Sector Snapshot: Drones in Construction

Sector Snapshot: Drones in Construction

By Scott Howe, Commercial UAV News

Drone usage in construction has grown 239% in recent years.

Global Trade

Introduction

The construction market will grow by $34 billion by 2028

ReportLinker

Construction sector demands a workforce increase of 546,000 in 2024

The Hartford

Construction is one of the world’s oldest industries—and one of the most innovative.

For as long as people have been erecting homes and buildings, they have been finding new and better ways to make sure their structures are strong, sturdy, and secure. From incorporating new materials to deploying new techniques, individuals involved in construction have been eager to adopt new systems and adapt existing ones to make their work more effective, efficient, and safe.

Given this long history, it’s no surprise that the construction field was one of the earliest adopters of uncrewed technology. For many years now, drones have been used to monitor and mark progress on construction projects. By flying uncrewed vehicles equipped with cameras and sensors, construction firms have found ways to save time and money while performing crucial inspection and maintenance work. Moreover, they have realized the importance of using robotic vehicles to perform dangerous tasks that were previously assigned to valuable and vulnerable personnel.

Today, drones are a major and essential component of many construction operations. Looking ahead, construction professionals are investigating ways of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and other innovations into their drone-based work. These efforts will surely lead to further advances in the quality, safety, and effectiveness of construction projects and lead to even greater improvements.

For this Commercial UAV News “sector snapshot” on drones in construction, we will look at recent growth in the construction sector and how uncrewed systems and related technologies are critical to sustained expansion. Also, industry experts will explain how they are using drones in their work, and we will present case studies that point to the promise of these systems in improving overall safety, efficiency, and ROI. We will also explore the future of drones in construction and how artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies will impact adoption of uncrewed systems.

What’s Happening in the Construction Sector?

According to recent reports, the already booming construction sector can expect to see continued growth in the years to come.

In the US, according to a 2024 engineering and construction industry outlook report from Deloitte Research Center for Energy & Industrials, “The construction industry entered 2023 marked by a 7% increase in nominal value added and a 6% increase in nominal gross output compared to the previous year. As of the third quarter of 2023, nominal construction spending maintained a steady upward path.” Similarly, Reportlinker’s “Construction 4.0 Market: Trends, Opportunities and Competitive Analysis [2023-2028] estimates that the construction market will grow by $32 billion by 2028.

Despite the positive news, the Deloitte report cautions that some of this recent growth can be attributed to inflated material prices, labor costs, and interest rates. However, Deloitte suggests, “there could be a boost to construction associated with manufacturing, transportation infrastructure, and clean energy infrastructure, as funds from three key pieces of legislation passed in 2021 and 2022— the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act—are expected to flow into the industry.”

One of the areas where significant expansion is expected is Europe. Reportlinker states that “Europe is projected to take the lead in growth trajectory over the predicted period. This can be credited to the European Union’s proactive measures in funding research and development activities, thus fostering the progression of 4.0 technologies in the region. In addition, the swift assimilation of these cutting-edge technologies by prominent construction firms in Europe is bolstering productivity and sustainability, as well as safety parameters.”

Among these technologies are uncrewed aerial vehicles, sophisticated sensors and data gathering systems, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The Reportlinker survey says that “the rise of digitization in the construction industry and the application of pioneering technologies to augment the efficacy of construction projects while mitigating human errors” are keys to growth.

How Construction Companies are Using Uncrewed Aerial Technology

As discussed above, construction firms were early adopters of uncrewed technology, and the clear value of incorporating these systems into operations is driving ongoing and expanded integration.

A 2023 article in Global Trade reported the use of drones in the construction industry has grown by 239% in recent years. “Drones are no longer just an abstract, futuristic idea,” the article stated, and they backed up that assertion by pointing out that drones have allowed for easier land mapping,

more accurate aerial imaging, reduced risks on job sites, better data collection, and shortened job completion timelines.

