Virtual pre-assembly for large steel structures based on BIM, PLP algorithm, and 3D measurement

Abstract

The current physical pre-assembly method of large steel structures is time consuming and costly and requires large sites. Thus, the pre-assembly of large steel structures in a virtual way, starting from building information modeling (BIM), is an interesting alternative to the physical one. In this study, an innovative method for virtual pre-assembly is proposed on the basis of BIM, plane-line-point algorithm, and 3D measurement. This method determines the optimal analytical least squares of the various built components. The technique verifies the feasibility of the steel structure assembly and the fulfillment of the design geometries, starting from the real data obtained by an accurate metric survey of the fabricated steel elements. The method is applied to a real case, and obtained results largely satisfy the prefixed research objectives. Suggestions to improve the proposed method are also discussed.

Keywords

steel structure / pre-assembly / BIM / plane-line-point / 3D measurement

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Acknowledgements

The presented work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) through grant 71471072 and Hubei Technical Innovation Project through grant 2017ACA186.

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2019 Higher Education Press