3D LiDAR Scanning

Clash Detection + Brownfield Retrofit

New design clashed against LiDAR as-built · before steel arrives on site.

Your designer's BIM model assumes the 1998 as-built drawings are accurate. They're not. The new piping clashes with the existing cable tray that was added in 2014 but never drafted. We catch it in clash detection · before six-figure fabricated pipe cost arrives on site.

Why this matters

Why brownfield retrofit rework costs 8-15% of project value, and how to cut it

Brownfield retrofits routinely run 8-15% over budget on rework · field-fitted modifications because designed systems hit obstacles that weren't on the drawings. LiDAR-based clash detection compares your new design (in Revit, SmartPlant, AVEVA E3D, or AutoCAD Plant 3D) against the actual scanned reality. Every interference is caught in design review, not at the steel-up. Pharma cleanroom retrofits, refinery unit revamps, data centre electrical room expansions · we run clash detection on every one we touch.

Method

How we deliver Clash Detection + Brownfield Retrofit

CEng MIE India-signed deliverables · LiDAR-powered where applicable · digital twin handover ready · routes to the 3D LiDAR Scanning practice lead within 24 hours.

Baseline scan

If as-built point cloud isn't already on hand: scan the impacted area at scan throughput rates.

Design model overlay

Your design model (Revit / SmartPlant / E3D / AutoCAD Plant 3D / IFC) loaded into Navisworks or Trimble RealWorks. Aligned to scan via control points.

Clash classification + ranking

Hard clashes (steel hits pipe), soft clashes (clearance violation), workflow clashes (access path obstruction). Ranked by cost-to-resolve-in-field.

Resolution workshop

Joint review with your designers · each clash assigned a resolver, route alternative documented. Re-clashed after design update.

Sign-off report

Final clash-free design certification. Outstanding clashes flagged with risk register. CEng MIE-signed.

Standards + compliance

Built to the standards your auditors quote

Reports reference the international and national standards your regulators, F500 audit teams, and corporate process safety leads cite. Every deliverable signed by a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIE India).

BS 1192 / ISO 19650 · BIM collaboration and information exchange
USIBD LOD 350 · clash detection deliverable specification
ISO 16739 (IFC) · Industry Foundation Classes
API RP 540 (clearance) · electrical clearance in process plants
NFPA 70 NEC (USA) / IS 732 (India) · electrical clearance requirements

Anonymous case anchors

What this looks like in production

Three landmark engagements from our verified roster · quantified outcomes, no client names disclosed without written permission.

Refinery, KSA · unit revamp

Scanned 12,000 m² unit. Caught 187 clashes pre-construction. Field rework cost avoided estimated eight-figure.

Pharma, India · clean-room retrofit

BIM vs scan caught HVAC duct routing through structural beam · re-routed in design. GMP commissioning preserved.

Data centre, Singapore · electrical expansion

Cable tray routing clashed with chilled water risers. Caught in design review · saved 6 weeks of construction delay.

Frequently asked

Clash Detection + Brownfield Retrofit · the practical questions

What design platforms do you work with?

Revit, SmartPlant (Intergraph / Hexagon), AVEVA E3D / Marian, AutoCAD Plant 3D, Bentley OpenPlant, IFC export from any. We can also work with PDF + DWG drawings if no native model exists.

How many clashes are typical for a brownfield retrofit?

Highly site-dependent. Light retrofit in a well-documented plant: 20-40 clashes per 1,000 m². Heavy retrofit in an old plant with poor drawing maintenance: 200-400 per 1,000 m². The cost of catching each in design is low three-figure in design; in field it's four-to-five-figure.

Do you resolve clashes, or just identify?

Identify + ranked classification + workshop facilitation. Actual design modifications are by your design house · but we co-facilitate the resolution workshop, document the resolutions, and re-clash to verify.

Is this a one-time activity?

Recommend doing it iteratively · 30%, 60%, 90% design milestones. Late clashes cost more to resolve. Our standard scope includes 3 iterations baked in.

Can you handle multi-disciplinary clashes?

Yes · piping vs structural vs electrical vs HVAC vs instrumentation · all in one model. Most clashes are inter-discipline (e.g. new piping hits old electrical), so multi-disciplinary is the norm.

Scope your Clash Detection + Brownfield Retrofit engagement.

Tell us your plant, region, and scope · a named Chartered Engineer responds within 24 hours.

4 fields. No phone interview to start.
Per-discipline routing to the 3D LiDAR Scanning practice lead.
Anonymous case anchors sent with first reply.
Same-day callback for deadline-driven enquiries.

3D LiDAR Scanning Scoping

Leica RTC360 + Cyclone REGISTER 360 · Wistwin pull-through ready.