Case Study: Bureau of Reclamation achieves long-term protection of Glen Canyon Dam with Autodesk reality capture and 3D modeling

Reality Capture and 3D Models Help Protect Critical Infrastructure

The Bureau of Reclamation, which manages Glen Canyon Dam among 492 western U.S. dams, needed a better way to assess and preserve aging infrastructure that was documented only by decades‑old paper drawings. To modernize inspections and long‑term asset management, the Bureau partnered with Autodesk to apply reality capture and 3D modeling tools (including ReCap Pro, Revit, and InfraWorks) to create a comprehensive digital twin of the dam.

Autodesk led a weeklong field campaign that produced 700 lidar scans, thousands of photographs, sonar surveys (using an ROV) and millions of data points, compiling photorealistic point clouds in ReCap Pro and building a detailed technical model in Revit with plans to add real‑time data in InfraWorks. The Autodesk solution gives the Bureau a dynamic model to detect damage, prioritize repairs, simulate scenarios, and educate the public—transforming static blueprints into measurable, actionable data for long‑term maintenance and replication at other dams.

Bureau of Reclamation

David Winslow

CAD Manager and Civil Engineer