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Did you know that according to CNBC, the use of drones in the construction industry has grown by 239% year over year? This skyrocketing growth is a testament to the sophistication of the technology as well as its ease of use.
Drones allow construction managers to monitor the safety and progress of their construction sites. The best part is these additional benefits don’t normally come with a large price tag.
With this in mind, read on to learn all about the use of drones in construction as well as their top benefits!
How to Use Drones in Construction
If you’re planning on hiring a drone operator or want to create a business out of flying drones for construction, there are a few things you need to know. The FAA doesn’t let anyone operate a drone overhead when it’s for commercial operations.
Drone operators will need to obtain a commercial sUAS part 107 license in order to fly one legally. They’ll also need to register their drone with the FAA for a small fee.
Specialized drones need to be used for survey purposes, such as the DJI Phantom 4 RTK. This is because of real-time kinematic (RTK) processing in order to record and tag GPS information as it’s being recorded. The precise ability these drones to geotag images enables them to provide accurate survey information.
Benefits of Drones in Construction
Now that you know what’s needed for drones to be used in construction, what are the main benefits that contractors and companies can enjoy? Remember, these benefits are only predicted to increase over time as drone technology improves.
Marketing Images
Consider large construction projects that are either in-progress or completed. Taking photos from the ground doesn’t give you a full view of the scope of the work. This is when aerial images come into play. Drones are able to take aerial photos of the construction site at a variety of angles and heights.
These images can then be used in marketing materials in order to show clients the progress of the work or to entice future renters. It’s also important to remember that high-end drones can also come with an average image resolution of 20 MP. This means the images can be printed and still look beautiful in marketing materials.
Accurate Mapping
Specialized drones for surveying can come with LiDAR sensors. They’re far faster and more affordable than traditional surveying methods. LiDAR works by transmitting a laser and measuring the reflection on the drone. Along with high-res images, this makes the application of drones in construction far more accurate.
Drones may also be necessary for certain situations. For instance, if you’re dealing with dangerous terrain, construction sites, or difficult topography. By operating a drone overhead, you don’t have to worry about putting workers at risk or falling back on project deadlines in order to get accurate mapping data.
Improved Safety
Another way that drones are improving the construction environment is by frequent inspections. When it comes to safety on the construction site, workers normally need to walk around the entire site as they take photos and survey the area. This helps them determine if safety guidelines are being followed as well as the maintenance of the equipment.
However, drones can speed up this process as well as provide more accurate data. You’ll be able to take drones out more often in order to take hundreds of photos and videos of the construction site. Some drones are also able to zoom in, enabling them to be flown safely away from the site while also picking up on details that human eyes may have missed.
Monitoring Progress
Monitoring the status of construction progress can be tricky. It’s important they’re able to receive high-quality photos consistently. However, they also need to be taken at particular positions or angles in order to accurately portray the progress. This can be hard to keep up with in a consistent manner, especially if the company is expecting weekly reports.
Drones can make this easy, as drone operators are able to fly with precise coordinates and use GPS in order to take steady video and images. Since drones can be more efficient and affordable than other methods, this also gives companies the opportunities to take more progress photos than they did previously.
Enhanced Communication
When hundreds to thousands of people are working on a construction project, consistent and clear communication needs to be a priority. Regular drone photographs and videos are able to facilitate this communication and help keep everyone on the same page.
For instance, supervisors will be able to sit with their teams and analyze drone maps. This enables them to point out issues that they recognize are developing.
Communicating with employees and workers becomes easier. This is because the imagery is able to back up their claims of topographical issues, drainage issues, threats to safety, and more.
Use of Drones in Construction: Numerous Benefits
Are you considering the use of drones in construction? There are numerous benefits that construction firms need to pay attention to going forward.
For instance, consider the high-res aerial photos and videos that drones are able to take. They provide the perfect marketing material for developing buildings. They can provide perspectives of a whole project that just aren’t possible on the ground.
More importantly, drones are accurate and efficient when it comes to surveying and mapping sites. Supervisors can feel confident in the progress of a construction project if they’re able to get drone photos at all angles. Furthermore, you can feel confident in the accuracy of drone survey data because of their sophisticated LiDAR and RTK technology.
Ready to learn more ways that burgeoning technology can improve your industry? Keep reading our blog for more informative articles!
