For decades now, the word “drones” has evoked a militaristic image of pilotless aircraft, but the technology of unmanned flight has evolved and adapted to meet civilian needs. Drone technology is now available at prices that make it affordable and lucrative to operate, and contractors are increasingly relying on it as a resource to produce results in all phases of construction.
These small, nimble aircraft can be used to increase productivity on the jobsite. Their capacity for capturing video, photography, thermal imaging and Lidar makes drones useful for surveying potential sites, creating 2D and 3D mapping and imaging, inspecting infrastructure and building facades and monitoring progress, quality concerns and work hazards.