In January of 2006, Coast 2 Coast deployed a two-man crew equipped with a HDS4500 laser scanner to document the existing conditions. Given the labyrinth of systems and structural members, the team was forced to scan from both above and below the ceiling. While able to work an unrestricted schedule above the ceiling, Coast 2 Coast’s Field Service Specialists were only able to work below the ceiling in the early hours of the morning in order to limit any inconvenience to the patrons. The logistics of coordinating the above-ceiling scans with the below-ceiling scans, and assimilating them all together proved to the most challenging aspect of the project. In order to capture all of the data required and maintain dimensional control, the team had to set-up and scan in 178 different locations. Given the complexity of the work schedule, this task was amazingly accomplished in just five days.
Challenges
The Colosseum opened in 2003 along with a new gaming area. Both were constructed adjacent to the existing casino. The new gaming area was designed with high ceilings as compared to the one-story, low ceiling original casino, which made for an awkward transition from one to the other. Late In 2005, the ownership group engaged Bergman Walls & Associates to study the problem and propose a solution.
Prior to the advent of electronic surveillance, casino staffers used a series of above-ceiling catwalks and observation posts to keep a watchful eye on the gaming tables below. These and other structural members, along with obstructions such as mechanical equipment, ducts, piping and conduit stood in the way of any effort to raise the ceiling height. Having outdated and incomplete existing conditions documentation, Bergman Walls & Associates retained Coast 2 Coast to conduct a complete as-built study of the area above the ceiling over the original casino.
Solutions
The resulting scans were uploaded to the corporate office for analysis by the in-house staff. Using Cyclone, Coast 2 Coast’s Design Support Services team registered and unified the various scans to clean-up and reduce the number of points in the data cloud. Coast 2 Coast then used the resulting point cloud to create a 3D model. Within 4 weeks, Coast 2 Coast delivered a comprehensive 3D model of the above-ceiling area in both AutoCAD and 3dsMax file formats. The models enabled the Bergman Walls’ design team to fully analyze the cost and feasibility associated with raising the ceiling above the original casino.