Digital Insight

3D imagery unlocks a world of helpful data

By Kevin Klott

t’s no secret that Alaska’s remote locations present unique challenges for the construction industry, but Alaska Remote Imaging says its advanced 3D imaging technology could prove to be a game-changer.

3D imaging technology—including light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, photogrammetry, and drone-based imaging—allows users to create highly accurate and detailed models of construction sites. This technology captures the exact dimensions and features of a site, enabling firms to plan and execute projects with unprecedented accuracy.

“The technology is getting more accessible and more affordable to deploy,” says Matt Gutacker, managing principal of Alaska Remote Imaging. “But the world doesn’t have a lack of technology right now. They have a lack of capacity to harness it. So that’s why we exist.”

Alaska Remote Imaging, or ARI, was founded in 2019. Gutacker and his business partner, Josh Sundstrom, purchased it in the spring of 2021 and have been working hard since to steer its growth and expand its capabilities.

In the past four years, ARI has focused on making difficult jobs easier with 3D imaging, modeling, and mapping. In the past year alone, ARI has completed more than 300 projects in more than 170 remote Alaska communities.

“We look at the digital twin as a superior way of using field notes,” says Gutacker. “But it’s not just field notes for us. It’s communication.”

Relying only on hand sketches, photos, and phone calls can lead to miscommunications and mishaps. 3D imaging, however, helps eliminate mistakes in an industry where time is money and budgets are tight. If a project manager needs to measure the progress on a North Slope job site, they can choose to deploy 3D technology and save time and money by managing the project from an alternate location.

“The technology just takes a complex situation and makes it simple,” says Gutacker. “You can be on the other side of the world and still get those visual checks.”

Gutacker was introduced to 3D imaging technology years ago while serving as a senior construction project manager. Managing multiple complex projects, he began utilizing 3D scanning and documentation during the rough-in process, which allowed him to have virtual access to digital twins of his projects and increased his efficiency during project timelines.

This initial utilization and recognition of the role that 3D imaging technology could have across many different industries sparked a new trajectory for Gutacker: a vision to help bring these cutting-edge tools to other project managers and organizations.

“Access to 3D imaging technology via digital twins over smartphone and desktop is changing how construction projects can be managed,” says Gutacker. “When a busy professional has quick access to meaningful, interactive information, it has a profound impact. Every meeting, phone call, RFP, material order, and design decision is better informed. This allows better control of the project and translates into cost savings and less stress.”

Chandler Alford, a construction manager at Meridian Management, Inc., says the integration of readily accessible 3D imaging and detailed close-ups in construction has been revolutionary. A major benefit is the ability to visualize projects in a detailed and accurate manner without requiring anyone to be physically on site.

“With most of our projects located in rural Alaska, this technology enables us to identify and locate equipment and make informed decisions in the event we don’t have the correct trip pictures,” says Alford. “3D imaging and drone shots enhance our ability to see the overall picture of how our site sits relative to its environment and communicate effectively with team members on construction challenges and solving those problems with synchronized efforts.”

As technology continues to advance, Alford imagines a future of even greater precision and efficiency in workflows.

“Using existing technologies like the Meta or Ocular face VR [virtual reality] technologies would be an excellent resource in providing a better appreciation on the size of our projects, the perspective our operators have when they mobilize, and the issues that construction has, which would normally be difficult to communicate over emails,” says Alford.

One of Meridian Management’s major projects this year has been the GCI and Bethel Native Corporation Airraq Network project, a large-scale telecommunications infrastructure development that delivers high-speed fiber to rural Alaska communities by laying cable in the ocean and connecting it to data server shelters in various villages.

“We’ve been utilizing 3D imaging to create detailed models of these sites, enabling us to refine and improve each location with every iteration,” says Alford. “This project highlights the immense value of integrating 3D imaging as an essential tool in our repertoire.”

While 3D imaging is an invaluable resource, nothing can truly replace having personnel on the ground, Alford adds. However, the logistics of operating in remote areas can make obtaining necessary information challenging.

“I believe the future of construction lies in the seamless integration of technology and human expertise,” says Alford. “Meridian is committed to leading this transformation in Alaska’s project and construction management.”

One of the primary benefits of 3D imaging is the significant increase in precision and efficiency it brings to construction projects, says Gutacker. By providing detailed and accurate representations of a site, 3D imaging minimizes errors and reduces the need for rework, ultimately saving time and money.

ARI prioritizes understanding clients’ goals for each project, identifying roadblocks and pain points and then leveraging new technology and custom deliverables to reduce or eliminate these challenges. The company’s three core values—excellence, attunement, and innovation—are applied to every situation, combined with the ability to mobilize and operate sensitive technology in Alaska’s extreme range of environments.

“This approach has proven to be highly effective,” says Gutacker. “We were recently informed by a senior manager on a telecom project where we utilized 3D imaging technology that ARI’s methodology has reduced their project duration by six months.”

An Alaska Remote Imaging technician prepares a drone for a site survey at a telecommunications facility.

Above, a drone-captured point cloud of a telecommunications tower provides a detailed virtual model for accurate analysis and planning.

Meridian Management, an Anchorage-based company that provides clients with comprehensive project and program management, uses 3D imaging after a site is complete or nearly complete. However, Alford says there is potential for use much earlier on in the project life cycle to show identified construction areas, including situational awareness to the surrounding areas, changes in elevation down to the minute detail, and constant imagery updates throughout construction.

“This combination would enable us to create dynamic, data-rich models that can be used throughout the entire lifecycle of a project, from design to construction to maintenance,” says Alford. “We could explore the use of 3D imaging for predictive analytics, which will allow us to anticipate and address potential issues before they arise, especially since many of our projects experience similar challenges either being in the Arctic or because some projects are nearly identical.”

At STG Incorporated, a subsidiary of Calista Corporation that has worked in the telecom industry for 20 years building and maintaining towers in Western Alaska, 3D imaging is saving thousands of dollars in travel costs.

“I would venture to say that 3D imagery has saved over $100,000 in potential site visits to remote mountain tops,” says Jay Ubben, a senior project manager at STG, “and likely even more with providing solid plans for successful projects without delays.”

Ubben saw what ARI was doing with its 3D imagery for residential construction and immediately knew how valuable it would be if STG had similar technology for its remote sites.

“We sent ARI out to perform a scan on one of these remote mountain tops and over the next couple of months saw more positive feedback than we expected,” says Ubben. “We were able to jump on a meeting with a dozen engineers, walk through the site and take measurements to properly plan what materials we need, and discuss any discrepancies we had in our 2D plans.”

Since that first scan, STG always has a 3D scan completed before leaving a site, benefiting both the client and the company by accurately capturing the final product and mitigating the risk of claims. Ubben says this practice allows clients to inspect the site remotely, saving significant travel costs and ensuring successful project delivery.

Gutacker believes the use of scanning technology is in the early phase of adoption. He sees advancements in photogrammetry, LiDAR, and remote sensing, with a focus on integrating artificial intelligence for automated inspections and risk analysis.

“The next step is getting into more autonomous remote sensing,” he says. “It’s not mainstream yet, but it will be.”