Typical vendor-sponsored case studies read as self-service marketing, but a new report from ClearEdge3D—a developer of software for making sense out of scan data—stands out because of its many tips for organizing as-built data acquisition using any tools or platforms.

“18 Pro Tips for Achieving Fast, Accurate Structural Steel As-Builts” highlights one project that rapidly developed as-builts in Autodesk Revit of a 120,000-sq-ft fabrication plant, repeatedly modified over decades.

Engineer Greg A.M. Hale, CTO at Rochester, N.Y.-based HALE TiP, took on the project and helped to develop the case study because he agrees that most such studies are minimally helpful.

“That’s why we like to balance this out with the tips and tricks—actionable insights on how to produce great results with less effort,” Hale observes. “The industry won’t advance very quickly unless we share what we’ve learned.”  

A second case study of similar data acquisition for the adaptive re-use of a 150,000-sq-ft, Berkeley, Calif., foundry, built in stages over more than a century, was undertaken by Jake Allen of Allen Construction Expediters, Sacramento, a developer with no prior CAD experience. He says the fire department required a full set of plans of the 3.5-acre facility before he could get started. “I saved a ton of money with this technology,” he says. “I love this stuff. I want to see everybody embrace it and do as much as they can.” The report can be downloaded at http://bitly/2BAgBps.