Drones are increasingly being used in the project sector, saving not only time but also cost, says Joshua Cotton, f leet service operations manager at Bechtel.
The company, one of the first in the world to introduce unmanned aerial vehicles or drones on projects, has seen the technology benefiting its operations significantly.
“The unmanned aerial systems are used in a variety of ways to support projects, with one f light able to serve multiple purposes – from safety and security to surveying, progress reporting, digital surfacing and workface planning.”He said drones were increasingly being used to capture 3D data on projects. “When it comes to surveying and earthworks drones are doing in a few hours what would have taken several days in the past – and they deliver high levels of accuracy.”
According to Cotton, drones were therefore doing surveys faster, more cheaply and more a c cu rat ely.He said the fact that drones delivered same-day results that included information such as accurate volumes and correct visual representation increased overall project efficiency.
“We have put a lot of thought into our drones and their operation, and focused heavily on the safe and efficient use of the technology in the project sector,” said Cotton.Speaking at a recent conference on innovative solutions for the breakbulk sector, he said drones were also being used for safety inspections in hazardous areas and hard-to-reach and confined spaces, saving time and human resources.
“Using drones has really helped to have a visual representation or spectrum on what is being worked on,” he said, indicating that pictures from the air gave a different dimension. “Drones provide a variety of useful data. They take precise measurements of projects and volume of stockpile lengths. Also, aerial views give project managers a top-down view of the entire work site, some of which can be very large.”
But, warned Cotton, it was not as simple as just buying a drone and sending it up in the air.
“Regulations around drones are very clear and must be followed. If you are f lying drones for commercial purposes, you must be commercially licensed and drone operators must be trained properly and have the necessary pilot licences.”Experience and proficiency at f lying a drone was just as important – especially on project sites.
