How Drones are Changing Construction Surveys
The use of drones in construction in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been on the rise in recent years. According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global construction drone market size is projected to reach $11.9 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 13.8% from 2020 to 2027. This growth is attributed to the increasing demand for drone technology in the construction industry due to its ability to improve productivity, reduce costs, and enhance safety.
Drones offer a number of benefits to construction companies, including increased safety, improved efficiency, and better accuracy in data collection. One of the main ways drones are used in construction in the UAE is for site surveying and mapping. Drones can quickly and easily capture aerial images of construction sites, which can then be used to create 3D models and maps of the site. This information can be used to plan construction projects more effectively and identify potential issues before they become major problems.
In the UAE, the government has been actively promoting the use of drones in various industries, including construction. According to a report by the Dubai Media Office, the Dubai Municipality used drones to inspect over 1,000 construction sites in 2019, resulting in faster inspections and cost savings. The report also mentioned that the Dubai Municipality is planning to expand the use of drones in construction inspections in the future.
Another report by the Dubai Future Foundation predicted that the construction industry in the UAE could save up to $1.5 billion annually by using drones for inspections, surveying, and monitoring. The report also highlighted the potential for drones to improve safety in the construction industry by reducing the need for workers to work at height or in hazardous environments.
Drones are also being used for monitoring and inspection during construction. They can be used to inspect buildings and infrastructure for defects or damage, as well as to monitor construction progress and ensure that projects are on schedule.
One of the most promising areas of drone use in construction is surveys involving data from an area under construction. This data is used to analyze the site and make decisions regarding its development. Traditionally, this data was gathered manually by surveyors. Today, however, drones have revolutionized the way construction surveys are conducted. Let’s look at how drones are changing how construction surveys are done.
Time Savings with Drones for Construction Surveys
One of the most notable benefits of using drones for construction surveys is time savings. A drone can cover a much larger area in a shorter amount of time than traditional surveyors on foot or in vehicles. This significantly reduces the time needed to collect data from a site and allows for faster decisions about its development.
Additionally, because there is no need for manual labor, it saves money on labor costs and equipment costs associated with traditional surveying methods.
“We provide our customers with complete engineering survey solutions, like topographic and mapping construction surveys, underground utility surveys, building service inspections, marine construction surveys, and more. We are using the latest innovative technology and solutions for our surveying industry life drones, especially for aerial service and mappings inspections,” says Naushad Haneefa, General Manager at Falcon Survey Engineering, a UAE-based survey engineering service providing company and one of the leading organizations in the survey engineering industry.
High-Quality Data Collection with Drones
Another benefit of using drones for construction surveys is that they provide high-quality data collection results due to their ability to capture precise measurements and detailed images from various angles simultaneously. This is especially useful in complicated surveys around existing constructions.
“We are using drones with 3D laser scanners for our building modeling, mobile mapping for road surveys, and all the latest technologies in the surveying industry. We are working with international and national clients, government authorities, engineering consultants, construction companies, and developers,” says Siva Pillappan, project manager at Falcon Survey Engineering.
“Falcon is always following and adopting the latest innovative technologies wherever available in the world. We have multiple fleets of drones in our portfolio, which includes Matrix M300 P1 cameras, L1 radar sensors, and H2 T4 thermal imaging, and we are using completely real surveying inspection mappings.”
This enables surveyors to accurately assess any changes that have occurred over time, such as erosion, land subsidence, or vegetation growth, without having to take multiple trips back and forth across the surveyed area.
Also, since drones can fly over difficult terrain safely and quickly, they allow surveyors access to areas that would otherwise be inaccessible or too dangerous for humans to enter.
Safety Benefits of Drone Survey Technology
Finally, drones offer safety benefits when it comes to conducting construction surveys as well. Since they don’t require human contact with hazardous areas or materials, they reduce the potential risk of injury or death from working in dangerous conditions.
Furthermore, because drone technology does not use combustible fuels such as gasoline or diesel fuel for power, it also reduces air pollution associated with surveying activities, which helps protect both people and wildlife living near sites in development stages.
“We started to offer our service associated with AeroMotus when the commercial drone activity started in UAE, and w instrumentally getting support in our journey to fulfilling our complete drone service technology in this region,” says Siva Pillappan. “As a drone service provider, we can provide a complete solution in various sectors and improve productivity and reliability with cost-effective methodologies. Falcon service fully focused on drone-based services and aerial survey, radar mapping, and aerial inspections.”
What Are the Other Uses of Drones in Construction?
Surveying and mapping
Drones with high-resolution cameras can quickly and accurately survey construction sites and create detailed 3D maps and models. This information can be used to help design and plan construction projects.
““Based on the client’s requirements, the project scope, and the accuracy demand, the initial drone plan will include Ground Control Point establishment, Mission planning, camera selection, number of days required at the field, and number of crews recording the field. So based on this, the data will be collected from the field, data processing will be done with the high-end software, and the final deliverables—2D drawings and 3D modeling of the digital terrain model and digital surface model in the ortho images—are available to developers and consultants that are having a high demand in project data visualization,” says Siva Pillappan of Falcon Survey Engineering.
Inspection
Drones can be used to inspect buildings, bridges, and other structures, providing a bird’s-eye view that is difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional inspection methods. This can help identify potential safety issues or maintenance needs.
“I have been using DJ Matrix 300 drone for over the last few years, and this drone has advanced safety features and high endurance, providing the top quality data. It’s a remarkable drone, and we will continue to use M300 in our projects. It is the best drone on the market,” says Ajmal Kabeer, licensed drone pilot in Falcon Survey Engineering.
“As a leading drone survey service provider in the UAE, our experience with implementing drones in our service has been successful, and the return on investment has extended our expectations. We can see how satisfied our clients are and their projects grow. We plan to scale up our drone service with our partner Aeromotus and high-end drones like DJ Enterprises and others. Falcon service’s main aim is to deliver highly accurate reliable data to our clients efficiently while maintaining cost and saving time.”
Monitoring Progress
Delivering Construction Supplies
Enhancing Safety
Drones can be used to improve safety on construction sites by providing real-time monitoring of workers and equipment. They can also be used to inspect dangerous or hard-to-reach areas, reducing the need for workers to climb scaffolding or use other potentially dangerous methods.
“Drone monitoring technology helps us to survey the hard to access areas like high-res buildings, mountains, and other difficult terrains. Drone technology minimizes safety assets compared to conventional methods. In the Emirates, we have done one project, Forest Future, covering 2500 hectares of desert. The survey was done with one DJ Matrix using 300 drones in six days. Data processing was completed in three days the deliverables were provided in 15 days. The project deliverables were the auto image contour mapping and topographic survey data. If we had used the conventional methods, this would have taken at least 60 days,” says Siva Pillappan.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the use of drones in construction and infrastructure projects in the UAE is expected to continue to grow in the coming years as companies seek to take advantage of the many benefits that drones offer. Using drones in construction can help improve efficiency, safety, and accuracy while reducing costs and minimizing the environmental impact of construction projects.
