Solutions For

3D Laser Scanning & BIM Coordination for Engineering & Environmental Firms

Engineering firms without in-house reality capture capabilities spend more time in the field, design against incomplete data, and compete for projects at a significant disadvantage. OAR provides the 3D Laser Scanning, Scan to BIM, BIM Coordination & Virtual Construction, and Digital Delivery & Implementation services that extend your firm’s capabilities rapidly compared with the time it would take to build capabilities internally.

Based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, OAR serves engineering and environmental firms across the Northeast: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. BIM Coordination and Digital Delivery & Implementation are delivered remotely nationwide.

WHY IT MATTERS

Integrate every data stream. Design from verified reality.

Multi-Source Data That Actually Connects

Survey data, aerial LiDAR, geotechnical investigations, environmental sampling, and design models often arrive in incompatible formats from different teams. We build the integration architecture that connects them into one navigable environment with shared coordinate systems.

We have worked projects where the terrestrial scan was in state plane, the aerial LiDAR was in a local grid, and the geotech borings were referenced to a benchmark that no longer existed. Three valid datasets that could not talk to each other. The engineering team spent weeks reconciling coordinates before they could start design. We build the coordinate framework and data integration matrix upfront so that every stream registers into one model from the moment it arrives. Your engineers start designing on day one, not week three.

Design-Ready Documentation for Complex Sites

Infrastructure rehabilitation, environmental remediation, and occupied facility upgrades require a level of existing conditions documentation that goes beyond a standard survey. Your design team needs permit-level accuracy, phased site documentation, and deliverables formatted for the regulatory submittals that govern these projects.

We have seen remediation projects stall at the permitting stage because the baseline documentation was not precise enough to support the design basis. The engineering was sound, but the existing conditions data could not withstand regulatory review. We capture at the accuracy your permits require and deliver in the formats your design tools and regulatory workflows expect, whether that is CAD, Revit, Civil 3D, or a combination across disciplines. The documentation holds up because it was built for the submittal, not adapted after the fact.

Build BIM Capability Without Building a Department

Your firm needs to deliver in BIM, but standing up a full VDC operation takes headcount, software, and workflow infrastructure that takes a long time to build and needs considerable upfront investment. We help you build that capability into your existing team, so you deliver in BIM on real projects, not just in proposals.

We have worked with engineering firms that won a BIM-required contract and then realized they had the technical expertise to do the design work but not the infrastructure to deliver it in BIM. The gap was not knowledge. It was workflow. We write BIM Execution Plans for your project types, configure your CDE across offices, and train your engineers on discipline-specific workflows. When the engagement ends, your team has new capabilities to deploy on the next one.

Data Architecture That Keeps Working

The engineering firms getting the most value from their project data are the ones that structured it for reuse from the beginning. When your data integration systems are built with consistent standards and clear taxonomies, every project you capture becomes part of a growing library your team can reference, compare, and build on.

We have watched firms re-scan facilities they already captured two years earlier because the original data was stored without metadata, without a coordinate reference, and without a folder structure anyone could navigate. The scan was fine. The delivery failed. We design data architectures that keep deliverables findable, referenceable, and usable across projects and across years. The ROI from your reality capture investment is not just the current project. It is every future project that can build on what you already have.

How OAR supports engineering and environmental firms

Three services. One partner.

3D Laser Scanning & Scan to BIM

Verified existing conditions in days, not weeks.

OAR captures complete site geometry using terrestrial laser scanning and delivers point clouds, Revit models, Civil 3D surface models, and as-built 2D CAD drawings at LOD 200-400. Your team designs from verified conditions, not assumptions. One mobilization. Complete data.

BIM Coordination & Virtual Construction

Multi-discipline coordination without building an internal team.

OAR runs clash detection across architectural, structural, civil, and MEP systems and manages the full coordination workflow. Your firm delivers coordinated, clash-free designs without maintaining in-house VDC staff or Navisworks licenses.

Digital Delivery & Implementation

Build the capability. Own the infrastructure.

For firms transitioning from 2D to BIM or building digital delivery capability and advanced services or offerings, OAR provides BIM Execution Plans, Common Data Environment configuration, multi-source data integration, team training, and AI-ready data architecture. You get the systems and knowledge to sustain digital delivery after the engagement ends.

What we support

Project types we work on.

Existing conditions surveys for renovation & retrofit

Complete facility documentation for renovation design: structural elements, MEP systems, site features, and spatial constraints captured in one mobilization.

Infrastructure & civil engineering projects

Site surveys, topographic capture, and Civil 3D surface models for infrastructure design, grading, drainage, and utility coordination.

Environmental site assessments & brownfield documentation

Verified facility documentation for environmental engineering projects: equipment locations, utility routing, and structural conditions for sites undergoing assessment, remediation, or repurposing.

Waterfront & marine engineering

As-built documentation and Integrated Project Twin development for waterfront infrastructure, dry docks, and marine facilities with complex multi-discipline coordination requirements.

