EL Morro Lighthouse
San Juan, PR
SF 1,000
The El Morro Lighthouse has been providing a safe passage to the boats that visit the city of San Juan since 1876. The lighthouse was rebuilt in its current form in 1908. The passing of time and the harsh marine environment have caused parts of the building to corrode and break down faster than normal.
To help the rehabilitation effort, RCM documented the current state of the building components, with a special emphasis on the masonry structure, the cupola, and the interior spiral stair.
Even though the lighthouse has a small footprint, its architectural style and the unique details make it challenging to document. This building presents the highest complexity per square foot we have ever encountered. Traditional documentation methods were impractical since the structure is situated on top of a castle and has a height of 55ft.
Terrestrial laser scanning was used as the primary method of capturing the as-built conditions. Even this method presented some challenges. Not having good line-of-sight made it impossible to reach the upper portion of the cupola and some areas of the North façade. Hence, we supplemented the capture using aerial photographs. The images were eventually processed together with the scans using photogrammetry. This hybrid solution enabled us to obtain a complete and accurate capture of the lighthouse.
Developing an as-built model was no walk in the park either. The slanted octagonal base and the thickness of the masonry walls complicated the process even more. With careful planning and a lot of attention to details, our team found solutions that exceeded our client’s expectation.
Having limited record drawings, our field investigation report in combination with the preservationists’ notes helped us document most building components at a Level of Detail 300.
The represented accuracy of the modeled elements was maintained below 5/8”. The exceptions were flagged and presented in review meetings.
The client found the deliverable to be so remarkable that it was a discussion topic in his office for many weeks after completion.
Key Characteristics
Seamless integration with client’s standards
95% of the building modeled at LOD300
ZERO Revit warnings
+/- 5/8” represented accuracy