FARO Technologies · lidar

FARO Focus S350

The FARO Focus S350 is a phase-shift terrestrial laser scanner used by TRSC for as-built 3D documentation of complex existing structures. The instrument captures up to 976,000 points per second at scan ranges of up to 350 m, with stated ranging noise of approximately ±1 mm at 25 m and ±2 mm at 50 m on a typical concrete or masonry surface. Onboard sensors include a high-resolution colour camera (HDR-capable, ~165 megapixel composite imagery per scan), GNSS receiver for georeferencing, and dual-axis compensator for tilt correction. Scans are registered on-site using FARO SCENE software and exported as point clouds to engineering modelling environments (Autodesk ReCap, Revit, Rhino, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Trimble RealWorks). TRSC uses the Focus S350 for heritage building as-built documentation, facade deformation surveys, post-disaster damage mapping, and the production of Revit BIM models from existing assets where original drawings are absent or unreliable.

Manufacturer Product Page
TRSC Application Commentary

The Focus S350 is the cornerstone of TRSC's as-built documentation capability. We deploy it on every heritage investigation where original structural drawings are absent (which is most of them), on every facade engagement where panel positions and connection geometry must be quantified, and on post-disaster assessments where damage extent must be documented to a metric standard for insurance and structural-decision purposes. Three notes from extensive field deployment matter. First, scan station planning is the difference between a clean point cloud and a noisy one — overlapping scans with at least 30% common coverage register reliably; isolated stations with no common coverage produce registration errors that propagate through the entire model. We plan stations on a survey-grid layout before walking the site. Second, registration tolerance is set deliberately. The Focus S350 supports automatic cloud-to-cloud registration that will report a millimetre-level alignment, but on heritage masonry with deformation that is itself the subject of investigation, automatic registration can 'absorb' real deformation into the registration tolerance. We force manual target-based registration on heritage deformation surveys to keep the as-built and the deformation distinct. Third, the colour photography is structurally useful — the HDR composite per-scan imagery is registered to the point cloud and provides defect documentation that is geometrically located in 3D space. For the Victory Hotel, the 140 William Street facade and the Q1 Tower spire investigations, the colour-mapped point cloud is itself a structural deliverable, not just a means of producing a Revit model.

Enabled Investigations
  • Heritage building as-built 3D documentation
  • Facade deformation and verticality surveys
  • Post-disaster structural damage mapping
  • Production of Revit BIM models from existing assets
  • Volumetric and clearance verification for adaptive reuse
  • Crack monitoring via repeat-scan deformation analysis
Frequently Asked Questions

Application questions about FARO Focus S350

When does TRSC deploy the FARO Focus S350?
On every engagement where as-built geometry must be quantified to better than ±5 mm and original drawings are absent, incomplete, or unreliable. Typical applications include heritage building documentation (e.g. Victory Hotel, Prince Consort Hotel boundary wall), facade deformation surveys (e.g. 140 William Street curtain wall), post-disaster damage mapping (e.g. Q1 Tower spire post-Cyclone Albert), and production of Revit BIM models from existing assets to support structural design.
How accurate is the FARO Focus S350?
Stated ranging noise is approximately ±1 mm at 25 m and ±2 mm at 50 m on typical concrete or masonry surfaces. Real-world accuracy on a registered multi-station scan project depends on registration discipline, target placement and atmospheric conditions; TRSC typical project registration achieves ±3-5 mm absolute accuracy on a project-scale point cloud, which is adequate for as-built documentation, BIM modelling and deformation surveys at engineering-design tolerance.
Why does TRSC use target-based registration on heritage deformation surveys?
Automatic cloud-to-cloud registration in FARO SCENE will tolerate small geometric inconsistencies between scan stations by adjusting the alignment to minimise overall residual. On heritage masonry where deformation is itself the subject of investigation, this can 'absorb' real deformation into the registration tolerance, reducing the apparent magnitude of the deformation. TRSC therefore uses physical targets and forces manual target-based registration for any survey where deformation must be quantified.
Can the FARO scan be used for crack monitoring?
Yes — for crack widths above approximately ±2 mm and where access permits a repeat scan from the same station configuration, FARO scans can quantify deformation between epochs. For finer crack monitoring (sub-millimetre), TRSC uses dedicated digital tiltmeters and crack gauges in addition to or instead of repeat LiDAR. The FARO scan is more useful for global deformation and out-of-plane movement than for hairline crack monitoring.
Relevant Services
Structural Investigation
Heritage Structural Engineering
Condition Assessment
Sources & Further Reading