If you're wondering how construction drones are taking the industry to new heights, be sure to check out this guide.
How Construction Drones Can Benefit a Project
Updated on Sep. 27, 2023
When drones hit the open market a few years ago, they were seen as military-grade weapons or an expensive hobby for kids and creatives. But today, drone use is a regular aspect of many industries. They’re nimble, affordable and equipped with excellent cameras, ready to be deployed into areas humans simply can’t go.
And the construction industry, historically slow at adopting new technology, is accepting drone usage with open arms.
These neat little gadgets are more than just novelties; they’re advanced inspection machines that can significantly impact the way a contracting firm does business. This article will explain how construction drones can benefit a project.
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What Are Construction Drones?
Construction drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can fly around a project site, taking pictures and video footage of the conditions. They work faster and with greater detail than humans, making them a significant boon to the construction industry and project timeline.
Types of construction drones
These flying photography machines come in two main variations: multi-rotor and fixed-wing.
Multi-rotor drones feature several propellers that lift it straight off the ground and let it hover in place. Compact and extremely maneuverable, these can reach anywhere a skilled drone pilot can take them. They can scale the exterior of a building, survey individual floors during construction, and take controlled, extended-length videos in hover mode.
Fixed-wing drones fly like planes, with long take-off and landing strip requirements. Also known as Vehicle Take-off and Landing (VTOL) drones, fixed-wings are really fast. They can fly long distances and go higher than multi-rotor drones while taking pictures or videos of large job sites.
Unfortunately, they’re hard to maneuver and take a lot of skill to fly, but they’re more stable in windy conditions than multi-rotor models. They’re also considerably more expensive, and may even be attacked by territorial birds!
How a Construction Drone Can Help Business
Drone photography, or photogrammetry, has a lot to offer a construction business. The following are some of the most significant benefits of drone photography for companies to consider.
Faster, more affordable inspections
Arguably, the biggest advantage is faster, more affordable site inspections. Rather than deploying a team of humans for $150 an hour for several days, experts believe a skilled drone pilot earning $120 an hour can conduct a better inspection of a project site in around one hour.
On-site surveys
Drones are excellent for surveying and measuring items on a project site. They take several pictures of the same item from different vantage points, and the photogrammetry software then constructs 3D models from those photos. This software then allows the user to take measurements based on the data from the 3D model much faster than they could manually.
Improved safety
Construction drones can enter spaces or reach heights humans simply should not enter. Whether there are hazards in the area or a fall risk involved, a multi-rotor drone will likely navigate these tasks faster and safer and allow the pilot to inspect the site or item with greater detail.
Drones also carry far less worth than human lives. However, they’re also cheaper to insure, which means any risky activity on a project site that can be handled by a drone, should be.
Loss mitigation
Since drones work so quickly, they can easily inventory equipment and materials. They can fly along site fencing to ensure it’s intact. That increases security while reducing the risk of theft.
Companies who use drones in this regard will often assemble a list of equipment to check each day. If something is stolen, companies will have a better timeline for when it went missing and increase the chances of recovery.
Progress monitoring
Drone site inspections are about more than safety and security. They’re also helpful in determining the progress of the project to compare it against the timeline, budget and billing.
For general contractors, this saves significant time during pay application. For project owners, it helps them ensure the job is moving forward at a proper clip. If a phase of the project stalls, a review of the drone footage will show it and allow project management to get to the bottom of it before it becomes an issue.
From a financial standpoint, this can avoid costly cash flow issues. It can also ensure everyone is getting paid properly and keep the project moving forward smoothly.
Faster decision-making
Leaders need the latest data to make the best decisions possible. While construction software has come a long way in recent years, the data becomes much more powerful when accompanied by construction drone footage.
Between the 3D models and high-resolution imagery, decision-makers know they’re working with the latest job site photos and videos rather than waiting on an inspection company to supply those images, which could be out-of-date before the report is completed.
Construction Drone Training
With drones becoming so important to so many industries, training is widely available. There are often certifications and licenses involved. Companies can pay a professional drone pilot to handle their photogrammetry, hire experienced pilots, or send their own staff to classes.
Does Your Company Need a Construction Drone?
Most likely, your company can benefit from a construction drone. Between their improved safety and ability to work faster than human-only inspection teams, they’ll allow companies to accomplish more in less time for less money. Consider adding a construction drone to your business today.
