As the construction industry booms thanks to an ever-growing population and the urgent need for more housing, the people in the hot seats are looking for ways to speed the whole process up. In terms of the construction itself, methods already exist to get things built as efficiently as possible but the process before the actual building – the assessments – is what takes most of the time.
Over the last few years, construction managers have been looking to the skies for hope in the form of drones, and so far, drones are going beyond what anyone initially had planned for them.
“The construction and facilities management sectors are some of the largest current beneficiaries of sector growth, and early adopters are busy leveraging the cost, speed and safety advantages of drone inspection, land surveying, 3D modelling and image capture services,” says Ben Gorham, Director at Sky Revolutions who have been using drones for aerial photography, thermal imaging, condition surveys, volumetric surveys and more. If you’re still suspicious of these little flying phenomenons, here are just a handful of ways they are improving the construction industry.
Aerial Photography
Drones offer a view we cannot capture with our own eyes unless we’re up there in a helicopter or crane, both of which are pricey alternatives. Drones can get closer and more accurate photography than anything else, plus they can feed the imagery back in real time or upload it directly into a cloud ready for project managers to analyse. Not only is drone aerial photography saving construction companies money, but the savings in time are hugely beneficial too.
Thermal Imaging
As well as photography, drones can be fitted with sensors that detect far more than just your average camera. Drones are most commonly fitted with thermal cameras to detect cold and hot spots on building sites, solar farms and other sites. In this article, Construction Today states that you will need an expert to operate the drone, as well as the thermal imaging software to process the data you collect. ‘If you’re adding thermographic data to your existing aerial services, it means your business is expanding, which is great news. It also means you need an efficient way to manage the entirety of your flight operations so you don’t waste time on things that don’t generate any revenue.’
Monitoring Sites
The potential of monitoring sites in real time and through a time lapse shows real possibilities. Enabling a pilot to fly a drone over your site on a weekly basis can help with coordinating logistics to keep stakeholders updated on the whole construction process. You may also be able to calculate waste and accurate quantities to inform buyers. Considering that the UK Green Building Council estimates that 15 per cent of materials that are delivered to construction sites end up in landfills, you’ll be saving the construction company money and, saving the environment.