Use case
Scan to BIM for MEP
MEP is where existing buildings hide the most surprises. Scanning ceiling voids, risers and plant rooms before designing new services avoids clashes that otherwise appear on site. Here is how to do it well.
Why MEP needs Scan to BIM most
Services change constantly through a building's life and are rarely recorded. Drawings may show the original design, not the duct rerouted ten years later. When new services are designed against old drawings, clashes show up on site, where they are most expensive to fix. A scan of the actual ceiling void, modeled as real ducts, pipes and trays, lets designers route new work around what is really there.
Capturing MEP
- Open the ceilings. Remove tiles in a grid pattern, or scan before ceilings go back in during strip-out.
- Scan from below and between. Dense services shadow each other; plan extra positions or routes. Mobile and handheld scanners help in tight spaces (see choosing a scanner).
- Plant rooms and risers need their own plan, access and often a different scanner.
- Take photos of labels, tags and nameplates; they help identify systems and equipment.
LOD for MEP
| LOD | What MEP looks like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| LOD 200 | Approximate runs and boxes for equipment | Space planning |
| LOD 300 | Measured size, position and routing of main runs and equipment | Design and most coordination |
| LOD 350 | Adds connections, supports, clearances and interfaces to other systems | Clash detection, detailed coordination |
| LOD 400 | Fabrication-level detail | Prefabrication of replacements |
For most retrofits, LOD 300 for distribution and LOD 350 for plant rooms and congested zones is the right balance. Set size thresholds, for example "pipes 50 mm and over". See LOD levels explained.
What to model
- Ductwork with sizes, fittings and terminals.
- Pipework by system with diameters, valves and insulation where visible.
- Cable trays, ladders and containment.
- Equipment: AHUs, pumps, chillers, boilers, panels, each as an individual element.
- Supports and hangers where they affect clearances (LOD 350).
- Systems assigned so the model can be filtered and checked by system.
Hidden services
Services buried in walls, slabs and shafts cannot be scanned. Agree how they will be handled: excluded, inferred from visible ends and marked as such, or surveyed by other methods. Never let inferred geometry look measured. See how to check a Scan to BIM model.
Using the model for coordination
Link the existing-services model into the design model and run clash detection in Navisworks or Revit. Clashes against existing services found in the model cost minutes; the same clash found on site costs days.
Automation and MEP
Straight duct and pipe runs and trays are well suited to automated extraction; complex fittings and densely packed plant rooms benefit from review (see how AI is automating Scan to BIM). Moving Atoms separates every duct run, pipe and piece of equipment as its own element and delivers Revit and IFC within 48 hours. upload a scan or see the LiDAR samples.
Have a scan? Send it to us and get separated, editable Revit and IFC objects back within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
What LOD should MEP Scan to BIM use?
LOD 300 for distribution and LOD 350 for plant rooms and congested zones suits most retrofit coordination.
Can laser scanning see services above ceilings?
Only if the ceiling is open or tiles are removed. Services inside walls and slabs cannot be scanned and must be inferred or surveyed by other means.