3D laser surveys measure every visible surface on your site with a tripod mounted laser scanner. The result is a registered point cloud, millions of measured points that reproduce the site in 3D, usually with panoramic images from every scan position.
You may also hear them called laser scanning surveys or point cloud surveys. A typical survey from us includes:
Because the scanner records everything in its line of sight, your engineers can often measure from the existing point cloud when the next project comes up, instead of sending someone back to site.
Rotate and zoom around this sample. It shows the kind of registered point cloud, with measurements and asset tags, that our 3D laser surveys produce.
A tape or total station survey records the points someone chose to measure. A laser survey records everything in view.
Neonex Digital guided us through our survey requirements and delivered a solution perfectly tailored to our project's needs, we look forward to working with them again
Our 3D laser surveys follow the same five steps on every site.
We agree the deliverables, the accuracy each one needs and any site coordinates the data must tie into, then book inductions and permits. Our guide on how to prepare your site for laser scanning covers the practical side.
From the same point cloud we produce:
A 75,000 m² fuel storage terminal in mainland Europe, with 30 tanks, 9 road loading bays and 2 pump slabs, took four days to survey. The point cloud produced nine deliverables, including a Plant 3D model, smart P&IDs, API 570 piping isometrics, bund volumes and tank condition analysis. A virtual tour of the same data has cut the client's site visits by up to 50%. Read how that point cloud was reused.
Two numbers decide the accuracy of 3D laser surveys: how precisely the scanner measures from one position, and how well all the positions fit together once registered. Brochures quote the first. The second decides how well your model lines up.
What the scanner cannot see
The X7 sees 360 degrees horizontally and 282 degrees vertically, leaving a cone under the tripod it cannot measure. With the scanner 1.5 m above the floor, that blind circle is about 2.4 m across. Anything behind a vessel or pipe rack is hidden too, so overlapping setups are planned to fill both gaps.
Quotes for 3D laser surveys of the same site can vary widely because they are not always for the same thing. Ask these five questions to compare like with like.
It depends on area, congestion and access. As a guide, the 75,000 m² terminal above took four days, and on multi day jobs the first registered area can reach your designers after day one or two.
There is no fixed rate per square metre. Crew size, tripod or handheld scanning, access, data ownership and delivery all move the price, so we quote per site. Our 3D laser scanning cost guide explains each factor.
Usually E57, an open ASTM standard most software can read, or Autodesk RCP and RCS files for ReCap, AutoCAD, Revit and Navisworks. LAS suits GIS work. Models and drawings come in your CAD format.
Yes, terrestrial laser scanning is a form of LiDAR, as it measures distances with laser light. A tripod scanner works close up for fine detail, while airborne LiDAR covers large areas from the air at a lower point density.
It only records what is in its line of sight, and each setup leaves a blind circle under the tripod. Overlapping scan positions fill those gaps, and noise from rain or standing water is cleaned up during processing.
Neonex Digital was founded by Lewis Boxer, who has more than 25 years in oil and gas, including time at Coryton Refinery, and over 15 years in terrestrial laser scanning. He is Autodesk certified and leads our surveys and quality checks. Connect with Lewis on LinkedIn.
Process sites run on permits, and our surveys fit around them. Neonex Digital is CHAS Elite accredited, surveys are led by a CCNSG Safety Passport holder, and we work within your permit to work from induction to sign off.
