In short
- Terrestrial scanners reach LOA30–40; SLAM about LOA20; drones LOA10–20 for roofs and campuses.
- In a data hall a tripod scanner covers about 70 m² per setup because racks block the view.
- A 2,400 m² hall at 6 mm resolution: about 35 setups, 4.5 hours of capture and 12–13 GB of data.
- Plan routes with operations and expect occlusion between racks.
Tripod, backpack or drone
| Method | Accuracy | Speed | Use in the data center |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrestrial laser scanner | LOA30–40 | 1–4 min per setup | MEP-dense halls, plant rooms, busbar routes |
| SLAM mobile scanner | LOA20 (1–3 cm) | ~1,000 m² per hour | Large floors, progress, space planning |
| Drone photogrammetry | LOA10–20 | Campus in hours | Roofs, yards, campus context |
| Total station | LOA40–50 at points | Point by point | Control network, setting out |
Most projects combine them: a tripod scanner where tolerances matter, mobile capture for the rest. See the methods section.
Planning a survey
- Setups = area ÷ coverage per setup: about 70 m² in a data hall, 30 m² in a plant room, 150 m² on an open floor.
- Capture time = setups × (scan minutes + move, level and check minutes).
- Scan minutes depend on resolution: roughly 3.5 min at 3 mm, 1.75 min at 6 mm and 1 min at 12 mm (at 10 m) for an RTC360-class scanner.
- Days = capture hours ÷ productive hours per day, typically 7.
A 2,400 m² data hall
| Quantity | Terrestrial, 6 mm | SLAM |
|---|---|---|
| Setups | 2,400 ÷ 70 = 35 | continuous |
| Capture time | 35 × (1.75 + 6) min ≈ 4.5 h | ≈ 2.4 h |
| Field days at 7 h | 1 | 0.5 |
| Points after filtering | ≈ 840 million | ≈ 144 million |
| Raw data at ~15 bytes per point | ≈ 12.6 GB | ≈ 2.2 GB |
| Expected accuracy | LOA30–40 with control | LOA20 |
Office time for registration and modelling is not included and usually exceeds field time.
Data volume and handling
A scanner at 2 million points per second records tens of millions of points per setup. With colour, raw data runs to about 15 bytes per point, so a single hall reaches tens of gigabytes before processing. Agree formats early (for example E57 for exchange), keep the raw data, and deliver decimated or segmented clouds for modelling so BIM files stay workable.
Rules for scanning a live hall
- Permits and escorts: agree routes, times and security with operations; data halls are controlled areas.
- No contact: keep tripods clear of racks, cables and floor tiles; no lifting of tiles without a permit.
- Heat and airflow: avoid standing in hot aisles at peak load; airflow does not affect the laser but does affect people and tripods.
- Occlusion: racks hide what is behind them; plan setups at both ends of every aisle and above containment where allowed.
- Reflective surfaces: glass doors and polished panels create false points; filter them in processing.
- Voids: under-floor and above-ceiling spaces need their own setups or targeted access.
Questions about scanning data halls
Can I scan a live data hall?
Yes, it is the usual case. Plan routes with operations, avoid hot aisles during peak load and expect occlusion between racks.
When is SLAM good enough?
For space planning, cable routes and quick as-builts at 1–3 cm. For prefabrication, use a terrestrial scanner with control.
How big are the files?
Roughly 15 bytes per point with colour: a 2,400 m² hall at 6 mm is about 12–13 GB of raw data.
How often should a data hall be rescanned?
Before each major retrofit, and at milestones if the scan feeds a digital twin. SLAM makes frequent progress scans affordable.
Sources
- Planner model on this site: coverage per setup, scan times per resolution for an RTC360-class scanner, 0.6 overlap and filtering factor.
- Method accuracies are typical values; USIBD LOA v3.0 bands.
- Screening estimate for a survey brief, not a quotation.