I hear alot of people these days claiming that drone technology in construction will revolutionize the industry, but when I spend time on jobsites it’s rare that it’s actually being implemented. Why the disconnect between media and actual jobsites?
Drones are a relatively new technology to the construction industry and their use currently is limited. Below I’m going to summarize some of the areas that I see drones being used in the current construction market.
Drones for Progress Tracking and Aerial Photography
In the 1990s and early 2000’s I remember having to call an aerial photography company who had to get permits to fly over our jobsite. Often these services would costs thousands of dollars and would take weeks to organize.
With the advent of drone technology in construction the ability to take high definition progress photos has become a much more simple process. Most modern day drones can be outfitted with digital cameras and flown to a height that allows you to take shots of your whole jobsite. This allows you to track progress regularly.
Drone Technology for Building Assessment Surveys
One of the challenges with assessing high rise buildings and the condition of their envelope is that often times access is restricted. Most times access requires special training to go out on swing stages. With drones this process has been made easier.
Most buildings can be accessed safely from the ground with drones, again if outfitted with high definition cameras even hard to reach areas are simple to access.
One of the other things that you can do with drones and building assessments is attachment of thermal cameras. Thermal imaging has been used in the industry for years, but often you need to shoot from the ground. By attaching a thermal camera to a drone it allows you to view the building from different areas to identify leaks.
Anything Else?
Honestly no – that’s it. You’ll read other articles that will be way more in depth with other areas where drone technology can be used in the construction industry. The thing is the technology isn’t there yet and needs time to develop.
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I’ve always wondered if aerial photography has any practical uses in construction sites since some huge projects seem to look perfect when they’re done. It’s interesting to know that drones are used with high-powered cameras to reach areas that are hard to access. I guess it makes sense for many construction companies to hire specialists for this to make sure that every important area is taken properly.
Considering that we’re in the 21st century, it’s common to introduce technology within the workplace. Although it seems dangerous to include technology in the construction industry, it does, however, increase the productivity and accuracy of a project.