Metro Station Escalator Scan-to-BIM Survey Using the CHCNAV RS10 Handheld SLAM 3D Laser Scanner

Surveying inside a working railway station leaves little room for tripods, ground control points, or long occupation times. For a new escalator project at a metro station in South Korea, the DAEGYEONG Survey System needed to reconstruct a busy, confined space accurately and to do it without disrupting daily operations. The team captured the full site in 30 minutes with the CHCNAV RS10 handheld SLAM scanner, processed the point cloud in CHCNAV CoPre, and built the BIM model in Autodesk^® Revit^® software to simulate the escalator installation before any construction began.

The Project: An Escalator BIM Simulation at a Metro Station

DAEGYEONG Survey System carried out this project at the station on a busy urban rail line in South Korea. The objective was to build a BIM model that could simulate the construction of new escalators at the station. The work called for an accurate digital reconstruction of the station environment, so the team could assess how the escalator trusses would be transported and installed within a confined and operational railway space.
 

The brief combined tight access, high accuracy and minimal disruption:
 

• Site: a live, operational station on a busy urban rail line, with limited access windows and pedestrian traffic.
   
• Objective: a BIM model to simulate the transport, lifting and installation of new escalator trusses.
   
• Coverage: the escalators, the surrounding station structure, construction equipment access paths and the adjacent environment.
   
• Constraints: no tripod setups, no ground control points, and as little interruption to station operations as possible.

The CHCNAV RS10 Solution: One Scan to BIM Workflow

DAEGYEONG Survey System built the project around a single connected workflow. The RS10 handled data capture, CHCNAV CoPre processed the point cloud and exported it directly in RCP format, and Revit software turned that point cloud into the BIM model. Because CoPre exports RCP directly, the point cloud imported into Revit software without an extra conversion through ReCap and without the need for CAD drawings, which helped reduce software cost and simplify the BIM workflow.
 

Why a Handheld SLAM Scanner Rather Than TLS or a Total Station

In a crowded, operational station, the method of capture shapes the whole project. The comparison below shows why the team chose the RS10 over terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) or a total station.
 

The Workflow: Six Steps from Field Scan to Simulation

Step 1: Plan the Scanning Area and Route

The team confirmed the scanning area and walking route to cover the escalators, the station structures, the construction equipment access paths and the surrounding elements in a single pass.

Step 2: Capture the Point Cloud with the RS10

The surveyor walked the route and collected the point cloud in the field with the RS10. The deep fusion of RTK and SLAM supported high-precision capture even without ground control points, and one operator completed the full-site acquisition in about 30 minutes.

Step 3: Process in CoPre and Export RCP

The raw data was processed in CHCNAV CoPre, which exported the point cloud directly in RCP format. That direct output removed the extra conversion step and prepared the data for import into Revit software.

Step 4: Import into Revit software for Slicing and Measurement

The point cloud imported directly into Revit software for slicing and measurement. Working from the point cloud, the team obtained accurate elevations and section dimensions across the escalator area.
 

Step 5: Build the BIM Model in Revit software

The team generated the BIM model in Revit software from the point cloud, following a scan to BIM workflow. The model reconstructed the escalators, the station structure and the surrounding environment in a form ready for analysis.

Step 6: Analyse and Simulate the Construction

With the point cloud and BIM model in place, the team ran the analysis and construction simulation, then submitted the final deliverables. The team modelled the escalators, the station structure, the construction equipment and the surrounding environment, then simulated the full disassembly, relocation, lifting and installation sequence before construction. That let them identify potential collisions, congestion, clearance issues and schedule conflicts in advance. The deliverables included a truss partitioning plan, a truss structure diagram, an alignment comparison between the model and the point cloud, and a crane site selection simulation.

The Results: A Confined Station Captured in 30 Minutes

The scan to BIM workflow reconstructed a busy station accurately while keeping field time short. One operator captured the full site in about 30 minutes, which reduced field labour and limited disruption to station operations. The high-precision point cloud supported reliable construction accuracy, and the direct RCP output kept the path from field data to BIM model short.

The project team pointed to four benefits from the approach:
 

• One-person operation reduces field labour and time costs.
   
• High-precision point clouds improve construction accuracy.
   
• Rapid review of on-site changes helps reduce trial and error during construction planning.
   
• Digital analysis reduces communication costs between stakeholders.

The Value of Simulating Before Building

By simulating the full disassembly, relocation, lifting and installation process before construction, the team could resolve problems on screen rather than on site. Testing the sequence against an accurate digital twin of the station reduced the risk of collisions, congestion and clearance issues once the escalator trusses arrived, and gave every stakeholder a shared, visual reference for the plan.
 

📄 Download the full case study (PDF)
 

For teams documenting complex, operational spaces where tripods and ground control are impractical, the metro station project is a clear data point: a handheld SLAM scanner with a direct scan to BIM path can reconstruct a site in minutes and support construction simulation before work begins. The RS10 sits within the CHC Navigation 3D mobile mapping and surveying and engineering solutions, alongside the RS7 handheld LiDAR scanner for indoor and building work.

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About CHC Navigation

CHC Navigation (CHCNAV) develops advanced mapping, navigation, and positioning solutions designed to increase productivity and efficiency. Serving industries such as geospatial, agriculture, machine control and autonomy, CHCNAV delivers innovative technologies that empower professionals and drive industry advancement. With a global presence spanning over 140 countries and a team of more than 2,200 professionals, CHC Navigation is recognized as a leader in the geospatial industry and beyond. For more information about CHC Navigation [Huace:300627.SZ], please visit: https://geospatial.chcnav.com/about/overview