CA2186095A1 - Computer aided method for determining discrepancies between erected structures and approved construction plans - Google Patents
Computer aided method for determining discrepancies between erected structures and approved construction plansInfo
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- CA2186095A1 CA2186095A1 CA002186095A CA2186095A CA2186095A1 CA 2186095 A1 CA2186095 A1 CA 2186095A1 CA 002186095 A CA002186095 A CA 002186095A CA 2186095 A CA2186095 A CA 2186095A CA 2186095 A1 CA2186095 A1 CA 2186095A1
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Abstract
A method for determining and identifying common elements, discrepancies and differences between the actual floor plans of buildings or other constructions and the floor plans for such buildings or constructions as have been approved by applicable governmental or other agencies. The method comprises first obtaining a sample orcopy of the approved floor plan for the building or construction and inputting the approved floor plan into a computer database. Next the building or construction is inspected and measured so that measurements of the actual floor plan can be entered into the computer database. The computer can them be used to create an as-built image of the building or construction floor plan after which the as-built image and the approved floor plan can be superimposed over one another to create a superimposed image. The superimposed image will visually identify common elements, discrepancies and differences between said actual floor plan of the building or construction and the approved floor plan.
Description
TITLE: Computer Aided Method for Determining Discrepancies Between Erected Structures and Approved Construction Plans FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of determining and identifying physical discrepancies between buildings and other erected structures and the plans for such buildings and structures as have been approved by government or other agencies. In particular, the invention relates to a new computer aided method of determinin~ and 10 identifying such physical discrepancies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically before the construction of buildings, whether they be commercial, 15 residential or public, detailed plans of the building are prepared and submitted to the applopliate government agencies for approval. Once approved, the building is then built in accordance with those approved plans and copies of the approved plans are normally kept on file by the government agency that provided the approval. A
similar process is often carried out for other civil engineering structures including 20 bridges, roadways, towers, etc. Likewise, when significant structural or other changes are made to existing buildings or constructions, plans for such changes are normally prepared and approved prior to the commencement of construction. In many jurisdictions prior approval of plans detailing the nature of the change or improvement is a legal pre-requisite before actual construction may commence.
During construction it is quite common for various changes to be made to a building.
In some cases the changes may be extremely minor and insignificant while others may be major and very significant. Often the changes are pre-approved by government authorities and revised plans are prepared and filed. However, in some instances the final building or construction may vary significantly from that asshown in the approved plans or drawings without revised plans having been filed or approved. Renovations or additions may also be made to a building at different points in time. Where prior approval is not obtained for a renovation or addition the 5 approved set of plans m~int~ined by the appropriate government agencies will not reflect such changes and will be inaccurate. As a result the "as-built" structure can sometimes depart radically from that as depicted in the approved plans. In general, the degree of departure between the approved plans and the actual building structure increases over time. Where buildings and other constructions do not conform 10 precisely to the approved plans filed with municipal or other government of fices there does not exist a plan of the as-built structure that can be readily inspected.
Furthermore, due to the uncertainty as to the accuracy of approved plans over time, their reliability is often questionable.
