Wednesday, 29 August 2012

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Going Green By Repurposing Buildings And How Laser Scanning Is Part Of This Trend

By Zofiad D. Knapp


A good tool to use when starting to design ways to use an old building is new ways is Laser scanning. When thinking about how to transform an old, energy wasting building into something new, that is generally termed adaptive reuse. Finding out the details of the building, like how it was constructed and completing a survey of the building and site is the first step. The property can reap the benefit of energy saving changes when it has been thoroughly surveyed with this kind of 3D technology.

Sadly, most buildings, especially older ones, are big wasters of energy. It is estimated that buildings utilize more than 40 percent of all energy. Buildings are also calculated to use more than 30 percent of water used by all sources as well as give off about 40 percent of emissions of dangerous greenhouse gasses. Those numbers are unacceptable usage amounts. In response, some engineers are working to repurpose these energy wasting buildings so they are efficient and become part of the overall sustainability efforts. Creating drawings of the buildings that are accurate is the first step in the process.

For the most accurate results possible, Laser scanning really does give accurate and precise measurements. What's best though is that 3D images allow the surveyor, architect, or engineer to really seen every angle of a building. This can help in several ways when designing for sustainability. Without even needing to make any physical changes to the building, it can allow designers to visualize how their designs will alter the building immediately.

The next benefit is that, unlike as built drawings, 3D renderings can be instantly modified to reflect changes that are made. And with this instant modification comes the ability to analyze data and see if changes can actually make a positive impact on the building and its environmental footprint. The third benefit is that most buildings that are 30 years or more old usually don't have accurate drawings available. Lots of buildings don't have their drawings updated every time that some kind of modification is made which can add up.

The latest scanning techniques using lasers and advanced software is a good option for finding out how a building is put together. Keep in mind that many older buildings just don't have drawings available any more that show how they were constructed. This can be critical information for designers working to reuse buildings in more environmentally friendly ways. Additionally, these drawings can allow designers to see how changes will impact the building before any construction even starts. This can end in money and energy reductions.




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