FM newsroom – Research, BIM, Construction Technology. A new procedure developed at Széchenyi István University in Hungary offers a time- and cost-efficient solution for assessing the condition of complex structures.
The innovation, created by researchers at the Széchenyi István University in Győr, makes it possible to automatically generate digital models of complex assets—such as steel and composite bridges—based on 3D laser scanning. According to fmbusiness.hu, the method provides a faster and more economical approach to structural assessments.
“There are countless existing structures—bridges, buildings—that lack original design documentation, or that have undergone multiple modifications, repairs, or suffered damage and deformations over time. To perform structural calculations, plan renovations, or prepare conversions, it is essential to document the current state and create digital plans—a digital twin. The first step is surveying, which can be done manually or with laser technology, but both require considerable time. Converting the survey data into a digital model has so far involved a significant amount of manual work. While 3D laser scanning is now widespread and produces a point cloud, turning that into a building model still takes substantial effort. Our research aimed to develop a method that uses the point cloud to generate the structural model automatically,” explained Dr. Kitti Ajtayné Károlyfi, Associate Professor at the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering.
Laser Scanning Bridges
During the project, the team tested the method on several structures, including a steel bridge and a composite bridge, refining the automation process along the way. The resulting digital models can be easily imported into widely used finite element software, such as AxisVM—common in Hungary for structural design—or Abaqus, which is also used for advanced scientific analysis.
Because of its time and cost efficiency, the procedure has strong market potential, and companies have already expressed interest in applying it.
From Scan to BIM
“The method is also an excellent tool in education. I teach architecture and civil engineering students about the ‘scan-to-BIM’ process—how point clouds are transformed into Building Information Models (BIM),” Dr. Károlyfi noted.
She added that the research team is preparing a scientific publication that will describe the methodology in detail and illustrate its benefits with practical case studies.