Site evaluation/as-built dimension tools

[esvee]

Hey everyone,
I'm finding myself in a position where I need to verify a bunch of as-built dimensions of active construction sites. I need to evaluate dimensions of large areas as well as the flatness of slabs and surfaces, angles of wall joints, etc.

I'm trying to build a toolkit of great tools to take these measurements, ideally tools that would enable me to get the bulk of these without needing a second person.

What tools can you recommend for these sort of tasks? (short of a full room laser scanner)

 

[mcantar]

What's your tolerance? Need to establish that first.

In the last week or so I've levelled two things... my motorcycle lift in my garage to within 1/16", and a thing at work to within 2.5 microns.

The job is effectively the same, but one was done with a $15 tape measure and the other with a $300 indicator. Different tolerances, different tools.

 

[esvee]

Good point. Acceptable tolerance of 1/8".

 

[ChaseDE]

We work to the 1/8" mainly in engineering, 1/16" sometimes on plant sites. We use tape measures, levels, pogo sticks, ladders, etc.

When working in the field I did as-built's for piping systems so it was pretty straight forward. Get some good large prints of how it is SUPPOSED to be built and mark them up.

 

[Sloper0204]

(short of a full room laser scanner)

Well, there goes that recommendation.

Honestly, if you can drop the coin one of these systems is amazingly handy for as-builts:

https://lasers.leica-geosystems.com/disto/e7500i

eta: that is for the dimensions. We use the room laser scanners for verifying flatness/levelness of equipment since our system can scan to such a small tollerance to be insignificant.

 

[esvee]

Well, there goes that recommendation.

Honestly, if you can drop the coin one of these systems is amazingly handy for as-builts:

https://lasers.leica-geosystems.com/disto/e7500i

eta: that is for the dimensions. We use the room laser scanners for verifying flatness/levelness of equipment since our system can scan to such a small tollerance to be insignificant.

Which room scanners are you using? That Leica is a mean piece of kit - definitely accommodates a lot of the issues I have measuring large build outs by myself.

 

[ericlar80]

I would set up a 360 degree job site laser level. Walk around to the points you are interested in and drop a measuring tape to measure the drop from the laser datum. Compare all the numbers to determine the flatness or level. Walls could be done the same way if you turn the laser up 90 degrees.

 

[Sloper0204]

Which room scanners are you using? That Leica is a mean piece of kit - definitely accommodates a lot of the issues I have measuring large build outs by myself.

We use the Surphaser 100HSX. It has "submilimeter" acuracy (approx. 0.001mm). It can pick up the difference in surface profile between smooth plate steel and the weld so we don't even have to mark it out for it to map for us.

I would set up a 360 degree job site laser level. Walk around to the points you are interested in and drop a measuring tape to measure the drop from the laser datum. Compare all the numbers to determine the flatness or level. Walls could be done the same way if you turn the laser up 90 degrees.

That would depend on if there needs to be a hard number benchmark and the 1/8" tolerance. I would accept that a good Topcon is capable of this as it is what we use when not running the room scanners.

Topcon RL-VH4DR is another awesome piece of kit if it meets the tolerance requirements, we have 4 of them. Just make sure you get a damn good tripod.

 

[Gummi Bear]

A marble is a pretty good way to find out how out of level a slab is.

The 360* laser level is a great suggestion. I use a similar method to level floor boxes and stuff. I used to use a Spectra Physics , but now ya can get an even more powerful laser for a couple hundred bucks. (And is a fraction of the size)

Use it to shoot a beam and you can see whether walls are true or plumb. You can also see if things line up (we do layouts on the floor, and transfer them to the ceiling)


A digital level might also be a useful tool.



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