Plan2Model

Most infrastructure projects were planned and built before the advent of digital planning tools. The planning data of the buildings – some of which are decades old – is typically only available in analog form as 2D plans, either hand-drawn or in CAD format. This makes BIM-based maintenance management extremely difficult.

In view of the large number of bridges, tunnels, dams, etc., measuring each building individually would obviously be very time-consuming, not to mention the fact that some buildings may not be easily accessible. Going directly from a 2D plan to a 3D model can often be the more efficient approach, provided the process is automated rather than manual.

Semi-automated process: from 2D plan to 3D model

We develop semi-automated processes that convert analog 2D construction drawings to digital 3D models, using our expertise in edge detection, building part detection and reconstruction from point clouds. This allows us to create 3D objects based on 2D plans that are true to scale. The reconstruction of 3D models works for both hand-drawn and computer-drawn plans. The 3D construction model can be fused with the most recent geometric laser scanning or camera data.

What’s more, there is usually plenty of additional data and information on the buildings that is relevant for maintenance, such as historical images or monitoring data sets. This data can be homogenized and also integrated into the 3D building model. The 3D construction model can then be fused with current geometric laser scanning or camera data.

Fraunhofer IPM has already developed this semi-automated process for creating 3D models based on 2D plans for bridges.