Construction projects are known for going over budget. In fact, 9 out of 10 construction projects experience an average cost overrun of 28%.
To mitigate this risk, you need to factor in large contingencies. But you can also prevent many unexpected costs by overlaying project designs with as-built drone maps. This lets you detect discrepancies early on and avoid costly errors that require rework.
In this article, we’ll go over the role of drone maps in site monitoring, how to eliminate project rework with overlayed construction drawings, and the types of construction plans that can benefit from 2D drone map overlays.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
The Role of 2D Drone Maps for Construction Site Monitoring
So what exactly is a 2D drone map (aka an orthomosaic)? Basically, it’s a high-resolution aerial map. You can think of it as an enhanced Google Earth image.
Orthomosaics are created by stitching together several drone photos into one. The resulting map is then corrected for lens distortion, camera tilt, and topographic relief through a process called photogrammetry. This gives the map a uniform scale and allows you to measure true distances.
That’s drone mapping in a nutshell. It’s a complex job that requires an experienced drone pilot to avoid common drone mapping mistakes. In fact, there are many critical factors to consider before flying a drone at a construction site: aviation liability insurance, government flight approval, drone safety management systems, and more. But when done right, using drones in construction is well worth the investment.
Here are the most common uses of 2D drone maps on construction sites:
- Documenting project milestones
- Verifying when construction trades are completed
- Assessing the quality of workmanship
- Measuring stockpiles
- Providing updates on the status of equipment
- Confirming the need for change orders
- Detecting potential hazards and obstacles
- Ensuring safety compliance
- Keeping detailed records
All of this information can improve workflows and help you keep clients and other stakeholders up to date on a routine basis.
Eliminating Project Rework: Overlaid Construction Drawings
A unique benefit of drone maps is the ability to overlay them with construction drawings. For example, you can integrate drone maps into your building information modeling (BIM) workflow by comparing them to your original designs. That way, you can identify important discrepancies. But first, you’ll need the right software.
Drone mapping software like DroneDeploy, Pix4D, or Propeller lets you upload construction drawings and then align them with as-built drone maps. You can even add multiple design overlays, name them, change their color, and toggle them on and off. Some construction plans that benefit from 2D drone map overlays include:
- Site Plans (aka plot plans)—These show the current landscape and proposed improvements to the property. When overlaid with drone orthomosaics, you can easily visualize the building layout and completed work. This simplifies project planning and communication for architects and project managers alike.
- Grading Plans—These ensure you have a level base or one with a specified slope. By checking the grading plan against the actual elevation shown on a drone map, you can know if any points need to be corrected for northing, easting, or elevation.
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.
- Utility Plans—These show where utilities like electricity, water, and gas are supposed to go. Overlaying utility plans with as-built drone maps can alert you to a transformer too close to the building or a water main in the wrong place. The sooner you catch mistakes like these, the cheaper they are to fix.
- Foundation Plans—These show what the foundation should look like, including any footings, piers, foundation walls, and supporting beams. Laying the foundation is a delicate task, but with drone map overlays, you can ensure it’s done within code. For example, you can check for penetrations in slabs and make sure post-tensioned cables are laid correctly.
- Stormwater Plans—These help prevent water runoff and accumulation throughout the construction site. Comparing stormwater plans with drone orthomosaics during construction allows you to update the plan as the terrain changes.
- Landscape Plans—These are like floorplans for the outside. They tell you where to put trees, grass, and other plants as well as man-made elements like fountains and irrigation systems. Overlaying landscape plans on a drone map alerts you to locations where vegetation is missing or planted incorrectly.
Any construction drawing overlaid with an as-built drone orthomosaic can be exported from the drone mapping software as a composite image. You can then keep it for your records or share it with team members.
“Homeowners are always making changes to house footprints, models and orientation. If it weren’t for the drone maps, it would take me months to find out about many of these changes. Because aerial imagery identifies conflicts I wouldn’t normally see from the ground level, I find out about them in a matter of days.”
- Nick Johnson, Contract Project Manager and Owner, Tilt Rock of Texas
Three Major Benefits of Using Overlaid Construction Drawings
1. Up-to-Date Jobsite Data
Overlaid construction drawings allow you to better monitor construction progress, even during demolition and excavation. And they are better than satellite imagery. Whereas satellite images provide 30-centimeter-level detail at best, drones can give you a 1-centimeter-level resolution on a routine basis. So on any given day, you can see exactly where the project stands.
You can then share the overlaid drawings with team members, clients, and other stakeholders via cloud link, a projector, or an onsite tablet. This makes collaborating on construction data easier than ever and cuts back on a lot of back and forth. And there’s never a need to go back and take additional point shots.
2. Spotting As-Designed and As-Built Conflicts
Overlaying as-designed and as-built drawings makes it easy to spot discrepancies and catch potential conflicts before they turn into bigger problems. This way, you avoid costly mistakes and save yourself weeks of rework.
Anticipating design conflicts also helps you better comply with building permitting and health and safety regulations. So you’ll have fewer legal liabilities and medical costs to worry about.
3. Effective Site Logistics and Route Planning
Construction has a lot of moving parts: workers, trucks, cranes, and other industrial equipment are constantly crossing paths.
This is why a well-designed traffic management plan is crucial on every job site. Traffic management plans designate pedestrian walkways, vehicular paths, and routes for importing and exporting construction material. That way, site logistics stay safe, coordinated, and efficient.
Drones streamline the creation of construction traffic management plans through their centimeter-level of detail and ability to perform frequent flyovers.
Plus, drones can help you manage resources efficiently with better cut and fill reports, equipment status updates, and stockpile measurements. Any onsite logistics runs better with drones.
Getting Started: Drone As-Built Reports and Map Overlays
Ultimately, overlaying construction drawings with as-built drone maps gives you a unique perspective that can save you an enormous amount of time and money from rework costs.
Want to implement drones in your next construction project? The Drone Life can help. Our expert drone pilots use state-of-the-art construction drones to map construction sites and regularly report on them. Check out our past construction projects, read our testimonials, or schedule a free consultation today!
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.
