Vidyabharati International Interdisciplinary Research Journal (Special Issue) ISSN 2319-4979

DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: STATE OF ART

R. S. Sawant1, A. Ravikar2, N.Bagdiya3 and V. Bellary4
1,2,3,4Department
of Civil Engineering, Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Technology, Pimpri, Pune, India.
sawantrohan883@gmail.com 1, ravikaraboli2@gmail.com 2, neha.bagdiya@gmail.com 3,
kapveena@gmail.com 4
_______________________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often known as drone technology, are employed in civil engineering for a variety of
purposes. Drones as instruments that improve communication between construction participants, improve site safety,
use topographic measurements of huge regions, and produce buildings aerial surveying, bridges, roads, and highways
utilising principles of aerial photogrammetry, saving project time and costs, and so on. Operators can share the
imaging with personnel on site, in headquarters, and with subcontractors, planners can meet virtually to discuss project
timing, equipment needs, and challenges presented by UAVs in civil engineering can bring many benefits; creating
real-time aerial images from building objects, overviews reveal assets and challenges, as well as the broad lay of the
land, operators can share the imaging with personnel on site, in headquarters, and with subcontractors, planners can
meet virtually to discuss project timing, equipment needs, and challenges presented by UAV The goal of this article is to
provide a broad overview of the usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in civil engineering. The article also
discusses the many types of UAVs used in construction, as well as their benefits and drawbacks.
________________________________________________________________________________
Keywords: civil engineering, data capture, unmanned aerial vehicle, drone, aerial mapping

Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Introduction
can be utilised as part of an Automatic Data
The project management information system Collection (ADC) system to deliver real-time
includes monitoring as an important data in the transportation and construction
component. The goal of monitoring is to figure industries [4]. In the construction industry,
out how far along the project is and whether UAVs have been used for a variety of tasks,
there are any roadblocks in the way. The including monitoring and maintaining
difficulty that continues to be an impediment to pavements and highways, checking and
construction monitoring is documenting monitoring bridges, inspecting buildings,
changes in the field and preparing the timetable monitoring damages and cracking, maintaining
that has been established. Currently, deviations facades, and mapping historical monuments, as
from anticipated performance can only be well as 3D modelling for building
reported after a long period of time has reconstruction and photogrammetric
elapsed, and human construction activity applications such as volume measurement.
monitoring is both costly and error-prone. According to earlier research, the use of UAV
UAVs have the potential to greatly improve generates 3D modelling that makes it simple to
performance and speed. Many surveying identify project status [4], the UAV technique
applications in civil engineering are turning to produces superior data in performing real-time
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems as a monitoring. The outcomes of this 3D
data collecting platform and measuring modelling offer a number of other advantages,
instrument [1]. In the field of construction including the following: • they can be
management and monitoring, UAV technology understood by experts and laypeople, making it
can be used dynamically to produce more easier for certain parties, such as the project
practical and cost-effective operations, and this owner, to know the progress of the work on the
UAV system not only provides an easy and project in real-time if they are integrated with
smart way for site supervision and the BIM work method. • they can be
management, but also results in better understood by experts and laypeople, making it
operations, planning, and effective on-site easier for certain parties, such as the project
adjustments [2]. The use of UAVs can give owner, to know the progress of the work on the
practical value since they are faster in their project in real-time if they are integrated with
usage, and the use of UAVs is faster in data the BIM work method. In a short amount of
gathering because of the cloud point [3]. time, a UAV may recover data in the form of
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aerial photographs with a broad scope and size the construction sector [13]. There are a huge
[6]. In comparison to traditional approaches, variety of drones on the market. Drones can be
the UAV method has reduced overall expenses categorised in a variety of ways, including
[6]. When compared to traditional techniques, photography drones, aerial mapping drones,
the production level of employing UAV military drones, and surveillance drones,
technology is higher. When compared to among others. The best classification of
traditional techniques, UAVs are 35,41 percent drones, on the other hand, may be formed
quicker, have a 71.22 percent accuracy, are up based on aerial platforms. There are four
to 78 percent more affordable, and have a primary categories of drones based on the type
productivity level of up to 94,48 percent [6]. of aerial platform used: fixed wing drones,
multi rotor drones, single rotor drones, and
Objective
fixed wing hybrid VTOL drones [14].
1. To study the various applications of Drone
Utilizing drone technology in the
Technology in Civil Engineering
construction industry
2. To identify the future scope of Drone
Technology in Civil Engineering Building Surveys
Drone Technology in Construction Industry Almost every building survey requires vision
New digital technologies appear to increase of the structure's roof in order to assess the
productivity while also reducing the total building's technical condition and any faults or
duration and cost of building projects. Drones
failures. In most situations, climbing to the top
have just recently been introduced to the is difficult, requiring the use of scaffolding,
construction sector, despite their widespread ladders, or other auxiliary structures, which can
usage in other industries (e.g., agriculture, pose a risk and be time-consuming and
public safety, military reasons, science and expensive [5]. In these situations, the use of a
research, security monitoring, mining, and so
small drone can save time, money, and
forth) [7]. Aerial vehicles have been used in the decrease health and safety concerns associated
construction industry for a variety of tasks, with building surveying of the roof structure
including inspecting highways, bridges, roads, and accessing complicated or difficult-to-reach
cell towers, high mast lighting, wind turbines,
sections of the building's top [15].
power transmission lines, building façade and
roof, survey and mapping, construction Topographic Mapping and Land Surveys
monitoring, wetland/environmental, drainage Consultation of topographic maps is required
and erosion, traffic monitoring, and emergency when planning large-scale and complex
services. [7, 8] are a couple of examples. building projects. Construction design mistakes
Operators can share images with on-site that are unsuitable for the terrain may be
workers, internal corporate personnel, and shown using topographic maps. Topographic
remote subcontractors [9]. With extensive maps are helpful for building projects, although
views of remote and otherwise challenging and they are frequently expensive and time
difficult to reach places, UAVs give essential demanding to produce [10]. Drones are quite
assistance and cost savings. With the above useful in these situations. Its capacity to gather
perspective, UAVs show the best access, and huge volumes of data in a short length of time
360° panoramas show a real-time scenario results in considerable cost reductions, as well
[10]. This comparison may be broadened to as project expenses for these operations.
incorporate real-time recording, reporting, Drones ensure project timeliness, budget, and
billing, verification, and planning in addition to accuracy owing to their capabilities.
construction schedule and costing [11]. UAVs Furthermore, 3D representations of the surface
currently provide a high level of automation (DSM-digital surface model) or of the terrain
that allows them to reach previously (DTM-digital terrain model) may be
unreachable regions while gathering a huge constructed from the high-resolution aerial
quantity of data in a short amount of time. photos captured by drones [13].
This, however, is not their sole application 12].
Commercial drones are frequently employed in

