6 Ways Drones Are Affecting The Construction Industry

An aerial view done by a drone with a video camera overseeing a construction site, one of the ways drones are affecting the construction industry.

The popularity of drones is evident all around the world. From a simple toy to a professional tool, drones have changed and developed in the past few years and will continue to improve in the years to come. The real estate, surveying, mining, and agriculture industries have already adopted the use of drones. However, they proved very useful on construction sites more than in any other business. Drones are affecting the construction industry at a rapid pace, so let’s see how.

Drones are very efficient in surveying land

The old-school method of surveying land in the construction industry has been long forgotten since drones started taking over. The popular bird’s eye view is now replaced with the drone’s eye view, and everyone is loving it.

A huge benefit is that this method of surveying land eliminates human error. Furthermore, drones can collect precise data a lot more quickly, which is another reason why drones are impacting the commercial industry as well. Precision is crucial for data analysis, and whichever method excels, that’s the one contractors will use.

Drones are shortening the construction time

Due to the drones’ ability to gather and analyze data and their endurance and intelligence, work processes are substantially shorter. When we consider that the future brings even more changes and completely removes manual labor for some of the methods, there is a possibility that the construction time of large projects gets cut in half.

A photo of a construction worker done with a drone.
A fantastic feature of drones is providing data analysis and land surveys quickly, speeding up the construction process.

Caption: A fantastic feature of drones is providing data analysis and land surveys quickly, speeding up the construction process.

Alt: A photo of a construction worker done with a drone.

Consequently, the cost of the project is also reduced. Any construction company that recognizes this will gain a considerable advantage in terms of bidding for projects on the market.

Drones improve communication and management processes in the construction industry

As argued by Top Rated General Contractors LA, proper communication is a crucial factor for any construction project. A good thing about drones is that they offer 24/7 connectivity that happens immediately. Because of the possibility to add video cameras, the entire construction site is covered during all shifts, which leads to a couple of benefits:

  • construction workers on different ends of the building can communicate faster;
  • management has instant access to the entire construction site, which allows employee tracking;
  • superintendents and investors simply love this option. They can track construction progress from wherever they are

As a result of this constant surveillance, efficiency and productivity on the construction sites are on the rise. Furthermore, that also significantly improves workflow management.

On-site security improvements

Because drones offer instant video surveillance 24/7, on-site security is much better. Not only are theft and vandalism on the decline, but employee safety is drastically increased. That’s a fundamental reason why drones are positively affecting the construction industry.

Workers on a construction site.
Drones allow both management and investors to track real-time progress of the project.

Caption: Drones allow both management and investors to track real-time progress of the project.

Alt: Workers on a construction site.

One of the crucial features is that drones allow inspection or surveys of dangerous locations. That was previously done by people, and work-related injuries happened more often. Now that drones have replaced employees in this part, the number of injuries has reduced.

The only real issue is to think about ways to prevent drone flyaways and crashes. That can easily happen if a drone loses control due to connectivity loss.

Drones are affecting the construction industry by improving the transportation of materials

Aside from protecting employees during dangerous site inspections, another way that drones impact the construction industry is through the transportation of construction materials.

Furthermore, this process also reduces time and keeps track of everything that enters or leaves the construction site.

Drones are replacing traditional vehicles in the construction industry

A huge benefit of using drones instead of traditional vehicles is that they don’t need to follow usually traffic rules. A drone will not get stuck in a traffic jam or stop at a red light. Since they use areal routes, the transport time between sites is also reduced. All deliveries are done quickly while using as few resources as possible.

Are there any downsides to having drones on a construction site?

No matter how good drones are, we have to look at both sides of the coin. Otherwise, you might look for the answers on your own and find false information.

First of all, let’s talk about the types of drones that are allowed. It is no secret that the FAA has strict rules for using drones in the city. With that in mind, carefully pick the drones you want to use. Construction companies almost exclusively use drones in the hobby class. These are below 4.4 pounds and have a range radius of 400 feet. As long as those criteria are met, you can use drones for any reason, wherever you want.

A white drone with a video camera mid flight.
When purchasing drones for your construction site, make sure they meet all the criteria issued by your local regulating body.

Caption: When purchasing drones for your construction site, make sure they meet all the criteria issued by the FAA.

Alt: A white drone with a video camera mid flight.

The second problem that may happen is the loss of connection between the drone and the controller. Unfortunately, this is a common issue if you fly a drone in the city. There may be several signals that will interrupt the connection and potentially cause the crash. However, as long as you are using the ATTI mode that depends on manual control and not GPS, you have good chances of operating the drone anywhere you want.

As you can see, these “issues” are not real problems. You should look at them as a minor inconvenience that you can tackle with a bit of effort and smart thinking.

Help your construction company by using drones whenever possible

There is a bright future for drones in the construction business. As the technology advances, we will get new angles on how drones are affecting the construction industry. More and more processes will be improved with the use of drones, substantially reducing costs, construction time, and potential problems. The versatility of this technology is simply incredible. Do not miss this opportunity, because your competitors won’t!

About the author – Alexander Anderson

Drone Photography Bible would like to thank Alexander Anderson for submitting this guest article. Alexander Anderson is an amateur photographer and hiker, as well as a digital marketing enthusiast and a copywriter by profession. When he doesn’t write on matters of SEO, PPC, and digital marketing, he enjoys the great outdoors with his trusty drone.

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