01/10/2026
Salam Spasial,
So, how do you calculate the volume of sand inside a bulk carrier?
It starts with something that doesn't look like a volume at all: a 3D point cloud.
At first, the scan contains everything inside the cargo hold — the structure, cargo, sand, and other objects.
So we can't simply calculate the volume immediately.
First, we need to isolate the sand. Then, turn those points into a 3D surface. Clean the surface so it represents the actual sand. Find the lowest point and establish a reference plane. Finally, calculate the volume between the sand surface and that plane.
In this example, the calculated result is 6,949.29 cu m.
That's the interesting part of 3D scanning: we're not just creating a picture of what's inside the vessel. We're turning spatial data into measurable information.
Swipe through the carousel to see the process step by step.