15 For various implicit reasons financiers, banks, insurance companies, propertymanagers, fire departments and other services require detailed knowledge of the structure of a building as it actually exists. Prior to the development of the present inventive method it was necessary for individuals to obtain a copy of the approved municipal plan and attend at the building or structure to compare the plan visually 20 with the physical structure, m~n~ lly noting changes on the approved plan. This process was both labour intensive and resulted in unacceptable delays where updated information was needed immediately. For example, where a financial institution is about to advance funds on the basis of collateral taken in a building, it may not be possible to advance such funds until an analysis of the as-built building and approved 25 municipal plans can be undertaken to ensure that the skucture meets various building, fire and municipal regulations. Similarly, when responding to an emergency call a fire department does not have the luxury of being able to wait until someone performs a physical inspection of a building and then manually makes a notation of any differences and discrepancies on the approved municipal plans.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore provides a new and novel method to visually identify anddetermine physical discrepancies between buildings or constructions and approved5 municipal plans. The method provides a quick, simple and reliable means to identify such discrepancies.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides a method of determining and identifying common elements, discrepancies and differences between the actual floor 10 plans of buildings or other constructions and the floor plans for such buildings or constructions as have been approved by applicable governmental or other agencies, the method comprising the steps of; obtaining a sample or copy of said approved floor plan for said building or construction; inputting said approved floor plan into a computer database such that said approved plan is stored electronically in said 15 database; inspecting said building or construction and measuring and recording its actual floor plan; inputting said measurements of said actual floor plan into said computer database such that said measurements are stored electronically in said database; lltili7.ill~; said computer to create an as-built image of said building or construction floor plan, said as-built image being stored in said computer and based 20 upon said measurements of said actual floor plan; manipulating said approved floor plan and said as-built image stored in said computer such that said approved floor plan and said as-built image are superimposed over one another, thereby creating a superimposed image to visually identify common elements, discrepancies and differences between said actual floor plan of said building or construction and said 25 approved floor plan.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.
2~ 86095 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better underst~nding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, 5 to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments of the present invention in which:
Figure 1 is a drawing of the floor plan of a hypothetical building in accordance with the method of the present invention and represents an approved municipal plan;
Figure 2 represents the actual floor plan of the building of Figure 1;
Figure 3 represents a drawing of a superimposed image of Figures 1 and 2 with graphical representations showing additions and deletions to the floor plan of Figure 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
20 The method according to the present invention begins with obtaining a sample or copy of an approved floor plan or building plan for a particular building or construction. Such plans are normally found at the local municipal government of fice having jurisdiction over the issuance of building permits and the construction of buildings and other structures within a particular geographic area. These plans are 25 usually comprised of drawings of the building or structure as were submitted to local government authorities for approval prior to construction. They may also containupdated information with respect to structural changes in the building, or lateradditions or modifications that have been made.
Following acquisition of the approved plan or drawing, it is then electronically stored in a computer database. While a variety of methods may be used to input the planinto the database, in the preferred embodiment the approved drawing or plan is either input by m~nll~lly entering the information from the drawing or is input through the 5 use of a scanner or optical character reader connected to a computer. Where a scanner is used the scanner converts the lines and representations on the plan or drawing into an electronic format to be stored in the computer's database. Once electronically stored in the database, commercially available computer-aided-design (CAD) software, such as AUTOCADTM, can be utilized to edit or manipulate the 10 image of the approved drawing as required. For example, ancillary information that may be present on the approved drawing (including title blocks, dates, approval stamps, stray lines due to sc:~nning errors, etc.) can be deleted and the image edited to leave only the floor plan or other structural features of the building or construction that are of concern. Thereafter the image of the approved drawing can be viewed on lS the computer monitor or printed for reference purposes. An example of such a printed drawing is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows a typical floor plan with exterior walls 1, interior walls 2, doors 3, stairwell 4, and utility services 5. For illustration purposes Figure 1 shows approved features in double outline.
20 Once the approved plan or drawing has been stored electronically in the computer database, the actual building or construction in issue is inspected and the floor plan and features of concern are measured and recorded. Those measurements and features can then be input into the computer database so that they too are stored electronically. As in the case of inputting the approved floor plan, there exists a 25 number of different methods for imputing the measurements and details of the actual building. For example, the raw data can be directly input through the use of CADsoftware. Alternately, the building's measurements and details could be used to manually draw a "to scale" as-built drawing. That as-built drawing can then be scanned into the computer database with an optical character reader. Alternately, information from the as-built drawing can be electronically stored in the computer through the use of a digitizer. Editing of the electronically stored drawing can then be carried out to remove sc~nning or digitizing errors, if necessary.
