Warehouse construction in the US is on the rise. The cause of the rapid expansion is largely due to increased e-commerce activity and consumer demand for faster deliveries. Retailers simply need more warehouses to perform manufacturing and fulfillment operations.
But the construction industry has a history of being rather inefficient. Time and budget overruns are common and tend to keep construction profitability low—at around 5 percent EBIT margin.
Fortunately, technological innovations like drones can help optimize construction projects. In fact, the global market for construction drones is growing rapidly. The market is expected to reach $11,968.6 million by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.4%. This just shows that drones present a huge opportunity for warehouse construction companies who want to enhance their business.
Table of Contents
The Role of Drones for Distribution Center & Warehouse Construction
Here are 5 major benefits of using drones in warehouse construction:
1. Pre-Construction Land Survey
Before starting any type of construction, you need to perform a land survey. This refers to measuring 3D points on the land where you will be building to determine its precise dimensions and shape. In the past, land surveyors were required to use heavy equipment like total stations and theodolites over a period of days or weeks. But drones can get the job done much quicker.
Drones equipped with light detection and ranging (LIDAR) lasers can fly around the entire site and capture geometric data that can be processed into detailed maps and point clouds. These then reveal any possible drainage areas, changes in elevation, or other issues so you know what areas to avoid and what areas are best to build.
“Drones greatly reduce the labor and time involved in producing accurate surveys. Drones eliminate much of the human error involved in the process and have the ability to capture necessary data in much less time than traditional methods would take.”
- Rachel Burger, The Balance
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.
2. Monitoring Construction Phases
Drones can also monitor the phases of construction. They do this by capturing images and video of the construction site at regular intervals—every month or even every two weeks. If it’s a large site, you can splice together multiple drone images into a 2D orthomosaic map.
You can then report each phase of construction back to offsite clients and stakeholders. Just share the digital files over the cloud so everyone stays up to date. Then you’ll also have a permanent progress record that can be referenced at any time.
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Drone photo of future 176,025 SF industrial/distribution facility in Westampton, New Jersey
3. Virtual Site Tours
Similar to monitoring progress, drones can also create virtual site tours of a warehouse’s exterior and interior. This allows project stakeholders to virtually view the entire site without needing to travel at all.
Virtual site tours can come in the form of 3D models or more in-depth video tours. Either way, they provide a 360° narrative that’s hard to come by without actually being there in person. This makes virtual site tours an incredibly valuable resource for impressing clients and reassuring them about the work in progress.
4. Safety & Quality Assurance Inspections
Construction can be dangerous. In 2020, there were 174,100 injury cases in the construction sector, and injury rates were 24% higher than the average in all other industries. However, drones can significantly reduce construction dangers by performing quality assurance inspections.
Drones can inspect steel, cranes, scaffolding, rooftop perimeters, and other hazardous areas. This way, you know where to set up cones and barriers so workers avoid dangerous situations—like walking around the edge of unstable soil or on top of a roof.
Drones make it easy to identify safety concerns early on to prevent accidents and reduce overall injuries. This not only protects workers but helps lower liabilities and health costs like health insurance premiums.
5. Marketing
Lastly, drones are a powerful marketing tool. You can use them to record visual footage of the warehouse to show off its lot, exterior and interior, scale, style, number of bays, proximity to major highways, and more.
After all, potential tenants can be located all over the world. If they aren’t able to visit the warehouse for an in-person tour, a drone marketing video is the next best thing. It’s a unique way to easily showcase the property and grab their interest.
Next Steps: Getting Started with Drone Warehouse Construction Services
Well, there you have it! Five of the top reasons to implement drones in warehouse construction. If you need drone services for your next warehouse construction project, look no further.
The Drone Life has helped with a number of warehouse construction projects. We have the experience, expertise, and equipment you need to make sure your warehouse is built on time, on budget, and up to code. Plus, we can help you keep workers safe and market the warehouse to potential tenants. Contact us for a free consultation with one of our expert drone pilots 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.
