Buzzing Over Blueprints: How Drones Are Changing Construction Monitoring and Management
Remember when construction sites were all hard hats and clipboards? When architects, engineers and project managers had to keep squinting through static cameras during on-ground inspections? And let’s not even get started on all the legwork needed moving from one edge of the site to the other. Well, those days are behind us. Such methods may have got the job done at the end of the day, but they fell short in flexibility, coverage, and real-time data acquisition. Projects took ages, cost more, and even endangered workers’ lives. That is all changing with drones.
Photo by Deybson Mallony
Take the HS2 development project for instance, one of Europe's largest infrastructure endeavors. Here, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) turned to drones, particularly the Mavic 3 Enterprise model, to overhaul their construction site surveying. Spanning about 90 kilometers of the HS2's first phase, these drones brought faster, safer, and more cost-effective surveying, significantly improving data collection and remote access.
This shift to drones led to BBV saving a staggering £5 million in savings over five years. Switching from Phantom 4 RTK to Mavic 3 Enterprise drones meant not only better efficiency but also 20-25mm survey-grade accuracy, all without needing ground control points. This move also meant 800 fewer 'working at risk days', highlighting the safety benefits. Plus, centralized data management improved remote monitoring, teamwork, and decision-making.
The Rise of Drones in Construction
In 2023, a significant 37% of all US drone registrations, which amounts to 316,075, were for commercial operations. The construction and infrastructure sector is among the top industries utilizing commercial drones, following closely behind agriculture. The global construction drone market, valued at $5.34 billion 2022, is on a rapid ascent, projected to reach $11.96 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 15.5%. And it's not just construction — the global drone market itself is expected to surge to $63.6 billion by 2025, with projections of reaching $55.8 billion by 2030. Asia leads this clocking a 19.4% CAGR.
What's behind this surge? The expanding infrastructural developments, rising demand for advanced construction technologies, and the need for precise site maps and surveys. Tech advancements are coming on board, complete with sharper camera resolutions and more detailed imagery, deeper integrated mapping and construction software, user-friendly piloting features, right through to aspects like software longer battery life that keep the drones airborne in construction sites for longer.
Photo by Scott Blake on Unsplash
How Drones are Transforming Construction Monitoring
Here are some of the capabilities these flying gadgets bring on board:
Real-Time Aerial Imagery: Project managers get to oversee large areas efficiently and spot potential issues before they escalate. Unlike traditional methods that might involve manual inspection or static cameras, drones can cover vast areas quickly and provide up-to-date visual data that can be streamed live to stakeholders. Investors and clients can get an updated visual status of their investment and reduce the confusing back-and-forth.
Thermal Imaging for Inspecting Structures: Thermal imaging is particularly useful in assessing the integrity of buildings, ensuring that they meet safety standards and identifying problem areas that require attention. This technology enables heat signatures to be detected, revealing issues like electrical faults, insulation gaps, or water leaks – an asset for architects, engineers, all through to safety inspectors.
3D Mapping and Terrain Modeling: You can use drones to create highly accurate topographic maps and 3D models of construction sites. This is particularly beneficial in the planning stages of a project or when modifications are needed. Software like Pix4D, DJI Terra and DroneDeploy come in handy here.
Working Smarter: The Drone Advantage
Instant sharing of visual data facilitates better, faster decision-making, keeping everyone on the same page. Architects, engineers, and clients, miles apart, can receive live feeds or high-resolution images of the construction progress – like being on the site without actually being there.
Efficiency is another significant win. Drones cut down the time needed for site surveys and inspections. What used to take days, now takes hours. This time-saving aspect directly translates into cost savings, as projects can move forward faster with fewer delays.
Challenges and Risks With Drones In Construction
Integrating drones into construction isn't without its hurdles. One of the primary issues is regulatory compliance, with the likes of:
Data Privacy Concerns: Drones with cameras or sensors can unintentionally gather data from unintended individuals – landing the pilots behind them in heaps of trouble.
Physical and Cyber Security: Hacking or theft of data stored on drones can compromise confidential information and potentially expose drone operators to liability - which also why drone models like the Teledyne FLIR SIRAS skip cloud connectivity altogether and choose to store data on an internal microSD card on the drone.
Trespass: Flying drones near residential areas can lead to trespass or nuisance claims – calling for careful planning to minimize interference with third-party properties and restricted airspace.
Photo by Erik Mclean
Training and Authorization: Drone pilots need proper training and authorization from organizations like CAA in the UK, as well as measures like getting compliant with the FAA's Remote ID Rule in the US.
State vs. Local Laws.: U.S. state and local drone laws can sometimes clash with FAA regulations. While the FAA oversees airspace, it acknowledges state laws, particularly those addressing crimes like trespass or voyeurism. Drone pilots need to be conversant with the regulations in their region.
So, how are these challenges being addressed? By a mix of training, technology, and policy. Operators are taught to fly drones effectively, safely and legally through programs like the Advanced Operator Training course by DSLRPros. They can also train you for free at your location for one day as part of most of their premium drone packages.
Technological solutions like geo-fencing are becoming standard as well, to ensure that the drone doesn’t veer into restricted airspace. Features like obstacle and collision avoidance on the other hand prevent potential accidents on busy construction sites, where many variables are at play.
Policies on personal and commercial drone usage continue to evolve to meet changing needs. For instance, FAA's guidelines simplify drone use in construction by certifying individual operators instead of entire organizations. This change means operators don't need a pilot's license, just specific drone-related knowledge.
We're poised to see even more advanced drone technology in the coming years, with enhanced capabilities like longer flight times and more sophisticated sensors. Even drones that can autonomously navigate construction sites, equipped with AI for more precise data analysis – an exciting future to look forward to.
Author: Roger Moss
Cover image by James Baldwin on Unsplash