Similarly, an article in Interesting Engineering explained how drones equipped with sophisticated sensors and cameras can enable civil engineers and other construction professionals to capture high quality aerial images that can be used to create 3D models. These models are essential to improving the design and planning of projects. What’s more, drones are highly useful for tracking construction equipment, photographing job sites to monitor progress and problems—and they even deliver tools and equipment to workers.

The Interesting Engineering article also touts the value of drones in the post-construction phase. “Once the structure is built, drones can inspect it with a visual and sensory approach to check stability and detect damage or defects without risking human workers,” the piece said.

A post by drone industry leader DroneUp also champions of the use of drones in all phases of a construction operation. In addition to enabling cost savings, increased worker safety, improved data collection and analysis, and more effective project planning, DroneUp said the uncrewed vehicles can make operations more scalable, predictable, and repeatable.

“Imagine pulling up a dashboard and getting a real-time view showing the status of every single project your company is working on,” DroneUp’s post said. “This data can be powerful not just for project planning, but also for client relations, letting you give clients updates that show them exactly how much the work has progressed in images that were captured within the last 24 hours.”

These capabilities, DroneUp asserted, could allow companies to engage in a “multi-site rollout of drone operations, providing nationwide coverage that allows for immediate visual insights into the status of all the projects underway.”

The value of using drones in construction has been demonstrated time and again and in many different ways. Tina Booton, Weed Division Supervisor with Weld County Public Works in Colorado, reported that her organization is “currently using UAS’s to document progress of construction projects and to provide stockpile quantities.” Uncrewed systems, she stated, “definitely improve safety and efficiency on the projects for documenting, as well as flying for stockpile quantities.”

On a larger scale, the Sweden-based construction and development firm Skanska has been integrating uncrewed systems and related technologies into its operations for several years. Recently, according to a report in the Daily Journal of Commerce, the company created its own drone network to track progress on construction sites. Operating across Skanska’s building, civil, and commercial development units, the drone network is made up of about 70 members, “with 50 active pilots operating 30 drones.” In the US, the network has been instrumental in Skanska’s work on building a light rail extension in Lynnwood, WA and redeveloping Portland International Airport.

On the following pages, you’ll find three examples of how companies are using uncrewed systems and related technologies to improve efficiency, accuracy, and return on investment in construction operations.

Kuhn Construction: Assessing and Repairing an Historic Landmark

A recent Commercial UAV News article took an in-depth look at how the US-based firm Kuhn Construction tackled a complex inspection project for Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis, MO. The project highlighted what it means for UAVs and related tools to be utilized, how they create value for construction projects, and how these systems point to new opportunities for firms to improve and expand their assessment and repair work.

A Church Builder That Does Bathrooms

A family owned and operated company for five generations, there’s not much that Kuhn Construction doesn’t do. One of their specialties is working on older homes and buildings, but the team can do anything from a small remodel to a large addition. The company’s work on churches stretches back for decades and is ultimately connected to their involvement with the local community, but their approach to these projects defines the company’s entire ethos.

“I tell potential clients that I’m a church builder that does bathrooms,” said Rick Kuhn, the fifth-generation owner of his family’s construction company. “The reason I say that is because there’s really nothing more highly finished than a church. The care and expertise that went into the construction of those buildings is obvious, and our goal is to protect and celebrate that finish as part of any assessment or repair. We’d do the same for a small bathroom remodel though, because we want to match something existing with something new in a way that makes sense in the present and for the future.”

That effort to blend the existing with the new was a driver behind a diocese-wide project to inspect multiple churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. Identifying the status of everything from the exterior roof to the interior support beams was a major priority, which is partially why Kuhn Construction has been utilizing drones for much of this inspection work.

With a drone, the team doesn’t need to use ladders or lifts to get a bird’s eye view. They can do all of that from the ground, which is critical for structures that have multiple roofs, which most churches do. They can also fly the drone inside the church to get to places that would otherwise be impossible or prohibitively expensive to access.

