Drones - The Next Threat To The Scaffolding Industry?

Drones have taken off in a big way (no pun intended) and are now having an impact on a number of industries – both with positive and negative consequences. When it comes to the construction industry, drones have already started to have an effect on the way in which operations are carried out, and these changes look set to be long-lasting. While some of the ways in which drones are starting to be used are extremely beneficial to the industry as a whole, other potential uses are causing concerns within the scaffolding industry.

The Evolution Of The Drone

Until relatively recently, drones had a reputation of being merely a toy, or a fun diversion for hobbyists, however over the last couple of years their potential has started to be recognised and it is beginning to look more likely that this sophisticated, flexible devices could be a common sight on the building site within the foreseeable future. A report released by Goldman Sachs has revealed that the construction industry is leading the way when it comes to the expected take-up of commercial drones, with mapping and surveying being the primary uses. It has even been estimated that $100 billion will be spent on commercial drones over the next 2 years, and around $11 billion of that spending is likely to come from the construction sector.

A New Form of Land Surveillance

Rather than having to rely on scaffolding when carrying out inspections, drones are now opening up the possibility of gaining a “birds eye view” over a work site. While this will reduce the amount of time, labour and expense involved in producing an accurate survey, it could also signal potential losses for the scaffolding industry as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) replace more traditional methods and eliminate the need for scaffolding during the inspection process. As drones can also access dangerous locations where workers would be put at risk, they represent a valuable alternative to traditional manpower, and while this is good news for construction companies who can reduce the number of workplace accidents while increasingly safety onsite, it isn’t such good news for scaffolding companies, who will lose out financially in the long run.

A Pioneering Approach

Construction companies that are keen to get ahead of the competition are already adopting drones into their practice. GallifordTry has already pioneered their use in carrying out site surveys, having conduction an analysis of an old school building’s roof before it was converted into a care home. Using a drone to capture HD images of the roof’s structure took less than an hour, and required no employees to even be on site with the images being sent directly to the office. It is precisely this convenience that looks set to put drones at the forefront of innovation in the construction industry. By providing high quality information in real time without putting any workers at risk, drones can not only manage resources more effectively and keep projects running to schedule, but it can also save a huge amount of time and effort.

Transportation Of Goods

With drones being capable of transporting goods aerially, companies can use these unmanned vehicles to move equipment and materials around the job site without the need for so much scaffolding. While this will save construction companies money, it is bad news for scaffolders who may lose out in the long run. Innovation is moving on apace in the construction industry, and with these changes to the traditional way of doing things comes a demand for higher efficiency across every element of the industry. While drones may represent good news for construction as a whole, they certainly represent uncertainty for the future of the scaffolding industry. SM