Drones in Construction
There is no doubting the place of drones in modern construction, but are they being used properly or to their full potential? However, many involved in construction, from Developers, Contractors to Real Estate Agents only take images or videos of sites to show progress throughout the build.
More than pretty pictures?
The data that drones can bring to projects is revolutionising how companies manage large projects. The level of data and speed at which it can be captured, compared to traditional methods allows for better decisions to be made. The problem is the adoption rate. Many people don’t realise the potential of drones, the detailed data they can deliver, the possibilities to streamline older methodologies and lean up that project workflow.
Pre-planning
Before the planning application is submitted, drone surveys should be conducted to give the full picture of not only the site but the surrounding area. This can add tremendous value to the application, meaning possible objections can be foreseen and the impact of the site on the locality can be fully assessed. Having valuable data such as tree heights, density, distances from surrounding properties, and even neighbouring sightlines, can all allow for a more complete application.
Billing and invoicing
Many companies are paid by what they remove or add to a site, depending on the job. For example, a contractor may be paid by the length of kerb they lay in a month. This can be accurately measured with two drone surveys, one before, and one after. The surfaces are compared and the length of kerb is measured. You then have an accurate measurement of the kerb to compared to what the invoice is for. As you can see in the example below, a simple line measurement of the completed work allows for accurate billing and audit tracking
Quick quotes
A simple example of how small or large companies can make informed decisions driven by drone data. Let’s take this example of a mound of earth, it’s going to have to be removed from the site. There are a couple of options. Get a surveyor in to measure the stockpile and give you a volume. This can be a dangerous task, as the surveyor has to walk the stockpile to measure it, and may not be sure of how solid the surface is.
Have the contractor bill you for the amount they remove from the site. This is not ideal as you have no idea what the cost will be until the earth has been removed.
A drone can be brought in, survey the area and processed to give accurate results in hours. The speed of data collection and visual nature, allows for all to see the size of the task. Estimates can then be attained based on a accurate data, allowing project managers sign off on the cost.
All of these measurements can be taken in our custom construction platform, allowing you access to real-time data about your project. Your data, your decisions.