August 12, 2020 ITS Money: Melissa Landon, Ph.D., P.E. and Jennie Byron

Jennie Byron | Golder Associates
Melissa Landon, Ph.D., P.E. | Golder Associates

Creating Art and Reducing Project Risk with 3D Modeling

Humans have always lived in three dimensional space, with senses that evolved for a 3D environment. So, it’s perfectly natural that people can more quickly, easily, and fully understand something when it’s represented in a mode that suits human sensory perception. This is why advances in 3D modeling and associated 3D technologies are game changers for engineers, geologists, scientists, architects, designers, and other professionals — and for the stakeholders who want to understand the world around them and the projects that affect them.

Findings

3D Modeling has many advantages:

• It increases perspective and clarity.
• It communicates key information effectively.
• It guides site investigation efforts to specific locations to close knowledge gaps.
• It reduces the project risk as the understanding of the subsurface conditions is enhanced.