Introduction
Industrial plants are among the most complex built environments.
A single facility can contain thousands of interconnected components, including:
- Process piping
- Pumps
- Valves
- Tanks
- Pressure vessels
- Structural steel
- Platforms
- Cable trays
- Electrical systems
- HVAC systems
- Equipment
- Buildings and infrastructure
Over the years, plants are also modified, expanded and upgraded.
New equipment may be installed. Existing pipelines may be rerouted. Temporary structures may become permanent. Equipment may be replaced without updating all the original documentation.
Eventually, the drawings and models may no longer accurately represent the physical facility.
This creates a major challenge:
How do you create an accurate digital record of what actually exists inside the plant?
Modern digital documentation for industrial plants combines technologies such as 3D laser scanning, SLAM, LiDAR, photogrammetry, CAD, BIM and asset management systems to create a reliable digital representation of the physical facility.
This article explains how the process works
