Benefits of Drone Surveying: How companies are employing the data

Being able to capture precise and accurate visual representations of a worksite quickly and efficiently is really a major advantage of using drones for surveying. But there are other advantages as well.

Take the guesswork out of pre-bids and progress tracking

Bills of quantities in construction allow for quick and easy comparison of contractor proposals. Since all bidders are quoting exactly the same quantity of work, it?s an easy task to identify differences in cost. Bills of quantities are also used to clearly define the scope of focus on a project. Since quantities and amounts are provided, there?s no room for misinterpretation and less chance of mathematical errors. Utilizing a drone to survey materials on a prospective jobsite helps to ensure that the contractor pricing you submit is accurate, and you also?ll be compensated for the task you complete. Comparing your initial site survey to the initial ground file provided lets you request a change-order upfront to secure additional money for the project in the event that you spot an unfavorable variance between the two.
Avoid rework

Based on the Construction Industry Institute, rework is estimated to represent 2%-20% of total costs. It impacts project timelines, costs, schedules, machine resources, and person hours. Which erode profitability. A significant cause for rework is really a insufficient information or using outdated information in decision making. Technology, like the Propeller Platform, makes solving this issue easier with more accurate and timely data. Drone surveying enables site supervisors and superintendents to receive up-to-date maps with accurate specs approximately 1 day after requesting them, which plays a part in better decision making and ultimately less rework.
Improve site-to-office communications

Survey data captured by drones and processed by software platforms like Propeller help centralize project documentation and increase collaboration with surveyors, engineers, foremen, and site managers. Collaboration challenges span the entire life of any project and it?s important that stakeholders at each stage have the data they have to understand if a project is on the right track, on budget, and on schedule. Platforms like Propeller centralize all your information in one place including present and past surveys, designs and iterations, and all of your notes, reports and files.
Minimize change orders
In line with the Independent Project Analysis Group, an average of 35% of most construction projects will incur a major change. One study indicated that change orders resulted in project cost overruns of 11-15% normally and delayed projects around 20% beyond scheduled completion dates
Avoid disputes

A 2022 study discovered that 87% of more than 500 respondents from architecture, engineering, and construction firms had dealt with disputes in the past 12 months, a considerable increase from 63% in 2021. Within their annual Global Construction Disputes Report (2022), Arcadis found that the leading reason behind disputes in North America was poor record keeping and documentation.

Resolving disputes requires a clear communication and documentation plan. Drone surveys conducted in the beginning of a project and at regular intervals throughout the course of the work give a historical record and a frequent (and reliable) record of progress as time passes. Should a dispute arise, contractors can revisit the relevant site survey to address any concerns.

Accurate records established with drone data also enable contractors to quickly identify and address project errors or concerns and offer clear, accurate, unbiased, and easy-to-understand documentation of each stage in the project.
Save time and money

Measuring quantities and progress manually does take time, resources, and frequently a full-time dedicated person. And in remote areas, a big chunk of time is spent just accessing a site. When survey data can be captured and processed in hours, not days or weeks, projects go smoother with less rework, added expense, and overhead. Using cloud-based processing also eliminates the necessity for server and computer costs and is a lot more scalable.
Browse this site  of the major costs in earthworks is importing or exporting dirt from the website. A way to spend less for this operation is determining if the project can be carried out by only utilizing the dirt that?s currently on site, referred to as site balancing. When creating a grade design for a civil construction or earthworks project, an integral goal would be to ensure the dirt on the job site balances whenever you can. This means that the cuts and fills are relatively equal, so that contractors don?t have to import or export dirt in trucks to complete a job, that may be costly. Moving the prevailing earth around on site with excavation machinery is more cost effective. Once you survey your worksite with a drone, the data you obtain lets you track your dirt quantities more accurately and balance your site.
Reduce safety risks

Flying a drone enables surveyors to stay on stable ground while safely navigating dangerous terrains and slopes or avoid close connection with busy highways. Drone surveying keeps crews onsite for less time than traditional survey methods, reducing the risk for an injury to occur. Mapping a site becomes as simple as programming a flight path and piloting the drone, and it yields in the same way accurate results.