BuiltView: Integrating LiDAR and BIM for Real-Time Quality Control of Construction Projects

• Published in: ISARC. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction Vol. 37; pp. 233 - 239
• Main Authors: Abbas, R, Westling, FA, Skinner, C, Hanus-Smith, M, Harris, A, Kirchner, N
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Waterloo IAARC Publications 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Algorithms; Automation; Construction industry; Construction sites; Costs; Human error; Human resources; Lidar; Quality assurance; Quality control; Real time; Remote monitoring; Tracking control

Global spending on rework in the trillion dollar construction industry is estimated at $570bn of direct costs and $440bn of indirect costs. The cost of rework is on the rise, and the main cause is rooted in quality deviations from construction design. Real-time or even near real-time remote progress monitoring and quality control has the potential to prevent a large portion of defects and enables quick detection and handling of errors that often go undetected for too long. Current procedure still relies on human visual inspections that are costly, in terms of time and human resources, and is subject to human error. Moreover, existing tools and services are limited in the size of data they can handle, as LiDAR data can be gigabits in size with hundreds of millions of unstructured points. The technology often fails at being robust to occlusions and other noise elements commonly found on construction sites. More sophisticated algorithms exist to perform different parts of the required analysis; however, they require a high level of expertise to implement and tailor to different use cases. In this paper, we present BuiltView, an automated progressive assurance platform that allows users to validate and document construction activities on a daily basis. BuiltView can significantly reduce rework by accurately and efficiently identifying BIM components and detecting discrepancies between the as-designed data and the as-built data, particularly in terms of geometric compliance. BuiltView is a powerful tool that processes billions of LiDAR points in a very efficient manner. Leveraging sophisticated analytical algorithms, BuiltView calculates accurate dimensions and generates comprehensive user-friendly reports to facilitate communication across the business. We show that BuiltView is a valuable tool for automation of quality assurance and quality control, progress tracking and documentation. Using the tool, builders can significantly reduce costly rework, increase productivity and boost transparency between different project stakeholders, thanks to objective, high-accuracy evidence.