5 It may also be desirable for the individual attending at the building site to identify the location of utility services and meters, including water, electricity, gas and telephone. The location of such utilities can be noted on the as-built drawing and can also be input into the computer database through one of the methods discussed above.
Regardless of how the details and measurements of the physical building or structure 10 are input into the computer, once they are stored electronically the computer can be used to create an as-built image of the building's floor plan. If necessary or desirable, CAD or similar software can be used to manipulate or edit features on the as-built image just as in the case of the electronically stored approved floor plan. For illustration purposes Figure 2 shows an as-built image with the as-built structures 15 identified by cross-hatching.
After both the approved plan and the measurements of the actual floor plan have been stored in the computer database, and after all necessary editing has been competed, the approved plan and the as-built image can be manipulated, such that they are of 20 the same scale, and then superimposed over one another. Superimposing one image over the other will thus create a superimposed image to visually identify commonelements and any physical discrepancies or differences between the building or structure as it has been built and the approved plans. Whereas previously individuals were forced to attend at the actual building site to compare the physical building 25 structure with the approved plan, through the use of the present inventive method an actual site attendance is only necessary in order to take physical measurements of the structure. Thereafter an inspection of any discrepancies can be carried out easily and quickly at remote locations. No ex~min~tion or comparison of building structureswith approved drawings is necessary making the comparison simple with little chance 21 8609~;
of error. Superimposing the two images over one another presents a true and accurate physical and visual representation of any differences. In addition, through reference to the scale of the images the physical dimensions of any discrepancies or differences can be determined quickly and with minim~l effort.
To further enhance the visual identification of any differences and discrepancies between the actual floor plan of the building or construction and the approved plan, in the preferred embodiment the approved plan is presented in one colour while the as-built image is presented in a different colour. For example, the approved plan 10 could be shown in black. The as-built image could then be shown in red such that on the superimposed image any red line that is visible (ie. not being superimposed directly over a black line) will represent a structural difference, discrepancy or variation from the approved plan. In this case the red lines will indicate additions to the as-built structure that were not on the approved floor plan. The use of colour 15 in this fashion adds significantly to the ability of individuals to quickly discern differences and discrepancies between the two images. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that rather than utili7ing specific colours to differentiate between the two images, a variety of other methods could equally be employed. For example, Figures 1 and 2 show two methods of depicting approved 20 and as-built structures graphically without the use of colour.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the elements and features of the superimposed image that are common to both the approved floor plan and the as-built image are shown in a first colour. Those elements and features of the superimposed 25 image that are common to the approved floor plan but not the as-built image are shown in a second colour. Finally, those elements and features of the superimposed image that are common to the as-built image but not common to the approved floorplan are shown in a third colour. This has the added effect of not only visuallyidentifying the differences in the approved floor plan and the actual structure, but through utilization of colour as discussed, features that have been added over and above the approved plan and those features of the approved plan that have been removed will be instantly recognizable. That is, features shown in the first colour represent no variance between the actual building and the approved plans. Features 5 in the second colour represent approved features that have been removed and that are no longer physically present at the building. Similarly, those features shown in the third colour represent additions not on the approved plans. Where desired, the existence of any utility services or meters can be identified in a fourth or further colours on any of the drawings or images.
Rather than showing common elements in one of 3 different colours as in the alternate embodiment described above, graphical representations as set out in Figure 3 could equally be used. In Figure 3 the thick solid lines represent elements and features that are common to both the approved plan and the as-built image. Double 15 outlined features are those common to the approved plan but not to the as-built image. Finally those elements common to the as-built image but not the approved plan are identified with cross-hatching. Accordingly, in Figure 3 cross-hatchingindicates features of the building that have been added while double 0l1tlining signifies features that have been removed. For example walls 6 and toilet 7 are 20 shown as having been removed or non-existent. Similarly, wall 8 and door 9 have been added over and above the features on the approved plan.
