Going above and beyond: How DSI Solutions tackled three challenging as-built projects in the UAE

A compact workflow, powered by Leica Geosystems

From the outset, DSI Solutions has relied on the Leica RTC360 laser scanner for 3D data capture.

“The high-density data from the RTC360 provides beautiful detail of the areas captured. This makes it much easier for the operator or modeller to understand the situation without struggling or needing to ask questions about what was happening on site.”

This is paired with Leica Cyclone FIELD 360 for field registration. “With the app, you don’t leave the site without everything falling into place – everything is clear and aligned. It saves a huge amount of time once you’re back in the office.”

The team then uses Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360 PLUS for final processing and alignment, before exporting to BIM software.

The workflow has proven robust, adaptable, and highly efficient across their wide variety of projects, including interior design, architecture, engineering, construction management, and facility and asset management, all the way through to archaeology and forensics.

“Using Leica Geosystems solutions streamlined our entire workflow. The precision and reliability of the technology gave us the confidence to tackle even the most complex shapes."

The abandoned police station

One of DSI Solutions' notable projects involved documenting a remote, disused police station.

Located nearly 400 km from Dubai, and dating back to the early 1980s, the structure had been abandoned when the police department relocated to newer facilities.

“The building had historical significance for the police. So, they wanted to investigate its condition before making a decision whether to demolish it or renovate it,” explained Salem.

The challenge was immediate: there were no existing records for the decades-old building, yet the structural engineers required complete architectural drawings, plans, sections, and elevations to conduct their feasibility analysis.

Using a single Leica RTC360 scanner operated by one technician, DSI Solutions captured the entire building in just three days. The team processed the data using REGISTER 360, then exported the files to build a comprehensive BIM model of the structure.

From this model, they extracted all necessary architectural deliverables, including sections, plans, elevations, and detailed drawings. This provided the police department with complete documentation to support their structural analysis and decision-making process.

DSI Solutions was tasked with producing a full BIM model of the abandoned police station so that its condition could be evaluated. – Image Source: DSI Solutions LLC

A palace and its gardens

A significantly larger undertaking involved documenting an entire presidential palace for renovation planning.

Built in the mid-1990s, the Al Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi features an impressive façade with intricate decorations, arched doorways, and massive domes.

Since its construction, the palace has undergone numerous changes, rendering the existing architectural drawings obsolete

The client needed accurate as-built documentation to support additional renovations. So, every building within the compound, including boundary walls, electromechanical installations, and even vegetation, required complete documentation.

The project involved scanning everything – the buildings’ exteriors, interiors, MEP, and surrounding vegetation. – Image Source: DSI Solutions LLC
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DSI Solutions applied different density settings on the RTC360 depending on the requirements. “We used low density for the plain architectural surfaces and medium density for the buildings and mechanical rooms. Vegetation was especially challenging because it moves in the wind, but high-density scanning allowed us to achieve the overlap and detail we needed – it made it easier to link the setups together," Salem explains.

All scanning was performed with a single RTC360 over roughly two weeks in September. That meant working in 50°C heat. “It was hot, but the equipment only overheated once, and that’s because someone left the tablet in the direct sun.”

Due to the size of the compound, the project created terabytes of data that challenged both DSI Solutions' processing capabilities and the client's data handling infrastructure. They agreed to ship hard drives internationally to the architect in the Netherlands.

DSI Solutions went above and beyond to provide maximum value to the client by scanning and modelling the palace’s large mango garden. From there, they could analyse average trunk diameter and crown canopy measurements for landscaping planning purposes.

The final BIM model included representations of trees with accurate positioning and canopy sizes, far exceeding original requirements. – Image Source: DSI Solutions LLC

No plans? No problem

Among DSI Solutions' most technically demanding achievements stands the iconic Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, a project that tested the full potential of reality capture technology.

With the museum’s ever-evolving exhibits and frequent spatial reconfigurations, maintaining accurate documentation became a growing necessity. “The museum had undergone continuous changes – updating displays, modifying layouts, and carrying out light construction works like adding or removing partitions,” explained Salem, Director at DSI Solutions.

Faced with this dynamic environment, the museum team identified a critical need: a comprehensive and reliable BIM model to serve as the definitive reference for all future modifications.

That need quickly became a real-world challenge when DSI Solutions was granted access to a 500-square-meter mechanical plant room without disclosing any as-built records or technical references. It was a true blank slate.

“They told us, ‘Show us what you can do,’” Salem recalls. Rising to the occasion, the DSI team deployed Leica's cutting-edge RTC360 laser scanner and completed a full scan of the space in under three hours.

“The RTC360 proved invaluable, especially in tight, inaccessible areas,” said Salem. “In some places, you couldn't even fit your hand between the equipment, but we managed to reach everywhere and capture every angle. We even detached the scanner from the tripod to squeeze into blind spots and scan from multiple perspectives.”

Thanks to the versatility of the RTC360, the team developed a complete BIM model, down to individual electrical conduits, capturing every system component in the densely packed space.

The result? A highly detailed and accurate 3D BIM model created entirely from scratch, setting a new benchmark for digital documentation in the museum and heritage sector.

The flexibility and speed of the RTC360 allowed DSI Solutions to capture the high-detail environment of the museum’s mechanical room in three hours. – Image Source: DSI Solutions LLC
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One tool, countless applications

By combining technical expertise with AEC industry knowledge, DSI Solutions continues to deliver precise documentation that supports informed decision-making for complex architectural and engineering challenges throughout the UAE.

"We never had a client come back telling us we have an error, whether in registration or BIM modelling," Salem emphasises. "The quality of the scans was always 100% accurate thanks to the hardware, the software, and our rigorous quality checks."

From mechanical rooms to mango groves, Leica Geosystems equipment has allowed DSI Solutions to adapt reality capture across an impressive variety of projects.

"Adopting Leica Geosystems technologies into our workflow has been a game-changer. The technology has empowered our team to deliver with precision and efficiency, even under tight deadlines."

With a growing portfolio and strong technical foundations, DSI Solutions continues to show how a lean, expert team armed with the right tools can take on some of the most complex scanning challenges and deliver results that matter.