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Construction Site Inspections flight over a building site can be a rapid way to
track a project's development, especially when
For builders, drone data may be acquired often,
clients are unable to visit the site personally
allowing for quick integration into projects and
[6], [14]. Project developers may obtain a
exact tracking of site development with no lag
clearer picture of project development at daily,
time. This helps construction businesses to
weekly, or monthly intervals thanks to several
manage their time and resources more
high-resolution aerial pictures and HD-quality
effectively while avoiding possible difficulties
and delays [16]. Drone-assisted construction films [14]. According to [19] it’s recommended
to film only those areas of the new construction
site inspections can be a valuable tool for
where the best progress is achieved, unless the
project teams [10]. A pilot with prior expertise
client stipulates otherwise.
may use the drone to identify any construction
or technical issues on the job site, and drones Integration of laser scanning and aerial
can also be used for inspection reasons to photogrammetry
verify that the project goals are met. In the It might be difficult for a surveyor to get access
event of rebuilds and plan revisions, the usage to a suitable laser scanning site, such as a roof
of drones can save thousands of euros. Drones structure, from which to scan. The final point
can also be safer since they eliminate gaps or
cloud may be incomplete in this situation.
locations on the building site that could be Drone technology combined with laser
harmful when assessing damage [10]. Drones scanning may be able to overcome this
can also be used to fly around a construction restriction. [15]. Aerial photogrammetry with a
site to see how closely it resembles the drone was employed, as well as terrestrial laser
construction plan or model, drones can aid in
scans. This structure's measurement was done
the creation of detailed 3D models of new in two stagesThe whole facade of the building
construction projects, drones can help see what was selected for digital surveying in terrestrial
things look like on the roof of a skyscraper laser scanning (stage 1), and the entire top of
under construction, and so on [17]. Site the structure was picked for digital surveying
inspections may be done more often and cover
in aerial photogrammetry (stage 2).
a broader area with greater efficiency [15].
Drones for building site inspections have four Thermal Imaging recording
primary advantages: increased safety, less Drones, like laser scanners, can produce
labor-intensive data, and higher quality data airborne thermal pictures from various areas of
[18]. buildings, which may be used to analyse cold
Equipment Tracking and Automating spots in structures. This capability can provide
engineers, surveyors, and contractors with
Every project manager on a building site faces critical building information in the event that it
the challenge of tracking and automating is necessary to diagnose and correct
equipment. This is generally an issue when
construction faults, such as locations where
there are a lot of different tables and documents
thermal bridges occur and the like [15].
to keep track of, which is difficult and time-
Thermography is a technique for determining
consuming [10]. During the drone flight, the the thermal technical characteristics of a
same project manager may quickly check building envelope and for detecting concealed
whether the equipment is where it should be. It
flaws. Thermography has the ability to detect
is also feasible to rapidly check whether a these problems with the required accuracy and,
device that has already done its task is still on- if properly analysed, is the first step in
site using a drone, and to avoid costly designing a successful technical solution and,
extension costs using this method [13]. as a result, checking its implementation. The
Remote Monitoring and Progress Reports use of thermography in conjunction with
drones enables for the detection of building
Drones' visibility from the air, from a high
flaws that are not evident to the human eye
height, and from any place [13] is probably the
[15]. Water penetration, leaks, and places with
most significant benefit they can give to clients
mould or decay may all be detected via thermal
in the construction sector. A continuous drone

