New technologies have been introduced to the construction industry over the last ten years.
Everything from virtual reality to augmented reality has been used to inspect construction sites and train new workers. There are even 3D printers manufacturing parts for buildings and taking the pressure off robots and workers on the ground.
Now we see the rise of drones in the construction industry. Project managers and contractors can utilize drones to simplify their project inspections and other essential tasks.
There are so many benefits that drones bring to construction firms, so it is no wonder why they are being used in this industry.
Below are seven ways drones are used in the construction industry.
1) Accurately Map Construction Sites
A contractor must map out a construction site before developing any type of structure on the land.
Maps help locate all the surrounding structures and properties so that they can be avoided during construction.
Otherwise, the contracting company could run the risk of a lawsuit if they were to develop or destroy someone else’s property.
Accuracy is essential for construction site mapping. The drone that performs the most accurate mapping tasks is called the lidar drone.
In the old days, contractors had to fly over a site in a private plane to map it out. Now they can just use a drone to fly over the area and record video footage of it.
2) Security and Surveillance
Contractors and their supervisors have a responsibility to maintain the safety and security of their construction sites.
Drones allow project managers and security personnel to make sure no unauthorized people are on the construction site.
Also, drones can help locate any contractor on the site who may be injured and requires immediate medical assistance. Some drones can even bring medical supplies to the injured person directly.
3) Safety Inspections
Construction sites tend to be dangerous places. There may be irregular terrain or moving parts everywhere that needs to be taken into consideration.
Rather than manually navigating a construction site to look for hazardous areas, a drone can find them safely and quickly.
The contractor can conduct safety inspections of the site from their office and see all the hazards without endangering themselves in the process.
4) View the Current Status of a Project
If project managers and inspectors want to know the status of a construction project, they can easily see the status by using a drone to record the current state of the development.
Drones can eliminate threats of danger by allowing inspectors to view the current progress remotely.
5) Equipment and Tool Delivery
Current drones cannot lift items more than 50 pounds. But as drone technology becomes more prominent and more advanced, the drones of the future will have the ability to carry large construction equipment and vehicles.
Drones can significantly reduce the amount of transportation time that is required on a construction site.
If workers can have their tools and resources delivered to them from a drone, then it will increase the speed and efficiency of their work on the site.
6) Monitor Several Job Sites
If you are a big-time contractor, then you probably have more than one construction site that requires your attention.
It is a challenge to monitor multiple construction sites when you oversee them all. Drones have become such a blessing for contractors in this situation.
They can easily fly their drones to each construction site in a matter of minutes and view video footage of its current progress. It saves the contractor both time and money from having to inspect all those sites.
7) Monitor Workers
Workers tend to change their attitudes when they see the boss walking around them. But when the boss walks away, they might slack off and stop working as hard. That can be very costly to any contractor who must meet a deadline.
It is tough to keep an eye on all your construction workers, especially if they are working at a big construction site.
If you want to make sure they are working, then you can use a drone to monitor their behavior from the sky.
You can use drones to spy on your workers and make sure they are working. If you catch them not working, then you can apply the appropriate discipline to them.
