WE HAVE LIFT OFF!

The Advantages of using Drones in Construction!

This concept really IS the future, if a recent report by PwC Report (Skies without limits) is anything to go by!

The figures they are bandying about are pretty impressive. They forecast that by 2030 the use of Drone Technology will result in an increased GDP in UK Construction and Manufacturing to the tune of a whopping £8.6 billion!

https://www.pwc.co.uk/intelligent-digital/drones/Drones-impact-on-the-UK-economy-FINAL.pdf

This is part of a projected £42bn increase in UK GDP, allied with £16bn in net cost savings to the UK economy.

PwC are saying this equates to circa 76,000 Drones operating in UK’s Skies-despite the weather!

With an industry associated 628,000 jobs to boot!

And they predict this will all happen in under a decade!

So clearly Drones-or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) as they are commonly denoted, are causing quite a turbulence in the industrial atmosphere currently.

So, what is the fuss all about on the construction front?

What has become very apparent is the immediate difference the use of Drones make to the speed and accuracy of the Surveying and Mapping of sites.

It has been estimated that site surveys can be accomplished up to 400 times faster when employing drone technology, compared with the traditional method, with the resultant significant cost savings.

But that is just the scratching at the surface of how these “flying surveyors” can really “make things hum” on a large construction project.

Drones are ideal for going where “humans fear to tread” in the event of data needing to be gathered from an inaccessible or unsafe area of the site. The roof of a condemned building (for example). In fact, all dangerous, dirty or otherwise awkward site jobs can often be delegated to a UAV.

They are also a great tool that can be used to ensure Site Security. Drones can quickly and safely assess a potential site security breach. Is there a break in the fence? Has it been caused by the recent freak weather, or are there in fact intruders in the vicinity?

All the above benefits can be summed up by the fact that Drone Technology provides quick and accurate visual data of a site.

This data can then be employed in numerous ways.

It can be shared with the team, or the client to provide authentic progress reports.

It can be utilized to help improve site safety or identify ways that a project can be completed more quickly.

Construction projects can be huge operations, with frenetic activity occurring over a large area.

Whilst in the thick of all this, visual information is the only sure method of knowing exactly what is actually happening.

It is commonly acknowledged among Project Managers that “real time” control of the project is one of the most difficult things to consistently achieve. To enable this, “real time” data is required.

The traditional way of collecting the required information is by Construction Personnel traversing a site on foot, observing, and gathering information to report back on. This slow and labour-intensive practice simply doesn’t allow contractors to react efficiently to changes on the ground.

As an example, a foul day weather-wise can change the situation on site significantly and a report based on information collected the day before is now obsolete. The risk then is that a potential problem has arisen, which if missed for a day or so while a new report is being collated could result in the project being pushed over budget. As contractors are all too well aware, this can sometimes be to the tune of millions of pounds!

Contrast this with a 15-minute reconnaissance flight undertaken by a drone with an accurate and clear picture of the condition “on the ground” speedily established, and it can be seen how the ROI on an outlay for such technology can be very quickly realised!

Drone footage provides data of a more thorough and accurate nature too than the “old way” of working.

Because the drone captures visual footage constantly while in flight, this can then be processed using compatible software created specifically to interpret the data and then produce several different types of maps of the entire site for instance.

All at a fraction of the previous cost!

Other benefits include the ability to record all construction activities on a project. This data can be utilised to manage operations and contractors more effectively as well as providing irrefutable evidence should disagreements arise over project progress/status. An invaluable asset too in the case of any potential litigation.

Little wonder then that there is quite a stir in construction circles around this excellent technology.

In the USA they are going for it in a big way too.

The construction industry there is reckoned to be worth Eight Trillion dollars. A mind-boggling sum in any currency!

Unfortunately, it is also incredibly inefficient.

It is estimated that many commercial construction projects typically run 80% over budget and nearly 2 years behind schedule!!

Drone technology is being touted as having the potential to address this major issue.

Chris Anderson the CEO of Berkeley, CA based Drone Software company 3DR https://www.3dr.com/ has this to say:

“On-screen, in the architect’s CAD file, everything looks perfect. But on-site, in the mud and dust, things are different. And the difference between concept and reality is where about $3 trillion of that $8 trillion gets lost, in a cascade of change orders, rework, and schedule slips. Drones are meant to close that gap.”

Of course, there has been a negative perception of Drones, with questions raised around safety, privacy and misuse.

But the PwC report predicts that over the next decade technological developments allied with official regulation and societal acceptance will all coincide to enable drone usage to realise its latent potential.

As the drone industry embraces Government Legislation drafted to meet the above-mentioned issues, the public should grow accustomed to UAV’s becoming a much larger part of everyday life.

The fact that Drones are spearheading some key environmental monitoring practices for instance (tracking ice flow and whale movements in the artic, to name a couple of specifics) should facilitate increasing acceptance publicly.

There is also wide scope for UAV’s to be instrumental in revolutionizing the work of the emergency services (sharing accident data in real time so that teams arrive on the scene fully prepared for example) as well as supporting Search and Rescue missions.

An interesting case study involved the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (who have been using Drone technology since 2015).

At one incident, drone footage alerted the team to the fact that a number of firefighters were perilously in the vicinity of an unsupported wall!

As technology increases drones’ capabilities, real time life saving data can be effectively garnered by Emergency Services teams.

So, WHAT, you might be wondering, is the bottom line?

Surprisingly the initial outlay is not as steep as you might expect.

The drone that captured the footage below is a DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 an “entry level” model, that costs around £1,300.00.

This UAV combines reliability and ease of use with a load of useful functionality. It has a built-in camera that captures high res still images and Ultra HD Video.

STS Drone footage: https://specialisttilingsuppliesltd.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/STSData/ERoLrM_MXF9KmKY0Ijvt7MgB-UdfUQVKMiy7XFYimxR30w?e=12fbqq

The more technologically advanced big brother of the above model is the DJI Phantom 4 RTK which will set you back between £5,000.00 & £7,000.00. This UAV achieves much higher data accuracy. DJI claims it is manufactured to “achieve a new standard for surveying accuracy with drones”.

Industrial grade models, such as the DJI Matrice 300 RTK start at around £9,000.00.

Of course, you can pay a LOT MORE than that as the specifications and capabilities of the high end models increase, but the thing is you don’t need to!

It is abundantly clear that Drones are making big (air) waves in the Building World!

Perhaps it’s time to seriously consider elevating your enterprise and TAKING OFF with Drone Technology!

The sky truly is the limit!