you have complex MEP systems, need clash detection, or plan to...
