Being in a position to capture precise and accurate visual representations of a worksite quickly and efficiently is really a major benefit of using drones for surveying. But you can find other advantages as well.
Take the guesswork out of pre-bids and progress tracking
Bills of quantities in construction enable fast and simple comparison of contractor proposals. Since Asbestos surveys Glasgow are quoting exactly the same level of work, it?s easy to identify differences in price. Bills of quantities may also be 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 potential for 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?ll be compensated for the task you complete. Comparing your initial site survey to the original ground file provided lets you request a change-order upfront to secure more money for the project in the event that you spot an unfavorable variance between your two.
Avoid rework
According to 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 A major cause for rework is a insufficient information or using outdated information in decision making. Technology, like the Propeller Platform, makes solving this problem easier with more accurate and timely data. Drone surveying enables site supervisors and superintendents to receive up-to-date maps with accurate specs approximately one day after requesting them, which contributes to 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 complete life of any project also it?s important that all stakeholders at each stage have the data they have to understand if a project is on track, on budget, and on schedule. Platforms like Propeller centralize all of your information in a single 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 all construction projects will incur a major change. One study indicated that change orders resulted in project cost overruns of 11-15% on average and delayed projects up to 20% beyond scheduled completion dates
Avoid disputes
A 2022 study found that 87% of more than 500 respondents from architecture, engineering, and construction firms had handled disputes previously 12 months, a substantial increase from 63% in 2021. In their annual Global Construction Disputes Report (2022), Arcadis discovered that the leading cause of 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 through the entire course of the task 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 every stage in the project.
Save time and money
Measuring quantities and progress manually takes time, resources, and frequently a full-time dedicated person. And in remote areas, a large chunk of time is spent just accessing a niche site. When survey data could 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 need for server and computer costs and is a lot more scalable.
Site balancing
One of the major costs in earthworks is importing or exporting dirt from the website. A way to spend less because of this operation is determining if the project can be carried out by only utilizing the dirt that?s currently on site, known as site balancing. When creating a grade design for a civil construction or earthworks project, an integral goal is to ensure the dirt face to face site balances as much as possible. Because of this the cuts and fills are relatively equal, in order that contractors don?t have to import or export dirt in trucks to complete a job, which can be costly. Moving the existing earth around on site with excavation machinery is more cost effective. Once you survey your worksite with a drone, the info you obtain enables you to track your dirt quantities more accurately and balance your website.
Reduce safety risks
Flying a drone enables surveyors to stay on stable ground while safely navigating dangerous terrains and slopes or avoid close contact 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, also it yields in the same way accurate results.