Once the approved plan and the as-built images have been superimposed over one another the resulting superimposed image can then be printed on a single sheet of 25 paper to create a permanent superimposed drawing. The permanent record or drawing can be provided to other individuals for purposes of assessing any physical discrepancies or can be attached to engineering, ~ses~ment, financial or other reports as may be necessary. The superimposed drawing can also be taken to the site of the building or construction in order to direct an individual precisely to areas of discrepancies between the constructed building and the approved plan. In addition, the superimposed drawing may provide a benefit to engineering personnel for purposes of assessing the safety of any discrepancies or differences.
5 Since the approved plan, the as-built drawing and the superimposed drawing are all stored in an electronic format or version, the computer database storing the data from which these drawings are generated can be linked to a computer network that allows other individuals to access the drawings. For example, financial institutions, insurance companies or property managers wishing to ensure that a particular building 10 or structure complies with local building requirements and has been approved by the requisite government authorities will be able to access the approved, as-built and superimposed drawings stored in the database through the computer network. This will allow them to quickly and easily inspect for any discrepancies. Accessing such information over the computer network removes the need for individuals to eitherl S attend at local municipal of fices to review approved drawings or to physically attend at the building or structure to measure what is actually in existence. It also allows individuals to search for and review discrepancies from distances that are far away from the actual building site. For buildings that must be checked or monitored frequently, up-dated as-built images can be stored in electronic format to allow for 20 immediate visual inspection.
The present inventive method will also be of significant use to fire, police andambulance personnel. For example, when a fire, police or ambulance department receives an emergency call to attend at a particular building or structure, they will be 25 able to utilize a computer network to access the computer database in which the as-built, approved plan and superimposed images for the building have been electronically stored. Accessing these drawings pursuant to the method of the present invention will provide faster and more accurate information than would otherwise be available. Emergency personnel will also be provided with visual identification of 2 ~ 86095 any differences or discrepancies in the as-built structure as opposed to that as shown in municipal plans that may be on record. It will be appreciated that having up to date information instantly available (for example new locations for stairwells, doors, corridors, etc.) prior to attending at the building location can be invaluable to police, 5 ambulance or fire personnel when responding to an emergency call.
It is to be understood that what has been described are the preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is possible to make variations to these embodiments while staying within the broad scope of the invention. Some of these variations have been 10 discussed while others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
This invention relates to a method of determining and identifying physical discrepancies between buildings and other erected structures and the plans for such buildings and structures as have been approved by government or other agencies. In particular, the invention relates to a new computer aided method of determinin~ and 10 identifying such physical discrepancies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically before the construction of buildings, whether they be commercial, 15 residential or public, detailed plans of the building are prepared and submitted to the applopliate government agencies for approval. Once approved, the building is then built in accordance with those approved plans and copies of the approved plans are normally kept on file by the government agency that provided the approval. A
similar process is often carried out for other civil engineering structures including 20 bridges, roadways, towers, etc. Likewise, when significant structural or other changes are made to existing buildings or constructions, plans for such changes are normally prepared and approved prior to the commencement of construction. In many jurisdictions prior approval of plans detailing the nature of the change or improvement is a legal pre-requisite before actual construction may commence.
During construction it is quite common for various changes to be made to a building.
In some cases the changes may be extremely minor and insignificant while others may be major and very significant. Often the changes are pre-approved by government authorities and revised plans are prepared and filed. However, in some instances the final building or construction may vary significantly from that asshown in the approved plans or drawings without revised plans having been filed or approved. Renovations or additions may also be made to a building at different points in time. Where prior approval is not obtained for a renovation or addition the 5 approved set of plans m~int~ined by the appropriate government agencies will not reflect such changes and will be inaccurate. As a result the "as-built" structure can sometimes depart radically from that as depicted in the approved plans. In general, the degree of departure between the approved plans and the actual building structure increases over time. Where buildings and other constructions do not conform 10 precisely to the approved plans filed with municipal or other government of fices there does not exist a plan of the as-built structure that can be readily inspected.
