Group 13: Cedric Omtzigt (s2145588) and Robin Venhuizen (s2114186)

Smart Technology 18-09-2019

Drone technology in construction

Research question
What are the time-saving benefits of using drones for visual inspection of construction sites

State of the art

Various applications of using drones for construction inspection are already in use. Nokia has
previously used drones to inspect radio towers and plan locations of future radio sites to
optimize their network [1], San Diego Gas and Electric Company has also used drones to
visually inspect Pipelines and power lines, furthermore, in 2016 a proposal was done to use
drones to detect violations in construction sites.[2] These drones would autonomously fly above
construction sites while scanning for any violations using a combination of infrared and normal
cameras, for example; someone being on the site outside of working hours. These drones
would have a maximum flight time of 20 minutes and purchasing a drone would cost 4710 us
dollars.
In 2018 drones were being used for various purposes within construction.
These tasks include but are not limited to monitoring the progression of work, land surveying,
building inspections and providing visual material for customers and employees [3]. These tasks
rely heavily on the mobility of drones.
It is known that the construction industry occupies the fourth place of drone usage within
industries in the united states of America in 2019 with 8.6% of all drone usage. [4]
Drones have recently become more common for construction inspection being able to check for
damage and cracks while instantly being able to make measurements. Checking large scale
structures has also become easier with the use of drones. Structures that need to be checked
regularly include dams, historical buildings, roofs and bridges. With commonplace methods of
inspection, inspecting these large scale buildings rely on human-based inspection methods via
scaffolding, specialised vehicles or trained climbers, which can cost a great deal of money,
resulting in a longer time between inspections. [4]
Bibliography
[1] Tung, L. (2015, July 8). ​Nokia puts 'telco drones' to work inspecting cell towers.
Retrieved from
https://www.zdnet.com/article/nokia-puts-telco-drones-to-work-inspecting-cell-towers/

[2] Ashour, R. (2017, March 6). Site inspection drone: A solution for inspecting and
regulating construction sites. Retrieved from
https://ieeexplore-ieee-org.ezproxy2.utwente.nl/document/7870116

[3] Zaychenko, I., Smirnova, A., & Borremans, A. (2018, August 20). Digital
transformation: the case of the application of drones in construction. Retrieved from
https://www.matec-conferences.org/articles/matecconf/pdf/2018/52/matecconf_esci2018_05
066.pdf

[4] Ciampa, E. (2019). Practical issues on the use of drones for construction inspections.
Retrieved from
https://iopscience-iop-org.ezproxy2.utwente.nl/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1249/1/012016/pdf