Drones in Construction Industry, the construction industry has existed in one form or another for as long as man has walked the earth. Thanks to advances in modern technology things like bridges, buildings, canals, parks and more can be built faster than ever.
Many construction companies are catching on to the fact that drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), can play a pivotal and extremely helpful role in the construction industry.
There are six specific ways that drones are commonly used in construction projects. Below we have outlined each of these methods and elaborated on how they benefit clients, construction companies, workers, and the general public.
1. Land Surveying
Until just a few years ago, land surveying was a complicated and expensive part of the construction. Expensive equipment had to be leased and multiple contractors had to trek into what was often uncharted territory. The innovation of drones has made land surveys much more cost-effective and efficient.
Drones not only allow you to get a general idea about the property, but they can also provide you with much-needed details regarding the landscape and surrounding areas. This cuts down on equipment and manpower costs, and it offers contractors the ability to make well-informed estimates and decisions prior to accepting contracts or breaking ground.
2. Marketing & Promotion
For a construction project to be successful, it needs to have clients. Savvy construction companies use drones to film aerial shots of the area prior to development. Along with scale models and 3D renderings of the finished product, sky-high shots of the area from multiple angles help potential clients visualize the transformation of the barren land.
If you want to stand out to potential clients and help them see how their ideas can become reality, you should seriously consider adding drone photography and videos to your arsenal of sales tools. This strategy can also be used to convince communities and task-forces of the viability of your project.
3. Safety & Insurance
Insurance costs for construction projects are at an all-time high, and one way you can protect and improve your safety record is through the use of drones. Use a drone to find out before anyone else, and remedy the issue before it becomes a larger liability.
Aside from using drones to prevent serious injuries or death to your coworkers or the end-users of the construction, you might also be eligible for a discount on your insurance if you use UAVs to patrol the site in an effort to find and fix potential problems. Drones can be used to inspect safety procedures at the site, the quality of work being done, and make sure the structure is constructed correctly.
4. Showing Job Progress to Clients
Clients fund construction projects, but they can also impede progress by incessantly showing up on-site with shiny boots and ill-fitting hard hats. To appease clients and to prevent them from interfering with ongoing work, use a drone to film the site regularly.
If the client is constantly receiving videos and images of the progress being made, you will be able to spend more time on the actual work. Drones are also a helpful way to provide updates to clients who are unable to visit the area. It is advisable to only film areas that are making good progress unless the client stipulates otherwise.
5. Monitoring Multiple Job Sites
Successful contractors are rarely able to remain on-site throughout the duration of a construction project. They rely on information from foremen and inspectors to provide them with regular updates. That system works to some degree, but thanks to drones there is now another way to monitor multiple job sites without having to travel excessively.
A drone operator can provide you with clear views of specific aspects of the site as well as general aerial shots, thus allowing you to see exactly what has been done and what needs to be done. Large-scale contractors use UAVs for this purpose on a daily basis to make sure things are running smoothly, safely, and on schedule. A camera drone is also very useful when it comes to building inspections.
6. Monitoring Workers
You want to keep your workers safe and productive, but hiring an extra group of supervisors is cost-prohibitive. What can you do to ensure employees are ‘working hard and not ‘hardly working?’ Drones can patrol the area to keep an eye on everyone in general or to conduct surveillance on a specific person or group who might not be following protocol.
Today’s drones are non-invasive and in many instances, the workers may not even be aware that they are under surveillance. Whether you want to take preventative measures to make sure the job is being done right and safely, or you need to verify the actions of someone, in particular, today’s camera-equipped drones can be your strongest ally.
The construction industry is evolving at a rapid rate, and with all the innovations and changes to traditional methods comes the need for greater efficiency in every aspect of your business. Since drones are generally small with high levels of maneuverability, they are being used more and more as an alternative to traditional vehicles. Even better, drones do not have to adhere to traffic laws, which allow them to make deliveries in a fraction of the time, using half of the resources.