Furthermore, due to the uncertainty as to the accuracy of approved plans over time, their reliability is often questionable.
15 For various implicit reasons financiers, banks, insurance companies, propertymanagers, fire departments and other services require detailed knowledge of the structure of a building as it actually exists. Prior to the development of the present inventive method it was necessary for individuals to obtain a copy of the approved municipal plan and attend at the building or structure to compare the plan visually 20 with the physical structure, m~n~ lly noting changes on the approved plan. This process was both labour intensive and resulted in unacceptable delays where updated information was needed immediately. For example, where a financial institution is about to advance funds on the basis of collateral taken in a building, it may not be possible to advance such funds until an analysis of the as-built building and approved 25 municipal plans can be undertaken to ensure that the skucture meets various building, fire and municipal regulations. Similarly, when responding to an emergency call a fire department does not have the luxury of being able to wait until someone performs a physical inspection of a building and then manually makes a notation of any differences and discrepancies on the approved municipal plans.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore provides a new and novel method to visually identify anddetermine physical discrepancies between buildings or constructions and approved5 municipal plans. The method provides a quick, simple and reliable means to identify such discrepancies.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides a method of determining and identifying common elements, discrepancies and differences between the actual floor 10 plans of buildings or other constructions and the floor plans for such buildings or constructions as have been approved by applicable governmental or other agencies, the method comprising the steps of; obtaining a sample or copy of said approved floor plan for said building or construction; inputting said approved floor plan into a computer database such that said approved plan is stored electronically in said 15 database; inspecting said building or construction and measuring and recording its actual floor plan; inputting said measurements of said actual floor plan into said computer database such that said measurements are stored electronically in said database; lltili7.ill~; said computer to create an as-built image of said building or construction floor plan, said as-built image being stored in said computer and based 20 upon said measurements of said actual floor plan; manipulating said approved floor plan and said as-built image stored in said computer such that said approved floor plan and said as-built image are superimposed over one another, thereby creating a superimposed image to visually identify common elements, discrepancies and differences between said actual floor plan of said building or construction and said 25 approved floor plan.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.
2~ 86095 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better underst~nding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, 5 to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments of the present invention in which:
Figure 1 is a drawing of the floor plan of a hypothetical building in accordance with the method of the present invention and represents an approved municipal plan;
Figure 2 represents the actual floor plan of the building of Figure 1;
Figure 3 represents a drawing of a superimposed image of Figures 1 and 2 with graphical representations showing additions and deletions to the floor plan of Figure 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
20 The method according to the present invention begins with obtaining a sample or copy of an approved floor plan or building plan for a particular building or construction. Such plans are normally found at the local municipal government of fice having jurisdiction over the issuance of building permits and the construction of buildings and other structures within a particular geographic area. These plans are 25 usually comprised of drawings of the building or structure as were submitted to local government authorities for approval prior to construction. They may also containupdated information with respect to structural changes in the building, or lateradditions or modifications that have been made.
Following acquisition of the approved plan or drawing, it is then electronically stored in a computer database. While a variety of methods may be used to input the planinto the database, in the preferred embodiment the approved drawing or plan is either input by m~nll~lly entering the information from the drawing or is input through the 5 use of a scanner or optical character reader connected to a computer. Where a scanner is used the scanner converts the lines and representations on the plan or drawing into an electronic format to be stored in the computer's database. Once electronically stored in the database, commercially available computer-aided-design (CAD) software, such as AUTOCADTM, can be utilized to edit or manipulate the 10 image of the approved drawing as required. For example, ancillary information that may be present on the approved drawing (including title blocks, dates, approval stamps, stray lines due to sc:~nning errors, etc.) can be deleted and the image edited to leave only the floor plan or other structural features of the building or construction that are of concern. Thereafter the image of the approved drawing can be viewed on lS the computer monitor or printed for reference purposes. An example of such a printed drawing is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows a typical floor plan with exterior walls 1, interior walls 2, doors 3, stairwell 4, and utility services 5. For illustration purposes Figure 1 shows approved features in double outline.
