The structural complexity of the cane conveyor/dump area at a sugar plant in Belle Glade, Florida, posed a unique design challenge, so the project’s design consultant requested that Erdman Anthony laser scan the space and provide 3-D AutoCAD modeling of the existing conditions.
Approximately 500 linear feet of the dump area was scanned using a FARO phase-based scanner. The scanner was set in multiple locations in order to document the entire project limits; data accuracy was captured at one-quarter inch or better, and the registration of all scans was done on an “assumed” coordinate system. The entire procedure to capture data was done without disrupting plant production.
All exposed plane surfaces (slab, walls, railings, catwalks, columns, and buildings) were modeled in 3-D and provided in one AutoCAD file. The design consultant was able to use the scan as a platform for a more robust and virtual design.