How drones are affecting onsite construction
Drones have certainly changed the future of building. It’s been one of the biggest and more immediate changes affecting construction, making things look and feel more futuristic and robotic. While drones are mainly used for real-time aerial shots, to help track progress and to speed up deliveries, these innovative aerial vehicles can really help to manage projects more effectively, avoiding lengthy and costly mistakes.
"Right now, drone technology is providing a competitive edge to the companies who’ve successfully adopted it," says Christian Sanz, CEO of Skycatch. "They use their equipment and resources more efficiently, communicate better through accurate maps and data, and now have highly quantitative means of measuring their progress against their schedule,” he says.
Some companies are still seeking guidance on how drones can help improve their business, and others are thriving off the return on investment it’s created throughout the entire development cycle. From material sourcing and design to project monitoring and marketing, drones have already influenced these on-site processes and will continue to impact construction operations in the future.
Land surveillance and planning
Drones do more than just take beautiful pictures. They have rapidly changed traditional methods of reports, giving clients a bird's eye view to show them an accurate presentation of their progress. Because clients want to see what is going on, at all times, drones help to reduce labour and time involved in delivering accurate surveys. Often there is so much human error involved in the survey process, so when people eliminate the human aspect out of the technical parts, the changes are more accurate.
Another great thing about drones is that they help to cut down on equipment costs. This means that they’re able to give contractors an idea about a property and all the resource needed.
Improving infrastructure
On large construction sites, reporting back on data can delay production. With the introduction of drones, they provide superior endurance and intelligence to on-site jobs. All of the extra labour intensive work can be reduced, relying on a drone to complete their task faster and more efficiently. It is said that in the future, drones will be able to take on more integral tasks, which will seriously cut costs in overall project expense. Contractors who rely on drones will also be able to meet more deadlines, giving them the opportunity to take on more projects.
"Using drones for mapping and analysis of construction sites does more than save time and money, it enables builders to see details that were previously unattainable. They are a total game changer and companies can't get enough of them,” says Dick Zhang, CEO of Identified Technologies.
With the help of drones, companies can speed up their processes and spend less time focusing on something that a drone could do in 10 minutes. Not only that, but further benefits ensure that businesses can perform more tricky tasks (like developing the site plan) every day if need be.
Adds value to on-site security
Drones are more effective than some security systems. Whether they’re being used to maintain the safety of employees or to protect the job site and construction equipment from theft, the implementation of drones is seeing great results. They can also help contractors to quickly (and safely) survey dangerous locations, reducing workplace accidents and increasing job site safety.
Makes the inspection process more effective
Given the opportunity that drones provide, it is always better to check out your location before you set up. This is what drones can help you do. Making use of drones in job site inspection will drastically increase worksite safety by eliminating danger and possible safety hazards.
Construction projects are already so complex, time-consuming and costly. They require plenty of skills and resource, and when you make a mistake, it can cost you a lot. The hope for the future is that no matter what sort of project is underway, inspections can be done before hand, making them a lot safer, faster and easier through the use of drones.
It helps contractors monitor workers
Every employer wants to keep their employees safe and productive but sometimes it’s hard to keep an eye on them with everything else going on. Hiring an extra group of supervisors is an unnecessary cost, where drones are a cost-effective, non-invasive approach. This way people won’t even know that they are under surveillance. Drones can help you patrol the area to keep an eye on everyone in general or to specifically conduct surveillance on a person or group who might not be doing their job properly.
In conclusion
Construction is a big field that requires constantly updated, innovative solutions. And, luckily with drones, the sky is the limit. As more drones are flying around construction sites (because contractors are finding them useful and economical for a number of reasons), the demand for enterprise drones has certainly contributed to the evolution of the construction industry.