20 Once the approved plan or drawing has been stored electronically in the computer database, the actual building or construction in issue is inspected and the floor plan and features of concern are measured and recorded. Those measurements and features can then be input into the computer database so that they too are stored electronically. As in the case of inputting the approved floor plan, there exists a 25 number of different methods for imputing the measurements and details of the actual building. For example, the raw data can be directly input through the use of CADsoftware. Alternately, the building's measurements and details could be used to manually draw a "to scale" as-built drawing. That as-built drawing can then be scanned into the computer database with an optical character reader. Alternately, information from the as-built drawing can be electronically stored in the computer through the use of a digitizer. Editing of the electronically stored drawing can then be carried out to remove sc~nning or digitizing errors, if necessary.
5 It may also be desirable for the individual attending at the building site to identify the location of utility services and meters, including water, electricity, gas and telephone. The location of such utilities can be noted on the as-built drawing and can also be input into the computer database through one of the methods discussed above.
Regardless of how the details and measurements of the physical building or structure 10 are input into the computer, once they are stored electronically the computer can be used to create an as-built image of the building's floor plan. If necessary or desirable, CAD or similar software can be used to manipulate or edit features on the as-built image just as in the case of the electronically stored approved floor plan. For illustration purposes Figure 2 shows an as-built image with the as-built structures 15 identified by cross-hatching.
After both the approved plan and the measurements of the actual floor plan have been stored in the computer database, and after all necessary editing has been competed, the approved plan and the as-built image can be manipulated, such that they are of 20 the same scale, and then superimposed over one another. Superimposing one image over the other will thus create a superimposed image to visually identify commonelements and any physical discrepancies or differences between the building or structure as it has been built and the approved plans. Whereas previously individuals were forced to attend at the actual building site to compare the physical building 25 structure with the approved plan, through the use of the present inventive method an actual site attendance is only necessary in order to take physical measurements of the structure. Thereafter an inspection of any discrepancies can be carried out easily and quickly at remote locations. No ex~min~tion or comparison of building structureswith approved drawings is necessary making the comparison simple with little chance 21 8609~;
of error. Superimposing the two images over one another presents a true and accurate physical and visual representation of any differences. In addition, through reference to the scale of the images the physical dimensions of any discrepancies or differences can be determined quickly and with minim~l effort.
To further enhance the visual identification of any differences and discrepancies between the actual floor plan of the building or construction and the approved plan, in the preferred embodiment the approved plan is presented in one colour while the as-built image is presented in a different colour. For example, the approved plan 10 could be shown in black. The as-built image could then be shown in red such that on the superimposed image any red line that is visible (ie. not being superimposed directly over a black line) will represent a structural difference, discrepancy or variation from the approved plan. In this case the red lines will indicate additions to the as-built structure that were not on the approved floor plan. The use of colour 15 in this fashion adds significantly to the ability of individuals to quickly discern differences and discrepancies between the two images. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that rather than utili7ing specific colours to differentiate between the two images, a variety of other methods could equally be employed. For example, Figures 1 and 2 show two methods of depicting approved 20 and as-built structures graphically without the use of colour.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the elements and features of the superimposed image that are common to both the approved floor plan and the as-built image are shown in a first colour. Those elements and features of the superimposed 25 image that are common to the approved floor plan but not the as-built image are shown in a second colour. Finally, those elements and features of the superimposed image that are common to the as-built image but not common to the approved floorplan are shown in a third colour. This has the added effect of not only visuallyidentifying the differences in the approved floor plan and the actual structure, but through utilization of colour as discussed, features that have been added over and above the approved plan and those features of the approved plan that have been removed will be instantly recognizable. That is, features shown in the first colour represent no variance between the actual building and the approved plans. Features 5 in the second colour represent approved features that have been removed and that are no longer physically present at the building. Similarly, those features shown in the third colour represent additions not on the approved plans. Where desired, the existence of any utility services or meters can be identified in a fourth or further colours on any of the drawings or images.
