Scan-to-BIM - An Overview of the Current State of the Art and a Look Ahead

Oct 24, 2026

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Building Information Modeling (BIM) is widely adopted for building design and delivery, yet efficient integration with Facility Management (FM) remains unresolved. FM requires accurate as-built BIM, which is typically not included in contract deliverables and is especially difficult for existing facilities. Integrated BIM-FM systems can improve virtual visualization and real-time access, but current workflows often rely on manually updated 2D as-built drawings not linked to CMMS, EDMS, EMS, or BAS. Scan-to-BIM using 3D point clouds can generate as-built BIM, but off-the-shelf tools demand extensive manual input; this paper reviews available software for retrieving MEP components and outlines challenges and future research directions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

1 Introduction

Building Information Modeling and FM Integration Challenges

As-built Data Acquisition Technologies

Scan-to-BIM and Current Software Limitations

Scan-to-BIM – An Overview of the Current State ofthe Art and a Look Ahead H. Sona, C. Kima, and Y. Turkanb aDepartment of Architectural Engineering, Chung-Ang University, South Korea bDepartment of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, United States [E-mail: hjson0908@cau.ac.kr](E-mail: hjson0908@cau.ac.kr), [changwan@cau.ac.kr](changwan@cau.ac.kr), [yturkan@iastate.edu](yturkan@iastate.edu) ABSTRACT The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to support building design and construction practices is becoming the standard in the U.S. and worldwide, and various benefits of implementing BIM, such as reduced RFIs and change orders, have already been proven. However, efficient integration of BIM with facility management (FM) systems, which requires having accurate as-built BIM, has not yet been achieved. Integrated BIM-FM systems offer significant benefits to owners such as better visualization of the spaces to be maintained in a virtual environment. BIMs, specifically MEP BIMs, are reviewed on a regular basis during project coordination meetings between stakeholders, and are updated regularly during the construction phase. However, some coordination issues related to MEP components maybe realized within the BIM, but fixed in the field; and those changes are not typically reflected in the BIM. Three dimensional (3D) point clouds provide accurate and comprehensive as-built information, and are used for creating as-built BIMs. The process of creating as-built BIM from 3D point cloud data is referred to as Scan-to-BIM. Currently available offthe-shelf Scan-to-BIM software packages require significant manual user input making the entire process cumbersome and error prone. Significant amount of research has been done both in academia and in industry to automate Scan-to-BIM process. The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review on current Scan-to-BIM software and their capabilities to retrieve MEP components from 3D point clouds, while identifying challenges and the look ahead for future research. Keywords – Laser Scanning; BIM, As-built BIM, Scan-to-BIM, MEP Systems 1 Introduction Building Information Modeling (BIM) is becoming the norm for designing and delivering building projects in the U. S. and worldwide. However, efficient integration of BIM with Facility Management (FM) Systems has not yet been achieved [1] . One of the main reasons is that FM systems require accurate as-built information, and accurate as-built BIM models are not typically required in the contracts as part of the project deliverables. This is mainly due to the fact that majority of the owners are not yet fully aware of the benefits BIM has to offer [2] . Moreover, it is even more difficult to obtain/create as-built BIMs for existing buildings and industrial plants since there is no design 3D BIM model exists for these buildings, therefore an as-built BIM model would need to be built from scratch using 2D asbuilt drawings and project specifications. Integrated BIM-FM systems offer significant benefits to owners such as better visualization of the spaces to be maintained in a virtual environment. BIMs are reviewed on a regular basis during project coordination meetings between various stakeholders, and are updated regularly during the construction phase. However, some coordination issues maybe realized within the BIM, but fixed in the field; and those changes are not typically reflected in the BIM since delivering an accurate as-built BIM model is not required as part of the project deliverables. Instead, 2D as-built drawings are produced from BIM models, manually updated to reflect the as-built conditions, and handed over to the owner. Typically, these 2D as-built drawings are not linked to any of the FM information systems such as computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), electronic document management systems (EDMS), energy management systems (EMS), and building automatio

FAQs

Why is BIM integration with Facility Management (FM) still difficult?

FM systems require accurate as-built BIM, but accurate as-built BIM models are not commonly required in project deliverables. Owners often are not fully aware of BIM benefits, and existing buildings may lack a design 3D BIM model, making as-built BIM creation from scratch necessary.

What is Scan-to-BIM and what data does it use?

Scan-to-BIM is the process of creating or reconstructing as-built BIM from 3D point cloud data. The paper explains that 3D point clouds provide accurate and comprehensive as-built information.

What problem do current off-the-shelf Scan-to-BIM tools have?

Available off-the-shelf Scan-to-BIM software packages require significant manual user input, which makes the process cumbersome and error prone.

Oct 24, 2026

Upload by Bintang