Drones Are Revolutionizing The Construction Industry In 5 Ways

Drones. You can't possibly be unaware of them; you must have either read about them or witnessed them in some other context. Drones offer a wide variety of possible uses and applications, one of which is in the field of construction. These uses and applications range from simple tasks like flying around a room to the acquisition of unique aerial imagery.

One of the most fascinating new technologies to emerge in the construction sector is the use of drones. The use of drones for corporate purposes has expanded by 239 percent over the course of the past year, which is a growth rate that significantly outpaces that of any other industry. Because of their skill in gathering data and their elevated vantage point, drones are a versatile tool that may be used for a variety of purposes, including on-site security and off-site surveillance.

Drone technology, in particular, has had an effect on each and every stage of the project life cycle, beginning with the planning phase and continuing all the way through to the end. Photography taken from a drone can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including initial planning and design, continuous project monitoring, and status reporting.

The prevalence of drones in the field is expected to increase in tandem with the growth of the construction sector and the increase in the level of difficulty of individual projects. Keep reading to learn more about the ways in which these cutting-edge devices are causing a revolution in the market.

How Are Drones Used in Construction?

Productivity can be increased, overhead costs may be cut, and procedures can be made more straightforward thanks to the capacity of drones to record data in real time and provide a distinct aerial advantage. The following are just a few of the many different ways that drones can be utilized in construction projects.

1. Equipment Tracking

Almost every project manager has experienced the frustration of trying to remember where they last saw a piece of equipment. There are sometimes many long spreadsheets to be created, which can rapidly become a headache in Excel.

A manager can use a drone to make a fast flyover and see if everything is where it should be. They can also tell right away whether a piece of equipment that needs to be removed from the premises has been left behind, so avoiding potentially costly inadvertent extension fees.

Furthermore, problems with equipment are typical. The recording capabilities of drones could be used to see problems from afar and provide concrete examples to better explain them to stakeholders. Operators can quickly transmit recorded data to equipment rental company repair technicians for faster and more accurate diagnosis before the technicians ever arrive on-site.

2. Topographic Mapping and Land Surveys

Large, complex building projects cannot be planned effectively without first consulting topographic maps. Costly mistakes in layouts not optimal for a given environment can be uncovered by these methods. It takes a lot of time and money to create a topographic map, yet having one is quite useful. As a result, fresh maps are not always available at the outset of a project.

Drones can greatly reduce the time spent on topographic visualization because of their ability to survey large areas of land. In addition to ensuring that the project stays within its allotted budget, this also helps to ensure that it starts off correctly. When this data is collected, it can be used to assess viability and aid in the design process.

As an added bonus, the high-resolution photographs taken by drones can be turned into 3D models, allowing the construction crew to highlight obstacles during pre-construction and spot flaws in the scope, thus saving time and money.

3. Progress Reports and Real-Time Tracking

Construction drones have many uses, one of which is increasing transparency between contractors and their customers. When clients are unable to visit a construction site in person, drones can nonetheless provide them with a bird's eye perspective of the progress being made there from above. This provides clients the confidence that their money is being used wisely.

During flyovers, drones can convey data to connected software, enhancing team collaboration and communication both with clients and amongst themselves. Multiple users, including design teams, engineers, construction managers, employees, and owners, can monitor the progress of the project in real time and quickly identify any errors that may have been made. In addition, drones can leave behind a valuable paper trail that teams can mine for insights at a later date.

4. Human Resource Security

Most construction firms place a premium on the wellbeing of their employees. In fact, 34% of all workplace fatalities can be attributed to falls. When collecting manual measures, workers are often required to ascend to unstable platforms and avoid potentially dangerous areas. Drones can be used to reduce dangers faced by construction workers in the field and take the place of humans in these scenarios.

Managers in the construction industry can utilize drone cameras to keep an eye on things, such worker balance and the stability of buildings and machinery.

5. Security Surveillance

Having equipment stolen from a job site can be a major setback. To replace a stolen boom lift or excavator could cost you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. The National Equipment Register estimates that annually $300 million worth of construction equipment is stolen from building sites, with only 25% of the equipment ever being recovered. Therefore, keeping tools safe is crucial to any effective project management.

An operator of a drone can swiftly check the location of a piece of equipment to verify if it is sufficiently protected by flying over it. The security camera can also be used to check for the presence of any unwanted visitors. This can aid with the detection of any unwanted visitors and the prevention of theft or damage.

Construction Drone Services

Lower the costs of projects and increase the productivity and safety of your crew with drone services for construction.

Streamline Job Site Documentation 

Track, map, survey, inspect, and manage worksites more efficiently and safely. With 4K HDR video, you can get a better overview of your sites and provide your client with accurate updates.

Ground Photos

With any aerial photo package, we can provide a comprehensive ground photo shoot of your site, exterior, interior, day or night. Whether you need it for marketing material for prospects, or status updates for clients, we are here to help!

Aerial Video

Aerial drone photography can add a fresh new perspective to your marketing collateral for your business. We can provide commercial style content for advertisements or simple site check ins.

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What are the benefits of using drone photography for construction?

Drones can cover rugged territory - “One of the more difficult things when you have a larger piece of land, is standing on the ground it’s a harder perspective when you’re categorizing all of the assets … so the drones create a highly accurate 3-D scan of the entire property.” - RCG Valuation CEO Scott Roelofs

Aid designers, engineers and contractors - Drones are becoming an essential component of virtual design and construction (VDC), giving architects and engineers new and efficient ways to visualize and analyze structural requirements from the ground up.

Easily communicate site progress - Measure and report the progress on your project quicker and easier than ever with aerial construction photos taken by drone.

Reduce safety ricks - These survey and design tasks have traditionally required a plane, crane or helicopter, as well as a staff of data scientists. Drones provide the opportunity to offer these services at a more competitive rate and with the added bonus of gathering the data safely — a top priority for construction and engineering firms.