3D surveying and BIM modelling of a building’s HVAC systems
Accurately digitise existing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems
When carrying out a renovation, conversion or technical survey, it is essential to have reliable plans of the existing installations.
3D Scan Bat carries out 3D laser scanning surveys of HVAC – Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning – systems in order to accurately document their layout within the building.
The 3D laser scanner enables the surveying of plant rooms, boiler rooms, ducts, pipes, ventilation systems, equipment and visible components, recording their actual positions within the space.
Using the point cloud obtained, we can produce 2D technical drawings or a BIM model of the existing structure, which can be used by HVAC engineers, technical departments, architects and facility managers.
⏱️Résumé in 20 seconds
3D laser scanning enables existing HVAC systems to be digitised quickly, whilst preserving their geometry and actual layout.
Boiler rooms, plant rooms, pipework, ventilation ducts, air handling units, pumps, valves and other visible equipment can be documented within a single spatial database.
The data can then be delivered in the form of 3D point clouds, 2D plans or BIM models, to provide engineers with a reliable basis for their designs and renovation projects.
Why carry out a 3D survey of existing HVAC systems?
In many existing buildings, the technical installations have been modified on several occasions without the original plans being systematically updated.
Pipes are being added, ducts are being relocated, equipment is being replaced and new systems are gradually being integrated into service spaces that are sometimes very cramped.
The available plans may therefore differ significantly from the actual building as constructed.
Le 3D laser scan survey enables you to start directly from the existing situation and to compile accurate geometric documentation of the installations visible at the time of the survey.
Creating 3D models of boiler rooms and plant rooms
Boiler rooms, substations and plant rooms generally house a large number of pieces of equipment in confined spaces.
The laser scanner enables the geometry of the premises and the position of the various visible components to be recorded simultaneously: boilers, pumps, heat exchangers, manifolds, pipes, valves, ventilation ducts, air handling units and ancillary equipment.
The result is a accurate 3D point cloud of the plant room, making it possible to measure distances, visible diameters, heights, dimensions and the positions of equipment at a later date without having to return to the site every time.
Survey of heating systems and pipework
Plumbing systems can be particularly difficult to document in existing buildings.
3D laser scanning makes it possible to locate the exposed heating and cooling pipes, their route, their height and their position in relation to the building’s structure and other technical installations.
Depending on the project’s requirements, this information can then be used to produce plans or reconstruct existing networks in a BIM model.
This method is particularly useful when planning a boiler room refurbishment, the replacement of existing systems or the installation of new equipment.
3D survey of ventilation ducts
Ventilation systems often comprise complex networks of circular and rectangular ducts that run through several rooms and floors.
The 3D laser scanner makes it possible to document their position, geometry and dimensions as well as the main associated equipment: air handling units (AHUs), air boxes, air outlets, diffusers and visible technical components.
The point cloud also makes it easier to analyse the intersections between HVAC systems, the building structure and other technical installations.
A comprehensive resource for HVAC engineers
The aim of the survey is not simply to produce a 3D representation.
Above all, the aim is to provide HVAC engineers and design consultancies a reliable geometric basis for the current state.
The point cloud can be used directly as a reference in CAD and BIM software to analyse the existing installation, plan alterations and assess the space available for new equipment or networks.
It also helps to reduce the uncertainties associated with plans that are old, incomplete or no longer reflect the actual condition of the building.
From point cloud to HVAC BIM model
Using the laser scan data, visible installations can be incorporated into a BIM model of the existing condition.
Depending on the project’s requirements, the modelling may cover the building’s architecture, the plant rooms and the main HVAC systems.
The pipes, ducts and equipment are then positioned within the same digital environment as the walls, floor slabs, ceilings and structural elements.
This representation facilitates coordination between architects, HVAC engineers, structural engineers and specialist contractors during the design phase of refurbishment projects.
Identify constraints and conflicts before work begins
In existing buildings, the space available for new installations is often limited.
A 3D survey enables a precise analysis of the available routes and helps to identify areas where new services are likely to conflict with existing installations, beams, slabs, walls or other technical equipment.
This understanding of the existing situation provides a particularly useful basis for technical coordination and the preparation of renovation works.
Digital documentation of existing installations
The point cloud also serves as a digital record of the building and its technical installations as at the date of the survey.
Property managers, operators and technical departments can keep this documentation and reuse it for future works, alterations or maintenance operations.
The data can be delivered in various point cloud formats and, depending on the brief, supplemented by DWG/PDF drawings or a Revit/IFC BIM model.
3D HVAC survey for renovation, conversion and technical assessment
3D Scan Bat supports HVAC engineers, design consultancies, architects, main contractors, manufacturers and property managers in the digitisation of existing technical installations in Switzerland.
Our surveys may cover a specific plant room, a boiler room, several floors or all the visible installations in a building.
3D laser scanning, combined with BIM modelling, thus provides a reliable geometric basis before studying, modifying or renovating heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
Please contact us regarding your HVAC survey project in Switzerland.
