PwC estimate Drones will boost the GDP in UK construction by £8.6bn. https://www.insider.co.uk/news/drones-economy-companies-business-scotland-12610157 It was anticipated the drone sector would explode in the UK in 2023. However business pressures from Covid-19 have forced change to happen much sooner. Social distancing on construction sites means companies have been forced to look at alternative ways to capturing data whilst adhering to new health and safety operating procedures. The good news is that drones boost construction efficiencies. Qualified PfCO drone pilots are starting to play a key role in providing vital data to construction.
The benefits of using drones are that they in essence can produce high levels of accurate data including site measurements, cross-sections and elevation. This data can be shared with companies digitally, direct to their laptops at home offices. Typical traditional methods of capturing data such as topography reports would normally be conducted by a team of 2 over several days. Followed by CAD drawings being shared with executives in meetings. Drones are now bringing this data directly to the end user without either teams having to physically meet.
Another major benefit is the data is captured much faster and generally by one remote drone pilot. At Drone Scotland we conduct out flight assessments and planning off-site, followed by an on-site assessment. We then process the data from our office. Thus the majority of our planning and data processing is carried out in our own offices, reducing the time we spend on your site. This is where a drone company can improve efficiencies even further during covid-19 and reduce the risk at your site.
Prior to construction sites closing we were able to produce site inspections for clients and share with them digitally to the home offices. Our maps were used in zoom calls and to make decisions throughout the lockdown period. This also allowed site managers to plan new SOP’s from their home offices before they were permitted on-site again. Many of our clients have chosen to continue with this method of data capture stating it is safer, faster, more cost effective and more efficient. At Drone Scotland we are now able to capture measurements of sites to within 50mm. This is a huge breakthrough. The largest site we have captured is 200 hectares but generally we work on small and medium sized sites too.
We are now engaging with construction clients throughout the lifecycle of projects from pre-construction through to site completion. We deliver site measurements and plant health information for housebuilders before they even purchase the land. We work with them through the lifecycle and often produce health and safety videos for them before the site is handed over to the client. Working with clients throughout the lifecycle allows us to help improve efficiencies. We still deliver those traditional aerial photographs and construction progress reports that exploded into the market back in 2016. However the real boost to construction is the high levels of accurate data we can deliver throughout the lifecycle of a project.
One important aspect to remember is that any drone pilots you employ must be PfCO qualified. Safety is key within construction. Drones will play an integral part of the modern construction site. It’s not a matter of “If” you are using drones it’s a matter of “when.” https://dronescotland.com/uncategorized/drones-in-construction/
