Use of drone technology in construction projects

Rami Abdul hadi
Architect, Master’s Degree of Civil Engineering

Eng.ramiabd@gmail.com

The general and wide adoption of drones in construction is like a major leap that has previously been compared to have the sort of influences on the economy of any nation like that of the mobile phones coming to replace the landlines. Drone technology, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), is an advanced technological improvement that must manifest in a growing economy as it is witnessed in developed sectors such as marketing, entertainment, and education among others. The fact that it provides digitization that carries immense importance in certain fields also makes it invaluable.

The acceptability of drones in construction sites is simply due to the many advantages which it provides as they provide a profound alternative to other manned data-collecting equipment. the traditional methods of carrying out construction work have been effective and desired goals are also equally arrived at but as pointed out companies must exploit the idea of incorporating new and improved approaches to expedite their project delivery and maintain their competitive edge in this booming and demanding market. Demand for effective building constructions like higher skyscrapers and grander institutional buildings are on the increase. In summary of the above-reviewed publications, the following are arrived at as;

Topographic mapping and land surveys

Drones can be actively deployed to cover such tasks and the fact that drones can cover a wider area of land quicker makes room for the elimination of errors and the projects are also executed as scheduled on a reasonably appropriate budget.

Another major benefit of using drones is that it provides decision-makers with higher-resolution imagery, which can be effectively converted into 3D images.

Equipment tracking and automating

The fact that there are usually numerous pieces of equipment at any construction site which is bound to be a wide area of land is enough to cause a serious headache for project managers. When a drone is employed, the said project manager can access the areas, nukes, and crannies of a project site and easily locate a particular equipment and he can also discharge any which is not needed any longer on the site to avoid incurring unnecessary expensive accidental extension charges.

In the future, drones will be able to direct and guide autonomous vehicles, which is sure to revolutionize the industry on a new scale.

Remote monitoring and progress reports

In cases whereby clients are not able to present themselves physically on the field for the inspection of their investment, the coverage and recordings which are made with the use of drones can assist project managers or contractors when presenting the state and extent of any particular project to its investors. Also, as a way of correlating data and ensuring a uniform level of information is present with all the team members of a project, data obtained from UAVs can be promptly circulated between the interested parties including engineers, construction managers, workers, and owners.

Security surveillance

A drone operator can conduct a flyover and quickly see if a piece of equipment is in a secure enough location. The surveillance camera could also be utilized to see if there are unauthorized individuals on the site. This will prevent damage or theft long before it occurs. 

Safety

The safety of lives should be the primary concern of all and sundry in any given construction site. It has previously been recorded that about 39% of the accidents that occur are falling. Some little tasks which include taking measurements will usually involve labor climbing over dangerous heights. Drones can effectively replace workers in these situations and mitigate the risk construction workers face in the field. 

Promotional photography

The importance of social media as an important marketing tool in businesses nowadays cannot be overemphasized. Social media platforms provide an avenue for entrepreneurs to market and showcase their products to the world and as a result, attract prospective customers. Architectural buildings which are well presented with good photographic images from phantom positions will allow owners/sellers to air out what they have for their intending patronizes. The drones offer the opportunity to capture the real scale and size of a project in minutes. 

Transportation of goods

The small sizes of drones have previously played against their use in the transportation of goods and other materials relatively lightweight. At this present time, drones are used to pick up and transport materials across project sites away from the traffic conditions moving landed like the car, motorcycles or bicycles might encounter.

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