The 9/11 Memorial of
Maryland is unique among other state memorials in its design. The Memorial, designed by Ziger/Snead, incorporates three steel
beams from the World Trade Center, three limestone blocks from the west
wall of the Pentagon and three black granite pieces representing the
Flight 93 site in Shanksville, PA.While all states were offered 9/11 artifacts to create their memorials, the Maryland memorial leaves the beams in their original state rather
than incorporating them into a new structure or piece of art.
One
of the first steps in creating the design was documenting the existing
condition of the beams. Due to the extensive damage it would be nearly
impossible to document them using traditional methods. It was also
important that whatever process was used to record the measurements not
come into contact with these historically important pieces.
These
two factors lead the team at Ziger/Snead to Direct Dimensions to learn
about how cutting edge 3D laser scanning and 3D imaging could be used to
capture the beams for the purposes of planning and design. Of course,
Direct Dimensions' President Michael Raphael and the DDI team of
engineers were excited to tackle such a unique 3D scan while also
helping a worthy cause.
The Direct Dimensions team ultimately utilized two different scanners to capture the massive and complex steel beams. The Surphaser HSX Spherical Laser scanner and the new handheld Mantis Vision F5 scanner
were used to digitally capture the complex artifacts in just a few
hours. Both of these scanners were able to capture the exact
measurements of the beams without ever touching them.
The
data acquired from the scan, in the form of large point clouds, was
digitally modeled and delivered to the designers. According to
Ziger/Snead the 3D model can be used in a variety of ways including
using it for 3D printing a scale model of the beams, using the 3D models
for placement on the project site and construction questions, and using
it for the design of structural supports and fasteners.
The monument is located in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
You can visit the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland project page to learn more about the creation of the memorial.
