Hospital Operating Rooms

A large hospital in Indianapolis underwent an extensive renovation to their operating room suites. The renovation included about 30 active operating rooms. Not only was documenting the vast structure and its array of equipment, piping, outlets, lighting, etc. in these rooms a major challenge by traditional measuring methods, so was getting access. These rooms were in constant use and gaining access was nearly impossible. As a result, the design team turned to TrueScan to provide laser scanning services for the project.

Using laser scanning to document the operating rooms generated a great amount of detail in just one trip. It also allowed the teams to get in and out of the rooms quickly ensuring they were not offline too long. The TrueScan team worked with the design team and hospital staff to develop a plan to take down a small group of rooms at a time. Scans were performed overnight so disruptions were kept to a minimum. Each night five to seven of the rooms taken offline were scanned and scrubbed down once the teams were done. Field scanning was completed in approximately five days. Not only were the operating rooms scanned, but connecting corridors between the rooms were documented as well.

Because this was an active hospital environment, close coordination with hospital staff was essential to limit disruptions to hospital activities. Infection protocols were followed by the field scanning crews.  Ultimately, the TrueScan team provided documentation of critical project spaces that would not have been possible through traditional methods.  The point cloud, combined with Realview images, allowed the design team to see the operating rooms as if they were there. This eliminated the need to travel back to the project site and create future disruptions in the rooms.

Washington University Medical Center

How can laser scanning and 3D modeling benefit an exceptionally large design and construction project on an active hospital campus? That’s the question the design team asked when they reached out to TrueScan about the Washington University Medical Center Campus Renewal project. TrueScan had the answers and, after numerous discussions and interviews, the team was selected to provide laser scanning and Revit modeling for the project.

The project goal was to renovate, demolish and create new construction across the 16-block campus of the Washington University Medical Center (WUMC) in St. Louis, Missouri. This included three active hospitals, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and The Washington University School of Medicine. This was the second phase of a long-range project. During the first phase of the project, hand measurements were taken in the field. Existing as-built drawings were used to document existing conditions in most locations. Because most of the buildings ranged in age from 60 to 100 years old, most of the existing as-builts were not correct and existing conditions were not well documented. This led to numerous issues during construction.  The project team decided to use laser scanning and 3D modeling to give an accurate and complete assessment of existing conditions for the designers in Phase 2.

There were 22 buildings included in the scope of work, including three active hospitals. The TrueScan team worked in the field seven days a week for approximately eight weeks. Field teams were rotated every two weeks to give rest for the crews. Scanning work was done overnight, minimizing disruptions to patients and hospital staff. By the end of the project, the TrueScan team had performed 3,500 scans.

TrueScan brought its extensive experience working on healthcare projects, its knowledge of completing large and complex projects to ensure the project was a success. Using their extensive surveying knowledge, an understanding of complex geometries and reality capture technology, the TrueScan team delivered an understanding of the existing buildings that was not achievable by typical field documentation practices.