Construction site surveillance by drone is constantly evolving, as the various trades in the construction sector have been pointing out for several years now. Everyone knows that technology is changing rapidly and those who adopt it are the ones who stand out to their customers.
In order to allow you to discover new site monitoring practices, this article aims to provide a reminder of the methods and technologies currently available as well as the resulting opportunities for all construction professionals.
The benefits of drone site surveillance
Site supervision is an important stage that will enable you to ensure the quality of deliverables and confirm that work has been carried out in accordance with plans and/or specifications. This will also enable you to detect non-conformities and anticipate the corrections you need to make. It also reduces health and safety risks for your teams. Surveillance also helps prevent potential crime on construction sites (theft of equipment and building materials).
Monitoring methods
With the continuing development of drones and their on-board technologies, this tool will become indispensable in the years to come. Below is a non-exhaustive list of surveillance methods available using drones:
3D scanners
They enable surveys to be carried out to accuracies of 2-3 cm, to validate the conformity of the work and any deviations from plans and specifications.
Wifi cameras for CCTV (closed-circuit television)
This is a complex installation, and a wifi network is required. Nevertheless, they remain practical for live surveillance, but require a significant infrastructure and a presence in front of the screens.
Live surveillance on foot
It allows you to move around relatively everywhere, but it puts employees on the site at risk, depending on the area monitored.
Monitoring sensors
Thanks to them, you can detect gas or poisoning risks (town gas or CO2) with hand-held sensors in high-risk areas. The sensors can also be installed in the area with data reception via Wifi.
LiDAR sensors
Once mounted on a drone, you can gain height for precise 3D surveys. HD cameras enable high-quality photogrammetric surveys. Thanks to on-board sensors and cameras, in addition to rapid deployment, the drone reduces the risk of personnel movements. These same cameras transmit images that totally defy today’s best cameras.
To go even further
The democratization of drone use is now a matter of course when you list the advantages:
- Size ;
- Rapid deployment ;
- Sensor image quality ;
- Low operating costs ;
- Possibility of automated flights.
If you want to learn more about this tool and consider the use of drones in new construction practices, you can read our article: the best drones for surveying and mapping in Canada.
