Construction is inherently designed to alter the natural environment, but what happens when a project takes place near sensitive, protected, or otherwise untouched territories? When sediment dislodges after vegetation has been cleared out, stormwater runoff and regular wear erode the native area — leaving unintended results like pollution and the disruption of animal habitats.
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Whether intentional or not, earthworks, grading, and additional soil movements can have catastrophic impact on the land surrounding construction projects. The direct responsibility of contractors, project managers, and their teams include protecting nests and animal dwellings, avoiding contamination of water sources, and limiting erosion via smart building practices.
Although the construction industry is historically wasteful, generating an estimated 40% of the world’s total carbon emissions, trends indicate that mitigating its environmental effects are top-of-mind for today’s AEC executives. In a recent global survey by Forbes, 47% of respondents stated that sustainability is a major factor of consideration during all phases of the construction lifecycle, and a growing problem that the sector needs infrastructure to properly address.
As the construction space gets “greener,” new technology must be introduced to curb harmful ecological consequences — particularly for sediment and erosion control. Drone technology, and its ability to remotely survey and document adjacent nature, is one such tool rising in popularity on both rural and commercial job sites. Diverting streams, stabilizing or reintroducing new vegetation, and applying effective treatment measures may all be improved upon and expedited with drone imagery, and its data may be added to both grading and erosion control plans.
Let’s discuss the role and benefits of using drones for sediment and erosion control in construction.
Ensuring Sustainability and Material Efficiency
Preserving the natural environment and protecting fragile spaces remains paramount to governing bodies, so much so that USEPA Construction General Permits are required for all land clearing activities consuming more than 1 acre. Locally, in New Jersey, all construction activities greater than 5,000 square feet must come with an erosion control plan to ensure minimal land disturbance.
The aim of the New Jersey Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act is to provide engineers or designers with standards that can be used to prevent erosion post-construction. The act includes 32 practices developed to achieve this goal, including establishing additional vegetation to stabilize soil and crafting effective runoff measures. However, outside of reducing volume altogether, minimizing earthworks and limiting the use of disruptive, pollutant machinery are effective, general steps in ensuring sustainability on-site.
What's included in YOUR GUIDE...
A Proven Roadmap of Success for Implementing Drones in Construction.
A List of Red Flags to Avoid When Hiring Drone Service Providers.
How to Persuade Your Leadership Team to Leverage Drones on Every Jobsite.
According to the European Commission, 50% of all raw materials extracted from the earth are attributed to construction. Given the industry’s current emission targets, using fewer raw materials while building and during pre-construction is essential.
Earthworks pull out vital vegetation that traps sediment, stormwater, and minerals, which negatively affects the enclosed ecosystem. While this is largely unavoidable, replacing destructive equipment and loud instruments with automated tools leaves the area less manufactured and therefore, more “untouched.” Many boots-on-ground processes and physical tasks can be streamlined with drone technology, while keeping the property, and the animals that call it home, safe.
Because of their quiet, aerial nature, drones can pinpoint which territories actually need work, and assess whether building poses a contamination risk to current residents. Armed with geolocation features, contractors and project managers can determine next steps without immediately taking action. This reduces pollution through thoughtful planning and oversight, only deploying machinery when necessary.
Reducing Rework with Proper Documentation
These mitigated effects to the local habitat means fewer violations and less rework. In a 2022 joint report from Autodesk and FMI Corporation, it was revealed that 48% of all rework in the United States is due to poor project data and general miscommunication. This so-called “bad data” accounts for 14% of all global rework, and cost the industry $625 billion in 2020 alone.
As those surveyed shared, many contractors are still using siloed information that doesn’t reach the full scope of the project — so how would teams know how to proactively prevent environmental mishaps? Outside of the obvious answers, one can rightly assume that those on-site will exercise their best judgment.
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In a 2019 case study from North Carolina State University, researchers found that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could reliably be used as a low-cost, effective alternative to on-foot site inspections. After selecting a road widening project on Highway 42 East with the N.C. Dept. of Transportation, multiple cut/fill volumes, flow directions, and sediment control applications were prescribed and tested using drone data.
By comparing these results to those gleaned from manual surveys, the authors discovered that UAV inspections were definitively suitable for real-world work. When ground control points (GCPs) were implemented, drone technology “scored” even higher.
Because drones provide a visual record of proof of work done, stakeholders can continuously monitor projects and catch problems as they arise. Comparing as-built to as-designed plans serves as a 1:1 tool for progress tracking, issue identification, and other preventative measures. Armed with 3D models, point clouds, orthomosaic maps, or additional drone-created mock-ups, contractors can engage in reflective, informed site planning. While this helps the build’s overall costs and timeline, it benefits the environment, too.
If disputes or litigation were to arise, drone documentation and corresponding field notes would serve as valuable evidence. Higher resolution photos, digital twins, etc. bring greater accuracy to 2D site plans, blueprints, receipts, or work schedules. Having time-stamped, aerial imagery to illustrate when often-pollutant earthworks, grading, or trucking took place could mean the difference of thousands or even millions of dollars in restitution, legal fees, time lost, and more.
Avoiding Contamination and Improving On-Site Safety
Likewise, better, more frequent monitoring means a safer environment for all parties involved — including the Earth! Scheduling regular drone flights to observe the surrounding area at periodic intervals throughout the project, particularly during earthworks, ensures that the project is proceeding as-intended and without incident. This is another instance where comparing as-built surveys to 3D digital twins saves crews hundreds of hours in issue identification and rework costs. Because drone imagery is satellite-based and geotagged, workers can find breaches, accidents, and violations in minutes.
These maps, models, and photographs, combined with a cloud-based construction management software, centralizes site data and keeps both teams and stakeholders well-informed with built-in issue tagging and problem assignment. With rich site data, project managers are equipped with the know-how to address landscape challenges and natural resource concerns quickly and intentionally. For most construction projects, time is of the essence, and when toxic leakage or water contamination is a risk, this is even more true.
Simplifying Construction with The Drone Life
Utilizing drone technology for sediment and erosion control is a low-cost way to monitor site progress and discover mild pollutants before they become full-fledged environmental disasters. Aerial surveys and georeferenced images allow project managers to identify the precise locations of problem areas, while drone photography empowers the creation of useful digital twins and 3D models. This in turn reduces rework as proper, detailed documentation at each stage of the project gives workers a helpful reference for completing tasks and resolving contaminants, adding color to erosion control plans and grading plans alike.
If you’re interested in improving sustainability on your construction site, schedule a free consultation with one of our drone experts. At The Drone Life, we’re familiar with the New Jersey Soil Erosion and Sediment Control program, and have implemented such practices with businesses like yours — including the aerial surveying of sediment ponds and silt fences.
What's included in YOUR GUIDE...
A Proven Roadmap of Success for Implementing Drones in Construction.
A List of Red Flags to Avoid When Hiring Drone Service Providers.
How to Persuade Your Leadership Team to Leverage Drones on Every Jobsite.
