You’ve heard about drones being used in military missions, journalism, wedding videography or mail and shipping services, but did you know that they are causing a revolution in the construction industry as well? Construction drones are the latest breakthrough in residential and commercial projects, and those who have tried them can no longer imagine working without them.

The benefits of using drones in construction projects may be a little difficult to grasp for the inexperienced, so let’s first clarify what drones are, how they work, and what purposes they can serve in the construction industry.

What Are Drones and How Do They Work?

The basic definition of drones involves the acronym UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). However, most people like to think of them as small aircrafts that can be piloted or controlled from a distance. Unlike remote control helicopters, they do not need the permanent input of a pilot to fly or navigate.

In depth, their function involves details such as radio wave or Wi-Fi communication between the aircraft and the controller, or embedded GPS chips relaying the aircraft’s position in relation to the controller. But more simply, you should know that drones have the ability stabilize themselves and hold a certain position.

Depending on the industry they are used in and the purpose they serve, drones can be equipped with various technologies, ranging from high resolution cameras and various sensors to weapons, chemical dispersers and more.

Construction Drones: Uses & Benefits

In construction, the drone’s main purpose is to collect video footage of the site. This footage can successfully serve several purposes, bringing numerous benefits to the company. Here are six key uses underlining the potential uses of construction drones:

1. Surveying job sites and building maps, without using expensive/bulky equipment or costly human resources.

2. Keeping clients informed on the project’s progress without tiring site visits.

3. Site monitoring, from workers’ performance to work progress, quality and safety, without investing in costly human resources and difficult to process measurements.

4. Inspecting structures without using heavy equipment, dedicated software and complex readings.

5. Improving safety on site by accurately monitoring laborers’ activity, structure stability and excavation depth.

6. Keeping projects on track and on budget by identifying delays, preventing technical or safety issues, and monitoring work progress.

Some construction companies only analyze the footage and measurements provided by the drones and compare them to their project schedule and estimates. Others convert the footage into three-dimensional pictures of the site. These pictures are uploaded into specialized software that compares it to the project plan.

The project manager, site manager and team can easily identify where the project is falling behind schedule. It also becomes easy to view the progress registered and any issues likely to occur. The best part is that they can have access to such information within minutes. This allows the team to skip timely any complicated calculations, money investment and effort investment.

The Bottom Line: Drones Provide Opportunities for Construction

To sum up, drones are a great way to monitor the progress of any construction project. They provide the opportunity to:

• Improve employee efficiency
• Increase project transparency
• Reduce effort, risks and delays
• Cut costs for the construction company and clients

At Nationwide Construction, we consider it our duty to implement the newest technologies in our projects and provide our clients with the best services possible. Contact us today to discover how we can help you make your project vision a reality!

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