How such potential expenses compare to the actual cost of utilizing a drone are critical to consider since overhead costs for in-house pilots can be one of the most expensive elements of a project. That’s partially why Kuhn Construction hires pilots on a part-time or project basis rather than full

time. It has allowed the team to keep costs under control, although the way they consider such costs is indicative of their more holistic approach to drone adoption.

“The cost is relative because you’re going to have invaluable information at the end,” Kuhn told Commercial UAV News. “Plus, there are always going to be angles and areas you’re never going to get, even if you had a person all the way up there. The reality is there are always adjustments you can make so that it’s not prohibitively expensive, and our approach has meant it’s something that’s hundreds rather than thousands of dollars.”

That sort of proactivity can be an essential means of value that construction companies and others can enable as part of a defined approach to assessments, repairs, and more.

“Why Haven’t We Already Done This?”

Different buildings have different issues, but the Kuhn Construction team has a good idea around where to start whenever they begin an inspection. Much of that comes from an awareness of noticeable issues, such as plaster that’s blistering or water leaking in a roof. The data and photos they gather allow the team to put together an all-encompassing report that documents these issues and so much more.

“We use all of the information gathered from the drone to create our own building inspection report, which we call a BIR,” Kuhn said. “That’s sent to the contact at the parish that is responsible for the building and grounds. It’s a process I mostly invented so that the diocese stakeholders can really see what they own and get a real sense of what condition it’s in, plus our recommendations on making fixes. Those reports have created awareness and understanding that’s allowed them to make some critical decisions.”

As an example of what those critical decisions can look like, Kuhn mentioned that some of the structural problems they’ve identified have led to the closing of a certain area of a church or to the removal of a large piece of infrastructure, like a church bell. These places and structures were deemed to be unsafe, helping the parish contacts make decisions that avoided a potentially catastrophic situation.

The BIR report provides specific insights into the state of the facility. Pictures can show how the water is getting in or exactly where the gutter system is failing. Those details define the recommended fixes, which can vary from getting a roofer onto the roof to scheduling a welder to fix the ladder in the bell tower.

Drone data and drone photos have helped the team finalize their recommendations on account of being able to highlight these issues in detail while also outlining the potential remedy. This process fully defines the proactive approach that Kuhn Construction takes and is one that others can learn and benefit from in multiple ways.

“We’re proud that churches of all types and ages can benefit from this type of inspection,” Kuhn said. “It’s an invaluable tool to put together and help these older declining buildings stay alive. People will see what we can put together and literally ask, ‘why haven’t we already done this?’ It just makes a world of a difference when you’re proactive versus on the other side of it.”

Windover Construction: New Ways to Use Drones for Inspections and Quality Control

In 2023, Commercial UAV News spoke with Amr Raafat, Chief Innovation Officer at Windover Construction. Raafat explained how his firm started and then ramped up its drone operations, and how its uses uncrewed technologies, lidar, and 3D modeling techniques to bring value and efficiency to projects ranging from installing plumbing systems at large multifamily facilities to performing inspections on culturally significant buildings.

An Early Adopter of Drone Technology

Seven years ago, Massachusetts-based Windover Construction began flying drones to capture comprehensive data of its sites to increase operational efficiencies. Since then, the full-service construction and management firm with an industry-leading Virtual Design and Construction capabilities has expanded the ways it uses—and derives value—from uncrewed operations.

“We were one of the very early implementers of drone technology in construction,” Amr Raafat, Windover’s Chief Innovation Officer told Commercial UAV News. “We decided to implement drones for many reasons, and some of the biggest reasons were mitigating risk and having the ability to capture data in ways that are less time consuming and more efficient.”

Raafat explained that drones are ideal for getting information on major construction sites. “We work on large, multifamily sites that can be as large as 20 acres,” Raafat said. “We found that using drones with laser scanning technology is a lot less time-consuming than going on the ground to capture data. We saw that drone technology can really be much more efficient in very large areas, as well as a hard-to-reach areas.”

