As an industry innovation, drones in the construction industry are really taking off. In many cases, drones can be used to perform site tasks more quickly, more accurately, and with less expense than traditional methods.
Drone tech has revolutionized everything from project inception through to project close. Drone photos, videos, and imagery are used for scoping out jobs, seeing how buildings are doing, and getting real-time updates.
With the increasing complexity of construction projects and the growth of the industry, drone use in construction will continue to rise. In this article, we will explore how drones are transforming the industry.
Measurements and site survey
Drones are becoming increasingly important in surveying and reproducing accurate measurements due to their accessibility and accuracy. It is particularly useful for initial surveys when all areas of a site may not be accessible. The data from initial surveys can also be used for impact assessments and as a historical record.
In order to provide accurate surveys, drones greatly reduce the amount of manual labor and time that is involved. With drones, human errors are largely eliminated in the process of collecting necessary data and it can be captured in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional methods.
Additionally, drones can produce high-resolution images that can be manipulated to create 3D models, allowing construction crews to pinpoint the challenges during pre-construction and to identify mistakes in the scope, saving time and money in the long run.
Productivity growth
Increasing productivity is critical to the success of construction projects, and drone technology is a great way to do that. You will be able to make better decisions with high-quality, visual data, which in turn will lead to an increase in productivity.
In addition to boosting productivity, drones can fill roles that workers might have had in the past. Savings in time and money will result from people being able to focus on different things. A drone allows workers to focus on jobs that require human touch by inspecting areas on sites faster and more efficiently.
Monitoring progress
More than 30% of construction disputes are the result of design errors. Confusion increases when projects are delayed and over budget due to incorrect or incomplete designs. By capturing highly accurate site data, progress tracking with drones can minimize these problems.
Drone pilots collect data when needed, so there's no need to halt construction to collect survey data. Contractors can then upload the collected data to Hammer Missions where they can access it anywhere, anytime, and easily interpret the information. This data can also be shared with other stakeholders involved in the project.
Data can be accessed simultaneously by design teams, engineers, construction managers, workers, and owners, so they can follow the project and spot any mistakes. Furthermore, drones can create a valuable trail of documents that can be accessed by teams in the future.
Security Efficiency
Drones have sharply increased the efficiency of the security system. Drones are steadily becoming more prevalent in the construction industry, be they to safeguard employees or prevent theft or vandalism at work sites.
Having equipment stolen from a job site can be devastating.
In the US, equipment theft alone costs construction companies between $300 million and $1 billion annually. Less than 25% of that money is recovered, according to the National Equipment Register and National Insurance Crime Bureau. Maintaining equipment security therefore is vital.
By conducting a flyover, a drone operator can determine whether a piece of equipment is in a secure enough location. Drones are able to travel to many locations simultaneously. These systems not only reduce theft and keep workers safer; they create an around-the-clock, real-time monitoring system that has already been adopted by several construction companies.
When planning future developments, what is the best way to make use of drones?
Drones have a lot of potential in the construction industry, so now's the time for construction managers to think about drone uses in their own planning. What should construction companies, project managers and stakeholders consider:
Drone Regulations in respective countries
Analyzing current data-gathering processes, data gathering tools, and data use.
Being familiar with new technologies and understanding how they may affect your company
The construction industry will be able to decide whether to invest in hardware and train on-site staff to use drones, or whether to use commercial drone services to make the most of drone technology for their own businesses.
Summary
Hammer Missions is designed to increase the operational efficiency in Infrastructure Surveys & Inspections by using Drones, software automation and aerial data.
Our software helps civil engineering consultancies, drone professionals and Enterprise UAS programmes collect quick and precise inspection data for a number of different infrastructure assets: roofs, facades, powerlines, towers, solar panels, wind turbines and more.
If you want to learn more about our enterprise solutions, including mission collaboration, data capture, flight analytics and more, please contact us at team@hammermissions.com.
We look forward to hearing from you.
- The Hammer Team