December 11, 2003

Laser technology simplifies site plans

Photo courtesy of Midpoint CAD Jamie Thomas of Midpoint CAD uses a Leica laser distance meter and a Hewlett-Packard personal data assistant to take measurements for a floor plan.

To remove any doubt about the accuracy of her site measurements, Jamie Thomas uses a hand-held laser distance meter and special software.

The technology makes it possible for Thomas to prepare highly specific and accurate site plans for remodeling and renovation projects.

Her Everett company, Midpoint CAD LLC, is the sole Northwest distributor of proprietary software that she said can change the way A/E/C companies approach remodels and rebuilds. The software was designed and manufactured by the Sausalito, Calif., company Asbuilt Services.

"With this new technology, our clients no longer worry that they have accurate measurements to work with," said Thomas, principal with Midpoint. "We can verify everything instantly while onsite, and that helps reduce additional costly site visits."

The technology can be used on residential, institutional, medical, commercial, historic, municipal, landscape and retail projects. Midpoint can prepare site and floor plans; elevations; sections; mechanical, plumbing and electrical plans; and roof plans.

In Seattle, Midpoint has used the technology primarily on residential projects. The company also uses it in Idaho, Oregon and southern British Columbia. In Chicago, another group is using the technology for a remodel of the 1.3 million-square-foot Montgomery Ward building.

Before architectural firms begin renovations, remodels and landscaping, they require a set of existing conditions.

"They typically send a junior colleague to the site with a measuring tape, pad and pencil, where they gather the measurements by hand," Thomas said. "Often times, additional site visits are required to re-check the measurements, causing delays in the project. This is a time-consuming, error-prone and expensive method of gathering information."

Using a Leica Disto laser meter, Midpoint takes measurements of the site. Those measurements are sent by the laser meter to a personal digital assistant, where the Asbuilt software automatically translates them into ready-to-use CAD drawings. Midpoint then can quickly provide the client with a set of base drawings, along with the CAD files on CD.

The system is handy for remodels, where Thomas said changes were "made on the fly" and not well tracked in construction documents. It's particularly useful for historic renovations, where architects and contractors are working without original drawings and need to bring the building up to code. "They need some sort of base to work with, to begin the process," she said.

The Asbuilt software can trace a site plan that includes the building envelope, decks, walkways, building extensions, hardscape and landscape, lot lines and utilities. Additionally, it can capture specific tree and ornamental planting locations and existing irrigation heads and equipment.

The technology prepares everything from the roof plan to column grid. With that information downloaded, the architect, she said, "knows the limitations and can start the design from there."

Thomas said the 10-year-old software is under constant development by Asbuilt. Boston-based Existing Conditions offers a comparable laser measurement service, she said.

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