Rather than showing common elements in one of 3 different colours as in the alternate embodiment described above, graphical representations as set out in Figure 3 could equally be used. In Figure 3 the thick solid lines represent elements and features that are common to both the approved plan and the as-built image. Double 15 outlined features are those common to the approved plan but not to the as-built image. Finally those elements common to the as-built image but not the approved plan are identified with cross-hatching. Accordingly, in Figure 3 cross-hatchingindicates features of the building that have been added while double 0l1tlining signifies features that have been removed. For example walls 6 and toilet 7 are 20 shown as having been removed or non-existent. Similarly, wall 8 and door 9 have been added over and above the features on the approved plan.
Once the approved plan and the as-built images have been superimposed over one another the resulting superimposed image can then be printed on a single sheet of 25 paper to create a permanent superimposed drawing. The permanent record or drawing can be provided to other individuals for purposes of assessing any physical discrepancies or can be attached to engineering, ~ses~ment, financial or other reports as may be necessary. The superimposed drawing can also be taken to the site of the building or construction in order to direct an individual precisely to areas of discrepancies between the constructed building and the approved plan. In addition, the superimposed drawing may provide a benefit to engineering personnel for purposes of assessing the safety of any discrepancies or differences.
5 Since the approved plan, the as-built drawing and the superimposed drawing are all stored in an electronic format or version, the computer database storing the data from which these drawings are generated can be linked to a computer network that allows other individuals to access the drawings. For example, financial institutions, insurance companies or property managers wishing to ensure that a particular building 10 or structure complies with local building requirements and has been approved by the requisite government authorities will be able to access the approved, as-built and superimposed drawings stored in the database through the computer network. This will allow them to quickly and easily inspect for any discrepancies. Accessing such information over the computer network removes the need for individuals to eitherl S attend at local municipal of fices to review approved drawings or to physically attend at the building or structure to measure what is actually in existence. It also allows individuals to search for and review discrepancies from distances that are far away from the actual building site. For buildings that must be checked or monitored frequently, up-dated as-built images can be stored in electronic format to allow for 20 immediate visual inspection.
The present inventive method will also be of significant use to fire, police andambulance personnel. For example, when a fire, police or ambulance department receives an emergency call to attend at a particular building or structure, they will be 25 able to utilize a computer network to access the computer database in which the as-built, approved plan and superimposed images for the building have been electronically stored. Accessing these drawings pursuant to the method of the present invention will provide faster and more accurate information than would otherwise be available. Emergency personnel will also be provided with visual identification of 2 ~ 86095 any differences or discrepancies in the as-built structure as opposed to that as shown in municipal plans that may be on record. It will be appreciated that having up to date information instantly available (for example new locations for stairwells, doors, corridors, etc.) prior to attending at the building location can be invaluable to police, 5 ambulance or fire personnel when responding to an emergency call.
It is to be understood that what has been described are the preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is possible to make variations to these embodiments while staying within the broad scope of the invention. Some of these variations have been 10 discussed while others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
Claims (10)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method for determining and identifying common elements, discrepancies and differences between the actual floor plans of buildings or other constructions and the floor plans for such buildings or constructions as have been approved by applicable governmental or other agencies, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining a sample or copy of said approved floor plan for said building or construction;
(b) inputting said approved floor plan into a computer database such that said approved plan is stored electronically in said database;
(c) inspecting said building or construction and measuring and recording its actual floor plan;
(d) inputting said measurements of said actual floor plan into said computer database such that said measurements are stored electronically in said database;
(e) utilizing said computer to create an as-built image of said building or construction floor plan, said as-built image being stored in said computer and based upon said measurements of said actual floor plan;
and, (f) manipulating said approved floor plan and said as-built image storedin said computer such that said approved floor plan and said as-built image are superimposed over one another, thereby creating a superimposed image to visually identify common elements, discrepancies and differences between said actual floor plan of said building or construction and said approved floor plan.