On recognizing the effectiveness of uncrewed systems, Windover decided to expand its drone operations. “We wanted to take things further and do more than mapping sites,” Raafat stated. “We were more interested in capturing detailed data and highly accurate dimensional information to document what’s built onsite in real-time. We’ve been adding latest cutting-edge systems, such as lidar drone sensors, to our existing UAV workflows.”

Complex Site Topography

At Endicott College’s New Academic Center, Windover utilized drone lidar technology and utilized the drone data to build detailed Autodesk Civil 3D model to help coordinate the new foundations with the existing ledge and complex site topography.” In addition to Windover documenting the

whole Endicott College campus with drone scan to provide detailed building envelopes and overall topography grades data to support the campus future planning projects.

To further demonstrate how the addition of uncrewed systems can produced substantial value for Windover and their clients, Raafat described his firm’s work on installing plumbing systems at large multifamily construction sites.

“Windover is known as a leader in building modular and prefab projects, and installing underground pipe systems is an important part of many of our project’s operations,” he said. “We use drones with ground control points to capture data of the as-built pipes, to perform real-time QA-QC overlays with the first-floor plan to detect any discrepancies before pouring concrete slabs to avoid costly delays.”

Conducting these operations before concrete foundations are poured has helped Windover save significant time, money and on time with high quality work especially in large multifamily and academic projects. “It is critical to do this work before pouring concrete because at that point it’s very easy to move things around and make adjustments based on discrepancies found in the overlay,” Raafat stated.

Inspecting Culturally Significant Buildings

Another example of how Windover uses drones to add value to its projects concerns the inspection of existing, culturally significant buildings. “We worked on an inspection of the façade of a historic building in downtown Boston with a logistically challenging site,” Raafat explained. “Our use of drones offered the safest and most efficient solution while minimizing disruption at the busy site. With our drones, we quickly inspected the façade and captured dimensional and thermal data. We mapped the facade, collected high-red thermal info as well, to see if the building was losing any heat, missing insulation in envelope or other leaks.”

Using drones to perform thermal inspections can result in large, long-term benefits for builders and owners. “With a drone, we can inspect a building at different times of day, like right after sunset, to locate the areas that required fixes to improve the building energy performance and its longterm sustainable aspects. We can capture data of large building complexes in a fraction of time compared to ground-based inspection. and then our drone thermal reports help to guide the ground investigation by locating exact potential issues. These drone-based solutions can make a huge impact on the sustainability and energy performance of the building,” Raafat said.

Flipix AI: Turning Drone Data Into Intelligence

The transformation of aerial photogrammetry over the past two decades has been nothing short of incredible, and the promise of faster, cheaper, and more accurate aerial surveying has been realized. One company on the forefront of these advances is Germany’s Flypix AI. Last year, Commercial UAV News spoke with the company’s CEO and co-founder, Dr. Sergey Sukhanov, about the impact of these rapidly improving technologies on construction projects and related operations.

Making Sense of Drone-Derived Data

Improvements in sensor resolution, image storage capacity, and battery life are combining to create a brandnew problem: we are collecting too much data in each flight, and our capacity to analyze and make sense of it all is not moving at the same speed.

And here is where the controversial issue of Artificial Intelligence (AI) comes to play an important role in how we convert all these gigabytes of data into actionable information.

We searched far and wide for someone who would be able to shed some light in how AI is helping land surveyors to handle the deluge of data to help their customers make sense of it all. We found a company in Germany, Flypix AI, that specializes in the development of AI tools to help turn drone data into intelligence.

Commercial UAV News recently spoke with Dr. Sergey Sukhanov, CEO and co-founder of Flipix AI, a company that specializes in the development of AI tools to help turn drone data into intelligence. We discussed their technology and how, without it, we will be spending more hours in the office trying to decipher patterns and trends.