Multi-source data integration programs

Unifying laser scan data, geotechnical investigations, environmental sampling, aerial LiDAR, and design models into one coordinated BIM environment with shared coordinate systems.

BIM transition & digital delivery implementation

2D-to-BIM transition consulting, CDE configuration, BIM Execution Plans, and team training for engineering firms building digital delivery capability for the first time.

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What you get

Design-ready data in your format, on your timeline.

Registered point clouds

Survey-grade point cloud data at plus or minus 2 to 6mm accuracy. Formats: .E57, .RCP, .RCS, .LAS, .PTS. Compatible with Revit, Civil 3D, MicroStation, Navisworks, and AutoCAD.

Revit models (LOD 200-400)

Intelligent Revit models with parametric components: architectural, structural, and MEP systems at the level of detail your project requires. Dimensional accuracy verified against the point cloud before delivery.

As-built 2D CAD drawings

Plans, elevations, and sections extracted from 3D models. Delivered in .DWG format for teams that need 2D documentation alongside 3D.

Civil 3D surface models

Site topography, utility infrastructure, grading geometry, and alignment data for civil infrastructure design. Built from scan data for verified accuracy.

Integrated Project Twins

Coordinated BIM environments combining laser scan data, geotechnical investigations, environmental sampling, and design models into a single navigable 3D environment.

BIM Execution Plans & CDE configuration

Custom BEPs aligned with ISO 19650 and BIMForum standards. Common Data Environment configuration across Autodesk Construction Cloud, BIM 360, BoreDM, and ArcGIS.

Featured Project

BIM implementation for a national engineering firm.

Digital Delivery & Implementation · Waterfront Engineering · Consultation & Training

Engineering Firm BIM Transformation First Large-Scale BIM Delivery

Alabama · Shipyard Expansion · Engineering Firm Waterfront Division

1,300+

Hours logged across five projects

1st

Large-scale project fully delivered in BIM for the client firm

Firm-wide

Digital Delivery Maturity transformation initiated

A national engineering firm’s Waterfront Division needed to transition from traditional 2D CAD workflows to a full BIM environment for a major shipyard expansion. They had no prior large-scale BIM project experience. OAR provided consultation, training, and ongoing implementation support. The project became the firm’s first large-scale delivery fully executed in BIM, and served as the proof of concept for a firm-wide Digital Delivery Maturity transformation.

Related projects

Equipment Coordination, Digital Twin, Scan to BIM, BIM/VDC

Michigan MRF: Lifecycle BIM Coordination from Concept to Commissioning.

LOD 300, 3D Laser Scanning, Scan to BIM

Midwest MRF Documentation: LOD 300 As-Built Model of a 100,000 SF Active Recycling Facility.

As-Built Documentation, 3D Laser Scanning, Scan to BIM

California MRF Capacity Expansion: 40,000 Ton/Year Increase Without Throughput Loss

What teams say

From the field.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What is scan to BIM for engineering firms?

Scan to BIM converts 3D laser scan point cloud data into intelligent Building Information Models in Revit, Civil 3D, or MicroStation. For engineering firms, this provides verified existing conditions for renovation, retrofit, and infrastructure design without relying on outdated 2D drawings.

Can you deliver Revit and Civil 3D models for architectural and MEP design?

Yes. OAR converts point cloud data into intelligent Revit and Civil 3D models with architectural, structural, MEP, and civil components at LOD 200-400. Dimensional accuracy is verified against the point cloud before delivery. Models are design-ready and integrate directly into your workflow.

How accurate is laser scanning for engineering design?

OAR uses survey-grade terrestrial laser scanners that deliver plus or minus 2 to 6mm accuracy depending on site conditions. This exceeds typical engineering design tolerance requirements and is suitable for structural analysis, clash detection, and fabrication coordination.

How long does scan to BIM take?

Field scanning takes 1 to 3 days for most commercial or industrial sites. Point cloud processing takes 2 to 3 business days. Scan to BIM Revit models take 5 to 10 business days depending on LOD requirements and project scope. Expedited delivery is available for urgent projects.

Can you scan occupied buildings or active sites?

Yes. OAR routinely scans occupied buildings, active facilities, and operating infrastructure. Laser scanning is non-intrusive and non-contact. We coordinate with facility managers and schedule around your operational requirements.

Do you provide digital delivery implementation for firms transitioning from 2D to BIM?

Yes. OAR provides BIM Execution Plan development, Common Data Environment configuration, multi-source data integration, team training, and AI-ready data architecture. Our approach is practical: implementation on real projects, not abstract training. You build internal capabilities that last after the engagement ends.

Can you help us prepare for AI-assisted design and construction?

Yes. AI-assisted design review, predictive scheduling, and automated quality analysis require unified data architecture: consistent formats, shared coordinate systems, and centralized access across disciplines. OAR builds that foundation through CDE configuration, data integration workflows, and standardized BIM practices. The organizations investing in data unification today will be the ones that can actually deploy AI when those tools mature.

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