Drones Could Save Construction Industry Billions

Construction spending in the U.S. totaled $1.18 trillion last year - and that’s just in America. At that scale, efficiency is king - even miniscule budget improvements can translate to billions of dollars in savings.

In recent years, drones have been used to increase surveillance and transportation on projects, while simultaneously decreasing cost and theft. Rather than relying on human resources and heavy machinery, projects with UAS equipment (drones) can collect live data, create 3D renderings of a project, and transport goods for a fraction of the time and price. The ability to collect and report data faster helps drive down costs by minimizing human error, labor, and time for producing accurate land surveys. This data can also serve as a valuable marketing tool, as it can track the progress and conditions of a project for potential clients, investors, or lending institutions.

By capturing data more efficiently than traditional methods allow, contractors utilizing drones can accept a greater number of bids - and complete them faster.

BENEFITS OF DRONES IN CONSTRUCTION

• Reduce spending on human labor and heavy machinery
• Collect extensive live data of projects quickly
• Create 3D renderings of the construction site
• Save time supervising projects and employees by foot
• Reduce theft and ensure employee safety with surveillance
• Track project progress to stay on schedule
• Reach locations inaccessible by crane

SURVEILLANCE

Communication and surveillance are crucial to construction. However, supervising a construction site can be a tricky task due to frequent job changes, constantly moving parts, and the sheer size of the worksite. Drones provide construction workers with live video footage and real-time data. This expedites communication on job sites, enabling companies to effectively survey both projects and employees.

Not only faster than human surveyors, drones also collect data more frequently. Projects can be completed with drones in a fraction of the time and at a smaller expense than traditional methods allow. For instance, instead of using costly surveying tools, drones allow contractors to monitor the progress of a site with accuracy and ease never before seen in the industry.

This collected data can show how a project progresses and highlight which aspects fall behind schedule. Managers can use this information to observe the efficiency of workers and to help determine the resources employees need to work more effectively. Drone surveillance also serves as a monitoring system to elevate onsite security and safety, significantly lessening the threat of theft and ensuring the safety of workers.

TRANSPORTATION

Since drones are primarily small machines with great maneuverability, they can be used to reach locations inaccessible by other methods. This enables drones to inspect areas too high or too far for a crane to reach, such as structures built over large bodies of water or on dangerous terrain. Aerial transportation of materials also allows companies to track everything that enters or leaves an area, saving money and time while ensuring the security of the worksite. Drones are also far more environmentally friendly than, say, a delivery truck. An added bonus - drones can provide quicker delivery in the air, as they have a direct path of flight.

The advantages of using drones in construction are many, ranging from increased communication to reduced manual labor. Creating and customizing these professional drones for heightened performance means using the best commercial components for market-leading durability. KDE Direct provides brushless motors, electronics and propellers for drones in construction. Contact KDE Direct for more information.