3D Laser Scanning and BIM Modeling for Pittock Block Data Center

• Renovations and infrastructure upgrades needed to be completed without disrupting ongoing tenant operations or mission critical systems.
• The facility could not experience downtime, as it housed 16 fiber optic carriers, 179 service providers, and seven subsea cables critical to its role as a global grade Internet Exchange.
• Renovations across multiple floors, including the ground, mezzanine, fourth, and eighth, had to modernize shared spaces, infrastructure, and systems while maintaining uptime.
• Entry vestibules needed to be updated in a way that enhanced security yet preserved smooth tenant and visitor flow.
• Specialized rooms had to be designed and constructed to support IT infrastructure and facility operations while meeting strict technical requirements.
• Ground floor facades required modification while respecting the building’s historic character.
• Infrastructure and systems essential to data center operations had to be upgraded to ensure reliability, scalability, and compliance with industry standards.
• Scheduling challenges had to be addressed when certain areas were unavailable for scanning or construction due to demolition or phased work.

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• GPRS’ Project Manager captured 200,000 square feet of space with the Leica RTC360 scanner at 2-4mm accuracy, completing 504 individual laser scans.
• Two mobilizations were conducted to ensure complete coverage of the basement, levels 1–4, level 8, and the roof.
• All architectural, structural, and MEP systems, including data closets and cooling systems, were documented in a colorized point cloud, capturing walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows, roof infrastructure, exposed columns, beams, stairs, piping, conduit, and ducts.
• An Autodesk Revit 3D BIM model was generated to provide precise details of the data center’s spatial relationships, geometry, structure, and systems.
• From the BIM model, 2D CAD drawings were produced to support pre-construction planning, enabling teams to quickly understand the project scope before advancing into detailed 3D modeling.

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• 3D laser scanning delivered a comprehensive, real time digital view of the data center, capturing precise structural and MEP layouts that seamlessly integrated with CAD and BIM for accurate planning, clash detection, and efficient construction sequencing.
• Deliverables were shared via SiteMap, GPRS’ secure, cloud based platform and mobile app, which centralized point cloud data, CAD files, and BIM models into an interactive tool for easy access and collaboration.
• With accurate facility as-builts, errors, change orders, delays, and costs were reduced during renovation.
• Cooling system upgrades were enhanced through precise modeling of roof infrastructure.
• Whiting-Turner successfully delivered turnkey data center renovations to meet tenant needs.

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