Client
Magnox
Case Study - Hunterston Nuclear Plant
What’s the story?
Hunterston is a nuclear power station in North Ayrshire, close to Glasgow, that during its 20-year life generated a total of 73TWh for the national grid. This twin-reactor site was the largest in the world when it opened in 1969 and is currently being decommissioned by Magnox on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
With responsibility for 11 other nuclear sites in the UK, including Hinkley Point and Dungeness, Magnox is exploring the many benefits of BIM (Building Information Modelling) to the decommissioning industry.
In order to help facilitate this, Plowman Craven provided a range of laser-scanning services for Magnox at Hunterston and continues to help the client to understand the potential applications of BIM.
What did we do?
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Establishing a survey grid and datum
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Surveying the facility with high-definition scanners
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Capturing a continuous high-definition, 360-degree photographic record
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Creating a 3D model from the point cloud survey
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Creating a LOD5 BIM model
Establishing a survey grid and datum
Relating all measurements accurately to Ordnance Survey National Grid and Height Datum. Correctly setting up survey controls ensured maximum levels of accuracy.
Surveying the facility with high-definition scanners
From the co-ordinated survey stations, the facility was 3D laser-scanned, enabling us to capture a cloud of data points at one million points per second. A two-man survey team took six days to scan the facility.
Capturing a continuous high-definition, 360-degree photographic record
At the same time as scanning the area, 360° panoramic photography is also captured. By overlaying imagery on the point-cloud survey using TruView software, users are able to move around the resulting virtual facility at will, looking at areas of interest and extracting measurements.
Creating a 3D model from the point cloud survey
Using Revit we created a complete structural envelope of the building, overlaying 3D objects such as beams and pipes onto the point cloud survey.
Creating a LOD5 BIM model
This was the final piece of the jigsaw, with the maximum level of detail and information included. We delivered the client a fully interactive model that could be viewed on any platform, either in the office or on site.
Let’s discuss your requirements
Let’s discuss your requirements and see how our expertise will deliver trusted results throughout the project lifecycle.
Plowman Craven has more than 50 years’ experience, we provide integrated measurement and consultancy services.
