Mitigating Risk in Construction

How Visual Data Alleviates Financial and Operational Risks

Wed Dec 02 2020 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

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According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), working construction is undoubtedly dangerous - 21.1% of all worker fatalities in 2018 were in the construction industry. Elimination of these tragedies would save an estimated 591 lives every year – a result that is not only theoretically attainable but plausible.

By implementing new technologies, companies have found they not only expedite operations but also ensure worker safety. One such example is drone use, which removes workers from hazardous spaces and gives them a comprehensive overview of their job sites. In the following article, we discuss how DroneDeploy enables construction professionals to survey essential grade information faster, prepare more accurate estimates, and overall, keep their workers safe.

DroneDeploy's Inspection Workflow allows for easy site planning.

Survey Grade Information Faster & Safer

As any construction professional will tell you, site surveying takes a considerable amount of hours, and therefore funds, from the total project budget. As project managers juggle work hours and contractor limits, reducing the time and personnel needed to conduct these surveys can make the difference in a project’s success. Utilizing a drone equipped with DroneDeploy optimizes these processes and gives workers considerable insight into their tasks at hand. One can never be disadvantaged from having more data in construction.

Chasco Constructors, a DroneDeploy customer located in Round Rock, Texas, used drone data to complete their public safety training center project ahead of schedule, with a 75% increase in cost savings. This 65,000 square foot structure (a $29 million project budget) was completed early thanks to information received from drone surveys. What used to take construction teams at Chasco a few days in manual inspections was reduced to a couple of hours with minimal workers. This example proves how standardizing survey deliverables speeds up project timelines. Plus, with a referenceable standard of measurement, results are easily replicated. The removal of construction workers from the site further promotes project safety by focusing on analysis and pinpointing issue resolution.

Side-by-side comparisons display as-designed vs. as-built plans.

More Accurate Estimates, Planning, & Design

When compared to design plans, site reality helps accurately forecast costs in the bidding process for a new project, specifically in surveying and earthworks. DroneDeploy features such as cut/fill analysis, volume measurements, and elevation layers make this possible with interactive maps. Repeated, differentiated views of the given job site allow project managers and other stakeholders to fully understand site conditions for logistics planning and track progress over time. When planning a building’s design, these insights on grading, earthworks, and potential vegetation or debris clearing are indispensable for businesses. Logistics checks with drone technology also take the guesswork and human error out of these deliverables.

Equipment delivery, asset placement, and site conditions can all be planned and assessed within DroneDeploy. Knowing this information before even setting foot on a job site reduces workplace accidents and operational risks. Additionally, workers can catch costly mistakes early and avoid rework by comparing as-designed to as-built plans via DroneDeploy’s side-by-side comparisons.

As stated previously, increased data consumption can only help your workers on construction sites. Equipped with a multifaceted, detailed view of their workspace, construction professionals are less likely to be put in harm’s way. By implementing drone technology and automating dangerous processes, this risk is further reduced. If you’re interested in how DroneDeploy can promote safety on your job sites, download our eBook on managing performance KPIs in construction, or read our customer success story on top 25 ENR company Brasfield & Gorrie.

Get drones working for your business.

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