Look Up in the sky. There is no limit to human intelligence. You can see drones flying on the construction sites. Man has created drones which can be used in positive and negative ways but construction sector has identified drones to be more productive and included them as a tool at the construction sites.
1. Drones – An Advanced Technology
In modern era, technology has become a part and parcel of life and construction sector is no exemption. Technology has been floating in real estate and now even construction sector is being influenced by technology and drone is one among the new trends. Usage of drones is escalating due to its various benefits. A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle used for different purposes like flying around a room, capturing exclusive aerial footage etc. The advanced drone technology is used in industries like agriculture, forestry, geographical mapping, film shooting and environmental monitoring and now it is becoming a trend in the construction sector too. Drones are acquiring an essential place in the construction sector and are only growing in functionality and popularity. The role of drones in the construction sector is increasing.
2. Advantages of Drones in Construction Sector
Aerial photography and videography is bringing a revolution in the construction sector and drones play a crucial role in getting this advancement. Effective pictures to present a bird’s eye view of the property helps to showcase a project in a magnified way. It provides a wholesome view of the neighborhood and the social infrastructure of the project to the buyer. In this digital world, this innovation of drones in the construction sector will bring marvelous improvements. Drones offer many advantages to the construction sector. They are being used in the construction sector for its multiple functionalities and various benefits. Here a few of them.
2.1. Easy Monitoring
Monitoring of the project development gets easy with the use of drones. Construction mapping can be created with the help of a drone at any time. Pictures of the site can be captured and displayed easily. Hence monitoring the progress of the project becomes easy. The productivity of the crew can be monitored with drones. The position of the equipment can also be monitored so that its wrong placement should not slow the progress of the work. Drones help to check and monitor the progress of the project throughout its lifecycle. They also help to identify any deviation from the original plan so that it gets rectified at the earliest. They also lessen uncertainities and help in a closer and careful monitoring.
2.2. Minimises the Risk of Accidents
Site inspection is usually done by the inspectors or the managers on the construction site. Inspection becomes dangerous at heights or at places which are risky to reach, thus increasing the chances of accidents. Drones come to rescue in such situations. They can replace humans in taking up the inspection of the construction site and ensure safety. Drones are integrated with monitoring devices so that problems can be recognized easily and in time. The risk of accidents and wrong placement of heavy equipments can be reduced through site inspections with the help of drones. They minimise the risks and indirectly protect the budget of the project. Drones also take away a few risky tasks of the construction activities like the inspection at heights or places which are dangerous for humans to reach. Normally the physical site-walk inspection can be replaced by drones to get more effective, safer, faster and accurate inspection results.
2.3. Accurate and Easy Mapping
Drones help in mapping of the property. This is gaining prominence because it is easy to draw 3 dimensional maps of buildings displaying details like built-up area, number of floors etc. The technology used in drones can scrutinize the different stages of under construction projects and with the help of high-end technology, these videos can be displayed on the websites too. Collecting data and creating a map manually is a time consuming process. Drones speed up this process and offer high photo resolution, video capture and LiDar (light detection and ranging) sensor. These LiDar sensors help to map-out in topographies which are difficult to navigate by man. They work by transmitting a laser beam and then measuring its reflection. Construction drones are equipped with 3D modeling and ease the mapping. Drones offer effortless and effective management where the activities on the site can be monitored by looking at the drone map and save time.
2.4. Helps in Tracking of Equipment
If equipment goes missing, it becomes tricky to find them in a large and elaborate project. Drones take up this responsibility of tracking the missing equipment. Even equipment malfunctions can be detected by a drone. The recording ability of drones helps to identify the problem. They can present visual representation to convey the issue for accurate and quicker repair.
2.5. Better Quality of Images
Cameras are mounted on top of the drones which provide fine quality of scans and images. These thermal cameras are of high resolution and serve as an exceptional investigative tool. They can graphically present energy inefficiencies. The thermal cameras also identify wet insulations anywhere in the project by displaying temperature variations.
2.6. Cost-effective Marketing
Photos and Videos of the construction site are a good means to showcase the project in marketing. Drone technology has taken this way of marketing to a higher level because the aerial view of the construction sites creates a lovely view and can be used for better marketing of the project. Drones can capture high-quality pictures of the project from different angles in a short time.
2.7. Increases Functions with Hardware
If the drones are fitted with hardware they can provide increased functionalities. The scanning done by the drones can also provide geo-locating. The thermal sensors help in modeling construction projects and also in mapping construction sites. 3D models can be created with the aid of recorded footage and real-world conditions can also be reflected in it. These models will help during design phases and project-feasibility. Such drones also aid in better monitoring of construction sites, in calculating the length, width and elevation of structures and roads. They also help to calculate material types and stockpile volume for inventory purposes.
3. Role of Drones in Construction Sector
The progress and quality of the work can be easily monitored. Unauthorized movement at the construction site can also be detected through a drone. Trenching is considered to be hazardous as it may lead to fatalities or falls at the site but drones can control these accidents and can enhance protection of trenches and improve the safety at the construction sites. Drones also help in capturing real time data and pictures of the construction sites. Drones can even detect defects quickly and accurately and they are also used to check the site for post-disaster recovery because conditions may not be safe and stable after a disaster. Drones have eased the collection of data from inaccessible and difficult to reach areas, elevated structures and curves of the buildings. They can even be used for inspection at the construction site. Collecting information on the technical conditions of the construction sites will reduce the number of accidents and risks. Use of drones will provide more precise digital data with accurate readings. This data is easily accessible via cloud-based integration. Drones help to monitor the construction sites in a better way. Drones are gaining prominence in the construction sector and are being adopted at a faster rate. Drones play an important role in the construction sector.
– Written By Pallavi Krishna
