Construction companies use stockpile measurements to keep track of their supplies and materials. Regular inventory of stockpiles helps construction companies determine whether or not they have enough materials to complete the job, how much to order if they’re short, and how much to transport off-site if they have a surplus.
Measuring stockpiles accurately is essential for financial forecasting and supply chain management. With drones, construction companies can rest assured that their stockpile measurements are being obtained at centimeter-level accuracy. Improved accuracy is one of many reasons construction companies are using drones for stockpile measurements. Drones also save time, improve safety, and cut costs.
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Five Reasons Construction Companies Switch to Drones for Stockpile Measurements
Let’s dig deeper into why construction companies are choosing to use drones for stockpile measurements instead of traversing the site on foot to measure manually. Primarily, construction companies recognize these five efficiencies when using drones for stockpile measurements:
- Stockpiles measured faster
- More accurate and frequent data collection
- Improved worker safety
- Reduced costs
- Improved decision making and planning
Each of these efficiencies impacts the bottom line for construction companies, resulting in a higher quality of work and a lower cost to their human and financial resources. Here’s how drones deliver each of these efficiencies:
1. Stockpiles Measured Faster
Traditional stockpile measurements required getting up close with the materials to assess their quantity, cost, or weight. Until recently, the technology used to calculate the data had not progressed much, with simple tools such as measuring tape and plumb bobs in use for the longest. An electronic distance meter and laser scanner were considered to be the more technologically advanced tools for stockpile measuring. Depending on how much material was being assessed, the measuring process could take hours or days with these manual tools.
Cell phone apps sped up the process somewhat; they required the worker to mark reference points with cones and then walk around the pile on foot while pointing the cell phone camera at the pile. This method was still time-consuming and lacked precision.
Drones catapulted stockpile measurement tools to a new level of technological advancement. A drone only needs a few minutes to complete a job that would otherwise take hours using manual tools.
The process for using a drone to measure stockpiles begins with flying the drone to capture aerial images. The drone can determine its own flight path—all that’s required is for the remote pilot to input a few variables about the area being flown like GPS data or ground control points (GCP method). Then stand by and let the drone collect the data.
From there, all that’s left to do is upload the data into a software that can turn it into a 3-D model, like the Propeller Platform (this is one example of many drone mapping software options). Once the drone data is uploaded and processed, the software automatically calculates the volume and provides additional tools to calculate tonnage, cost, and other metrics about the stockpiles.
You can specify a reference level and the type of material in most software settings. With cloud-based drone software, the calculations can be accessed in the field on an iPad for a quick turn-around time.
2. More Accurate and Frequent Data Collection
Having accurate measurements can reduce overestimated material and supply orders, cutting back on waste and unnecessary spending. Additionally, more frequent data collection can keep inventory counts up-to-date.
Construction companies can collect stockpile measurements as often as they want to fly the drone. It becomes much easier to conduct frequent surveys with a drone, enabling monthly instead of quarterly or annual inventory counts. This can be extremely useful when dealing with erodable material that needs to be audited frequently.
Measurements such as volume, density, and tonnage can be precisely calculated using drone mapping software. Drone data is incredibly accurate, with an accuracy of 1/10ft (3cm) for stockpile measurements.
This level of accuracy is accomplished through a variety of drone surveying and mapping methods, such as GCPs, photogrammetry, and LiDAR. With the appropriate drone mapping software, construction companies have fast and reliable access to cut and fill calculations, historical volume comparisons, and more.
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.
3. Improved Worker Safety
Many surveyors do not enjoy collecting stockpile data because it’s a dangerous job. Sometimes they have to climb up piles of shifting material, which puts them at risk for falls and injury. On busy construction sites, there’s heavy machinery traveling about the site to be mindful of so you don’t get run over. More removed methods of measuring materials, such as observing from a crane or bucket truck, are still dangerous and reduce accuracy.
Drones make stockpile measurements much safer for workers by allowing them to collect measurements from a safe and distanced location. A pre-programmed flight path enables the drone to essentially fly the mission itself, with a remote pilot and visual observer ensuring the flight goes safely and smoothly.
"We’ve created a much more efficient process. We can literally take weeks out of the schedule, our projects are much higher quality than before, and they’re safer."
- Jim Gorrie, CEO, Brasfield & Gorrie LLC
4. Reduced Costs
In a case study by Kespry, one industrial corporation saw an 84% reduction in labor costs associated with its stockpile inventory measurement cycle. This decrease in costs came from the ability to measure stockpiles faster and cut back on required labor.
Construction companies can recognize additional savings through improved financial forecasting and better supply chain management. Drones facilitate more accurate and more frequent stockpile assessments, so it’s easier to correctly calculate how much material needs to be purchased for a job.
In another real-world example, using drones to measure stockpiles saved the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) $343,000 in a single month.The department had to survey 117 stockpiles of aggregate material used for road building and maintenance. With drones, significant cost savings arose from the reduced hours and manpower needed to complete the job—only seven drone pilots and seven workdays vs. 42 surveyors and 15 workdays if conventional methods had been used.
Reducing costs of stockpile measurements is just one of many ways drones are saving construction companies money.
5. Improved Decision Making and Planning
Using drones enables construction companies to improve their decision-making when it comes to stockpile inventory management. To effectively manage their supply chain, construction companies need accurate information from the project’s start to its finish.
Construction companies can avoid unexpected costs by starting with accurate information early on. In instances where materials are already present, it’s easy to determine how much of the material needs to be added for fill or cut and moved. Drone surveys for stockpile measurements provide answers quickly and with accuracy so PMs are empowered to make the best decisions when it comes to ordering more material or selling excess materials for the right price.
How to Implement Drone Stockpile Measurements on Your Construction Site
The benefits of using drones for stockpile measurements are apparent. Drones increase the speed, accuracy, and frequency of stockpile measurements while improving worker safety, reducing costs, and facilitating better decision-making and planning for construction companies.
Many construction companies are taking the next steps to incorporate drone technology into their stockpile inventory management cycles. With The Drone Life, you can find a qualified drone professional to start using drones for stockpile measurements on your construction site.
The Drone Life provides professional drone services for construction companies operating in the NY-NJ-PA metro area and surrounding areas. Our team of FAA Part 107-certified drone pilots can save your construction company time and money with drone stockpile measurements.
Learn about all the ways we use drones to serve construction companies and how to get in touch here.
Next Steps: Getting Started with Drones in Construction
Implementing drones in your construction workflow can completely change your companies’ operations throughout the entire bidding, planning, and building process. The Drone Life specializes in partnering with construction and engineering companies to minimize pain points, increase profit margins, and ensure that projects are completed within deadline. Learn more about our solutions, completed projects, and pricing here.
For even more information about using drones in the construction industry download our completely free and value-packed PDF – Drones in Construction: The Ultimate Guide.
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.
