You’ve probably heard reports of poor practices and inadequacy within the building industry. When you apply the numbers to these inefficiencies, in terms of cost, for instance, the fact that 177 billion dollars are thrown away each year because of industry-wide negligence or the magnitude of construction waste expected to reach 2.2 billion tonnes in 2025, the bleak situation gets direr.
The reason for these shortcomings can be traced to the reason that the industry has been slow in adopting technologies that can provide instant results, such as drone technology for construction. Many companies have embraced drones in construction, but they have not contributed to the construction drone market which was worth $4,800 million in 2019 and is expected to grow to $11,968.6 million in 2027 the widespread adoption of drones on a large scale is still sporadic.
The purpose of this post today is to dig deep into the use that drones play in the construction industry, and drones potential to resolve long-term industrial issues.
Why drones are a good choice to construct buildings – a high-level analysis
Drones equipped with downward-facing sensors, such as multispectral, thermal LIDAR, and RGB can capture an enormous quantity of data from the air in a short duration. These data points assist companies to overcome many obstacles, including expensive and time-consuming surveys, identifying errors in construction, deadlines or penalties, as well as the lack of communication between stakeholders and contractors.
Drone technology within the construction industry can also provide new applications previously difficult to access or track, such as examining difficult-to-access construction sites. As the industry expands the application and impact of drones in the construction industry will continue to increase. Here are some of the advantages of drone technology for construction.
What are the advantages of drones for construction?
With an exclusive aerial advantage and the ability to record data in real-time drone technology in the construction industry can improve efficiency, decrease costs and speed up the process. Most importantly, drone technology provides the construction industry by providing all the necessary information at the appropriate time and helps ensure that the construction project is completed within the budget and time.
1. Topographic maps
It is crucial to follow topographic maps when planning massive construction tasks. Maps can help reveal the design flaws that result from an inattention to the terrain. Although maps are essential in any construction project, however, they can be extremely costly to construct, which leads to construction companies not prioritizing the use of maps.
On top of the experience in the mapping of large areas, drones used for construction sites can be useful in assessing the topography of the site which helps projects stay on time and within budget. Furthermore, the images created by different kinds of drones utilized for construction could be used to build 3D models that allow construction workers to identify problems in the construction phase as well as during the construction phase.
2. Equipment for tracking
The biggest problem that every construction manager is the loss of equipment on an employment site. Utilizing drone technology in construction could allow workers to conduct a flight and determine whether the equipment is in the place it’s meant to be. Another benefit is to identify if any equipment that is supposed to be shut down remains on site, protecting the property from costly accidental damages.
The use of drones in construction is also evident in finding equipment that is not functioning properly. The recording function that various drones employed in construction are fitted with could help to pinpoint issues remotely and provide visuals that can assist technicians with faster repairs and diagnostics.
3. Remote monitoring
Construction monitoring with drones is among the most significant benefits of drones. It’s able to produce aerial views that offer clients full information about the way the project is developing assuring that their money is not wasted. In addition, it facilitates better internal communication by delivering immediate information to teams working on different stages of the project.
With drone construction monitoring it is simple for various departments, including construction, engineering managers employees, owners, and workers to gain access to all the data at once and spot any problem in the process.
4. Surveillance
According to a study by the National Equipment Register; More than 300 million in construction machinery is taken from construction sites each year, which makes equipment security an essential part of the task.
When using drones for construction, the drone pilot can quickly fly by to make sure that the equipment is in a safe location, spot any unauthorized persons present on site, and make note of theft or damage immediately. By following these guidelines construction companies will reduce the amount paid for stolen equipment.
5. Safety of the worker
According to statistics released by the National Safety Council, fatal injuries from construction accidents can cost as much as $5 billion annually in the US alone. There are laws similar to those of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in place with penalties ranging from $13,653-$136,532 for the case of violations, incidents of workplace injuries aren’t decreasing. Workers frequently climb up on unstable ladders, perform work under dangerous situations, and utilize unsafe equipment.
Utilizing drones for construction, the construction manager can monitor the site for safety issues as well as ensure that the location is safe for work and doesn’t pose risks.
6. Inspection of structural integrity
Another application for drones in construction is observed in the way that drones can be flown across structures to test their stability. Furthermore, drones with thermal sensors can detect electrical leaks, heat leaks as well as cold spots for the analysis of quality in construction.
Another possible use drones can be used for inspection can be observed in the scheduled maintenance of huge-scale structures such as scaffolding, bridges, towers, and roofs. This is a job that can be completed within a couple of hours using drone technology for construction management.
7. Reduction in expenses
The greatest effect of drones in the construction business in terms of cost can be seen in the surveys. Surveyors usually charge an hourly rate of $100, whereas drone surveyors operate on a $ 120-hour model. But a drone surveyor only needs to work for 40 hours per calendar year, which translates to annual fees of $4800. In contrast, traditional surveyors must work for a minimum of 1300 hours to complete the entire survey, costing an estimated $130,000.
Making the most efficient use of surveying costs is important for large construction companies that have large-scale, complex projects. Here are some of the various things they’ll be able to cut costs on.
- Analysis of the construction site
- Planning and designing the project
- Inventory of assets
- Project collaboration
We’ve looked at the role of drones within the construction sector and it is crucial to realize that the one decision to invest in drones will endure through all phases of development for real estate projects. Here’s an infographic that explains the importance of drones in the various phases of construction.
We have explored the many applications of drones in the construction industry for businesses, it all boils down to the money that is spent on drones and the return on investment.
The cost of buying drones for construction and the expected return
The cost of a drone can range between $2,500 and $100,000 based on the sensor, requirements regarding flight time, swaths, accuracy, and the type of file as well. In addition to the cost of hardware, it is necessary to cover the cost of the drone’s surveyor who’s pay can range from $55,651 per year.
The return on these costs, however, is higher than the investment. In the above paragraph, drones reduce the cost of surveying to $4800 per year, and the time required to complete the survey to 40 hours per year. Another method that does not directly bring the costs of construction down is:
- The contractors are only paid for the portion of the earth they moved
- More rapid decisions in the background of real-time data and images
- 3D models that highlight errors in design as well as other issues
- Active correction of structural problems
- Identification of equipment that is not working
- Post-project documentation
Although the current state of drones used in construction is highly positive, what will be the next phase of drones used in construction? Drones can facilitate the transportation of light materials shortly as well as new models are being introduced with more advanced integrations such as AI to process the data or IoT that connects drones with smart devices. Additionally, we can expect more rules to support the commercialization of AI at a global level.
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How does iTechnolabs assist you in introducing drone technology into construction?
We have offered a wide range of solutions for the use of drones in construction. While the technology isn’t new to the construction industry, however, construction firms are experimenting with new ways to integrate it. The greatest benefit of using drones in the construction sector is that they can be integrated into every stage of development. This is something we can do in our capacity as the most reputable real estate software development firm.
At iTechnolabs, we specialize in incorporating construction-specific drones in your real estate business model so that you get detailed software that consists of multiple interfaces, each addressing different elements of your construction plan and digital requirements.
What sets us apart from other firms that develop software for real estate is the fact that we pay careful focus on the requirements for beginning a drone program for construction and ensure that you do not face any legal obstacles. When you choose to work with us on your idea of a drone for construction, You can rest certain that your venture will be scalable when your business expands and is also designed to provide you with all the advantages of the technology.
If you, too are considering introducing drone technology into construction, we’re the experts to help. Contact us now.
