Scan-vs-BIM approach for construction site monitoring optimization

The monitoring of a construction site is crucial to verify the progress and control its alignment with the defined project schedule phases. An efficient site monitoring ensures there are no delays that could result in losses in terms of efficiency, time, and costs. This study aims to propose an approach to optimize construction site monitoring with BIM models and the comparison between point clouds. The primary goal is to provide a framework for evaluating the progress of construction activities, thereby enhancing the overall project man-agement. The approach is based on comparing point clouds from on-site ac-quired images and point clouds from BIM models corresponding to the phases defined in the project schedule. The comparison is achieved in terms of distanc-es between points in two different clouds. Specifically, point clouds corre-sponding to identical and subsequent phases are compared to assess whether the construction site is behind or on schedule. This provides an effective tool for verifying the progress of activities. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through its application to a specific case study involving a three-story reinforced concrete building with a project schedule divided into incre-mental phases. The comparison between point clouds extracted from on-site images and those generated by a representative BIM model of the building's construction program affords an automatic analysis of work progress.