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Vidyabharati International Interdisciplinary Research Journal (Special Issue) ISSN 2319-4979

imaging of a specific region of the structure projects to fall behind time and over budget.
before they cause severe harm. On the thermal By recording very precise site data, progress
imaging screen, these chilly, wet regions will monitoring with drones can help to mitigate
look as dark blue. Using the technology to these difficulties.
check rooftops, locate leaks, and detect heat Health and safety
loss makes the procedure easier, safer, quicker,
and more efficient from the inspector's Slips, trips, and falls were the second leading
perspective [20]. Security surveillance, cause of injuries and fatalities in the UK
personnel safety, health and safety inductions, construction sector in 2019, according to the
maintenance inspections, promotional Health and Safety Executive (HSE) annual
photography, live feed/virtual walk around, site report. Construction firms and shareholders are
logistics, worker monitoring, and other uses of naturally concerned about on-the-job injuries
drones in the construction sector are just a few and are searching for methods to reduce risk.
examples. [13], [15], and [19] are three Drones can swiftly perform surveys in
examples. hazardous regions and transport contractors
away from high-risk zones where casualties
Progress tracking may occur. Drones are operated remotely,
Design flaws are responsible for 38% of which is useful for assessing places where
building conflicts. As uncertainty grows, sending people would be too dangerous.
inaccuracies and inadequate designs can cause

Figure No. 1. Drone Technology in Construction Industry

Aerial photography from a drone is one of the • monitor the compliance of the works with
most effective ways to monitor a construction the specifications
site, a building, civil engineering projects, a • promote their know-how, skills and
piece of art, and so on. A drone survey will knowledge for future projects
quickly and easily give an aerial overview, • bring out and underscore the quality of the
which will considerably assist project work
managers in a variety of ways, including: The future of Drone Technology in
• study the site before the operations start Construction
• monitor and control the evolution of the Prior to the emergence of aerial drones, the
activities and proceedings typical technique of collecting site data was
• present an overview of a site done on foot or with human aerial vehicles.
• check the quality of the work Construction experts have taken advantage of
• follow the deadlines in relation with the the ability to acquire up-to-date photos as often
work progress as they want in real-time by using drones.

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Vidyabharati International Interdisciplinary Research Journal (Special Issue) ISSN 2319-4979

Drones in construction give contractors an was swiftly embraced as a tool that reduces
unrivalled perspective of a site at a fraction of costs, time, and improves safety and control in
the cost, allowing them to monitor any issues, the construction sector, which is a fast-growing
follow progress, and design better plans on- industry. Because of their numerous
site. This has mostly been connected to labour advantages, construction businesses are
deployment, material waste, site inspection, receiving drones at a far quicker rate than ever
and overall return on investment in building before. Drones have proven to be an invaluable
projects (ROI). tool throughout the life cycle of a construction
project, whether they are used for topographic
Conclusion
terrain mapping, building surveys, land
In the field of civil engineering, drones are a surveys, construction site inspections, remote
valuable technical advantage. Their usage in monitoring, progress reports, thermal imaging
the construction sector will only grow in the recording, or integration with laser scanners.
future since they can quickly capture high- Engineers, contractors, investors, or
quality data and substantially reduce the danger prospective consumers have more confidence
to a project team's safety. In general, when it and assurance in working on a construction
comes to incorporating new progressive project as a result of the drone capabilities,
technology into production or existing which reduce money, time, risk, and labour.
workflows, the construction sector is generally
cautious. Unmanned aerial vehicles technology

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