Drones (UAVs) to Take Off in Monitoring and Inspection of Construction Works

They have advantage to operate at altitudes lower than manned aircraft, but higher than ground-based vehicles used in the construction process like cranes, concrete pumps and others. Utilizing various multispectral sensors, drones (UAVs) can capture data difficult to see with the human eye, benefiting everyone engaged with monitoring and control of construction works and with the management of the entire construction process as well. Furthermore, by uploading the data to the cloud storage providers, a wealth of relevant information and analytics allow project teams positioned at different sites and countries to monitor and assess the quality of construction works in real time, from anywhere.

Why to control and monitor construction process?

Buildings are capital investments that require proper control in the construction phase to avoid costly equipment failures and unexpected repair and maintenance costs. Whether you have commissioned a new, extended, repaired or modified existing building, you need to be certain that it is fully operable and in-line with all construction code specifications before final payment is made. Final acceptance inspection and final acceptance test services ensure that all necessary components have been constructed and installed in accordance with the plans, technical designs, regulations and specifications. Independent monitoring and supervision services are conducted by specialized companies at the specified quality and that ordered products and services regarding building construction are delivered on schedule.

Who is using drones (UAVs) in construction monitoring?

Some of the world largest construction firms are already utilizing drones (UAVs) to survey and monitor construction sites before, during and after construction takes place according to Drones in Building and Construction Inspection Global Market Outlook 2017÷2026. The drone (UAV) creates 2D or 3D maps of the site to within 1 cm/pixel and these maps are uploaded to the cloud in real time. Additionally, they are fully automated, so one can implement them without having to hire a contractor or train someone. Drones (UAVs) have the ability to take off, perform scheduled mission, land and charge its battery at the charging station automatically. All the inspector has to do is map out its flight plan and arrange tasks on a computer.

Bechtel is one of the most respected global engineering, construction, and project management companies. The company completed more than 25,000 extraordinary projects across 160 countries on all seven continents. Bechtel has been granted permission for commercial use of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  Bechtel is using drones to handle progress reporting, precision surveying, Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) compliance, material lay-down tracking, and 4D/5D integration, which increases safety, precision, and reduces costs to their customers. Komatsu since more than 3 years is using Skycatch drones to scan and create 3D models of the site terrain. They have reported that what once took two people a week to complete, the drone can do 1-2 hours.

Risk mitigation during building construction process

Mitigating risks is important from the outset when construct various types of buildings. Monitoring of the whole construction process is necessary through regular site inspections to make sure the project is completed safely, on time and on budget. Drones (UAVs) could support inspection work during the construction phase, which usually is performed by technicians, inspectors and project managers on-site. Therefore drones (UAVs) could play an important role in risk mitigation during building construction process.

Read more information at: Drones in Building and Construction Inspection Global Market Outlook 2017÷2026

References:

How Komatsu Smart Construction Uses the High Precision Package

Bechtel among First Companies to Use Unmanned Aircraft System Technology in Construction

Bechtel’s Project 2020: Innovating the Construction Site

Image Credit: DroneDeploy