(a) obtaining a sample or copy of said approved floor plan for said building or construction;
(b) inputting said approved floor plan into a computer database such that said approved plan is stored electronically in said database;
(c) inspecting said building or construction and measuring and recording its actual floor plan;
(d) inputting said measurements of said actual floor plan into said computer database such that said measurements are stored electronically in said database;
(e) utilizing said computer to create an as-built image of said building or construction floor plan, said as-built image being stored in said computer and based upon said measurements of said actual floor plan;
and, (f) manipulating said approved floor plan and said as-built image storedin said computer such that said approved floor plan and said as-built image are superimposed over one another, thereby creating a superimposed image to visually identify common elements, discrepancies and differences between said actual floor plan of said building or construction and said approved floor plan.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 including the further step of utilizing saidmeasurements of said actual floor plan of said building or construction to create an as-built drawing of said actual floor plan, said steps of inputting said measurements of said actual floor plan into said computer database and creating said as-built image comprising inputting said as-built drawing into said computer database.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said approved floor plan and said as-built drawing are input into said computer database through the use of an optical character reader.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3 including the step of printing said superimposed image on a single sheet of paper to create a superimposed drawing with each of said approved floor plan and said as-built image printed to the same scale, said superimposed drawing facilitating the visual identification of common elements, differences and discrepancies between said actual floor plan of said building or construction and said approved floor plan.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4 including the further step of printing saidsuperimposed drawing by printing said approved floor plan in a first colour and printing said as-built image in a second colour, said first and second colours enhancing the visual identification of common elements, differences and discrepancies between said actual floor plan of said building or construction and said approved floor plan.
6. The method as claimed in claim 4 including the further step of printing said superimposed drawing by printing those elements and features of said superimposed image that are common to said approved floor plan and said as-built image in a first colour, printing those elements and features of said superimposed image that are common to said approved floor plan but are not common to said as-built image in a second colour, and printing those elements and features of said superimposed image that are common to said as-built image but are not common to said approved floor plan in a third colour.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6 including the step of identifying the existence and location of utility services and meters on the actual floor plan of said building or construction, inputting the location of said utility services and meters into said computer database, and including said utility services and meters on said superimposed image.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said utility services and meters include water, electricity, gas and telephone services.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 including the step of printing said superimposed drawing with said utility services and meters printed in a fourth colour to enhance visual identification of such services and meters.
10. The method as claimed in claim 6 including the additional steps of creating a plurality of superimposed images for a variety of buildings and constructions and storing said plurality of superimposed images on said computer database and linking said computer database to a computer network to allow for remote access to said superimposed images.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US70187396A | 1996-08-23 | 1996-08-23 | |
| US08/701,873 | 1996-08-23 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2186095A1 true CA2186095A1 (en) | 1998-02-24 |
Family
ID=24819025
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002186095A Abandoned CA2186095A1 (en) | 1996-08-23 | 1996-09-20 | Computer aided method for determining discrepancies between erected structures and approved construction plans |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2186095A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN115147628A (en) * | 2022-09-06 | 2022-10-04 | 深圳市明源云科技有限公司 | House image data processing method and device, terminal equipment and medium |
| CN116010997A (en) * | 2023-03-20 | 2023-04-25 | 中国信息通信研究院 | Data resource hosting method and device based on continuity check of blockchain |
-
1996
- 1996-09-20 CA CA002186095A patent/CA2186095A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN115147628A (en) * | 2022-09-06 | 2022-10-04 | 深圳市明源云科技有限公司 | House image data processing method and device, terminal equipment and medium |
| CN116010997A (en) * | 2023-03-20 | 2023-04-25 | 中国信息通信研究院 | Data resource hosting method and device based on continuity check of blockchain |
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