
Using Drones for Construction and Inspection Projects
Using Drones for Construction and Inspection Projects
Using Drones for Construction and Inspection Projects
Despite being one of the largest industries in the world, the construction industry is resistant to adopting technological advances. The Globe and Mail reports that the Canadian construction sector is taking its time to warm up to new tech like drones with three-quarters of construction companies in Canada rating their digital maturity as “fairly low.” Although the use of drones is gaining in popularity, not everyone understands how much they can increase efficiency and safety on construction sites. Read on to learn how starting a drone program for your construction business can help you reach new heights (no pun intended?).

How can Drones Improve Efficiency in Construction and Inspection?
Construction and inspection drones offer several advantages in the construction industry whether it’s a new build you are dealing with or inspecting an existing property. Read on to learn some of the benefits:
Increase Safety: Safety is paramount in potentially dangerous environments like construction sites. Drones can be used to carry out minute inspections without human lives being put at risk via workers climbing tall poles or walking around heavy machinery in operation. Apart from keeping humans safer, it can help avoid costs related to injuries caused during site inspection like lost project time, litigation, medical bills, and compensation. Drones can also be used to carry out site perimeter safety inspections so breaches can be identified and repaired quickly.
Up-to-Date Site Surveys: Drones can provide accurate and detailed images of sites during preconstruction as well as throughout the entire construction process. The issues caused by slightly disjointed information with the probability of human error and out-of-date information are done away with as drones can be used to survey large areas in short spans of time. This gives you the opportunity to carry out more frequent surveys as your project progresses, and access accurate survey information at the click of a button.
Real-Time Tracking: The faster errors are discovered, the quicker they can be rectified. Drones can be used to gather project data at regular intervals taking measurements and documenting changes on the ground so construction site managers can check the project for progress as well as for any built areas that are not accurately aligned with the original construction plans. This access to information at the click of a button can help project managers and their crews make faster and more effective decisions.
Cost Savings: Drone programs quickly pay for themselves as construction projects progress. They help save on travel costs as all authorized personnel can survey site data and images from a cloud as needed without having to physically travel to the site. Perimeter inspections can help prevent the theft of construction tools and equipment while health and safety inspections can quickly determine if safety measures are being implemented and violations addressed before any incidents take place.
Drones also help with contract reconciliation by accurately measuring the quantity of work carried out. For example, if a contractor is to be paid according to the amount of earth that has been moved, drones can collect millions of data points to provide an accurate estimate to avoid miscalculations and overcharges.
Inspections: Drones make it easier to inspect civil construction projects like pipelines which typically cover vast expanses and often difficult terrain in a much shorter period than manual inspections. Any damages to these can be identified, and rectified, quickly. Drones can also be used to inspect hard-to-reach places like the insides of chimneys in industrial settings without putting human lives at risk.
What Types of Drones Are Most Suitable for Construction and Inspection?
There are several types of drones that may be suitable for construction and inspection, depending on the task at hand including:
Drones with High-Resolution Cameras: Drones with high-resolution cameras capture high-quality and detailed images of sites to give you the visual images you need to plan a project and monitor its progress.
Drones with Thermal Sensors: Drones equipped with thermal sensors can be used in various forms of inspections where there is a need to detect heat leaks, check surface temperatures, and to measure ventilation, heating, and air conditioning systems.
Drones with Lidar Sensors: Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) equipped drones are used to create precise 3D models of terrain.
Drones are a valuable tool that any construction business can embrace. At Coastal Drone, we have the expertise and experience to help you earn your drone pilot license or to help your business set up an in-house drone program. Learn more about our
enterprise services here or get in touch with us today.
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