3D laser scanning survey services

A terrestrial laser scanner sits on a tripod and measures every surface it can see. We scan from many positions so nothing is hidden, then align the scans into one dataset. That step is called registration.

The result is a lidar point cloud: a measurable record of the space as it stands today, not as an old drawing says it should be. Old drawings are often wrong and tape measurements drift. Point cloud scanning replaces both, capturing structure, MEP, equipment and façades in one pass.

Scan when a wrong measurement costs more than measuring properly. Typical reasons:

• Renovation or adaptive reuse where the drawings are old, missing or wrong.
• Retrofit planning and MEP coordination, where new routing has to fit the first time.
• Stairs, railings, façades and custom assemblies that must fit the building instead of the drawing set.
• Checking installed work against the design model before the next trade arrives.
• Occupied or live sites where you cannot afford repeat visits.

Laser scanning surveying is only as good as its control. We tie every scan to a total-station control network and measure accuracy against it instead of assuming it. Scans are registered to 2–6 mm, and the result is reported per project.

Our instruments are a terrestrial laser scanner (Leica RTC360), total-station control and, where a site needs it, drone photogrammetry.

• Accuracy: registered to 2–6 mm, reported per project
• Typical registration: about 4.5 mm (0.015 ft)
• Scanner: Leica RTC360
• Control: total-station control network
• Field day: about 20,000 sq ft a day in dense interiors, up to 200,000 sq ft a day in open spaces
• Processing: about 2–3 days after the field day
• Point cloud formats: E57, RCP, RCS, LAS
• Every delivery includes: a registration report

A scan can also check work that is already built. We compare the point cloud with the design model and report where the built condition deviates, and by how much.

Use it to check fabrication and installs before the next trade starts, or to confirm the dimensions of installed assemblies. The numbers come from the same record as your drawings and models, so they agree.

Our clients are architects, general contractors, MEP engineers, facility managers, developers and fabricators. Zombra is part of Futura USA, an architectural metal fabricator in Miami, so we know where tolerance matters. Common uses by industry:

• 3D laser scanning for construction: existing-condition surveys for renovation and adaptive reuse, and progress capture through closeout.
• Industrial 3D laser scanning: plant and equipment capture for retrofit planning, without shutting the line down.
• 3D scanning for metal fabrication: field-verified geometry for stairs, railings, façades and canopies, so shop drawings match the building.
• Heritage 3D scanning: ornament, sculpture and historic fabric recorded for restoration and archive.
• 3D scanning for film and VFX: locations and sets captured as assets for virtual production and Unreal Engine.