“The idea is simple; we developed AI algorithms that look through georeferenced data and then detect and classify items according to the specifications of our customers,” said Sukhanov. “Now, is it easy? No, of course not. It took us years to build the right technology to use in the specific case of geospatial data and the requirements of the end-user of the information.”

The uses for this technology are endless, and so far, Flypix is receiving a huge number of requests to support forestry management and provide calculation of biomass by classifying and counting trees. The other industry where Flypix is active is construction.

Why the Construction Industry Needs New Technology

“Construction is one of those industries that is in desperate need of new technology, not particularly in the erecting of edifices per se, but in everything that surrounds a construction site,” Sukhanov said. “During execution of a large project, the site is a bit of a controlled chaos and therefore anything that helps bring order into it is welcome. Our technology can classify materials and very quickly inform management of the need to move, replace, or reposition materials, equipment, and personnel.”

This great example of a specific application took the conversation along the lines of what the future holds for Flypix technology and the need of many industries for automation of their classification flights.

“We work with any georeferenced images, so the sensor could be mounted in a satellite, a drone or a crane; it makes no difference to the algorithms,” Sukhanov said. “We are helping companies identify

loose fishing nets in the ocean, help logistics companies with handling of shipping containers in busy ports and in general fine tuning machine learning to help sift through enormous amounts of data that will take humans years to accomplish with traditional methods.”

What’s Next for Drones in Construction?

Given the continuing demand for construction, maintenance, and repair services—and the fact that drone-related systems have a strong track record of making construction operations faster, safer, and more costeffective—many experts predict that the use of uncrewed technologies will continue to expand in 2024 and beyond. For many, this expansion will be coupled with the increased embrace of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

A report on the construction industry by insurance industry leader The Hartford stated that construction firms are increasing their adoption of new technologies, including robotics, wearables, and drones, for 2024. “Companies are investing heavily in imagery technology to monitor job sites more effectively” and are “increasing the use of information tracking systems and dashboards,” The Hartford asserted.

Similarly, a Deloitte report on the Energy and Construction sectors stated that “Industry leaders continue to prioritize technology investments, aiming for efficiency improvements in order to mitigate ongoing workforce, cost, and supply chain challenges.” Among the most promising technologies for these leaders is AI.

“With the rise of generative AI and other disruptive technologies, the sector is now seemingly poised to realize improvements in project design, schedule optimization, cost controls, site inspection, safety, compliance, and quality assurance,” the Deloitte study said. However, the firm noted that, according to a recent survey, “55% of chief operating officers indicated that the main barrier to creating business value with artificial intelligence was identifying the right use cases. Additionally, top of mind for E&C firms are concerns around cyber risk, data security, and lack of trust.”

Still, the Deloitte report said, construction firms may continue to advance their use of uncrewed systems as they work out the various issues associated with AI. “While companies experiment with the practical applications of generative AI, they can continue to accelerate advancements in various other AI and emerging technologies. “These technologies may include drones, autonomous guided vehicles, robotics, BIM, IoT sensors, and others that are being deployed to help drive value realization,” Deloitte noted.

Clearly, construction firms are poised to increase their use of drones and related systems to realize the benefits of more and better data acquisition, but more traditional business issues may impact the use of drones in the construction realm. For example, The Hartford report stated that “In 2024, the construction industry will need to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring that happened in 2023 to meet the demand for labor.” Specifically, the field will need more “field engineers, superintendents, project managers, safety and quality managers, architects and engineers.”

Uncrewed systems may be able to help mitigate some of the impact of this labor shortage given the ability of these systems to perform complex, often dangerous and repetitive tasks at a fraction of the cost of a human worker. Moreover, the adoption of these systems may provide new employment opportunities in the construction field. As the Deloitte energy and construction report asserted, these companies “can leverage advancements in technology not only for increased productivity but also to explore higher-level opportunities, including new services or business models that may have been uneconomical previously.”