Up, Up And Away

by Toolbox Staff

With the cost of drones dropping as more manufacturers enter the market, their use is taking off on construction sites across Canada, reports On-Site Magazine.

These drones – also known as unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) – are usually somewhere between the hobby models and those built to military specifications in quality, and are starting to pop up on construction sites for purposes like site surveying and planning, documentation, safety inspections, environmental reporting, lead line or cable delivery and positional marking.

“A huge benefit in the construction industry is that drones can remove danger from the human element – not having to send employees into unsafe environments for data collection or inspections,” Adam Sax, president of The Sky Guys, told On-Site. His company is based in Oakville, Ontario.

Another big advantage is that drones can be programmed to fly along pre-determined paths at consistent heights, ensuring reliable data and mostly eliminating human error.

While it might be tempting for construction companies to buy a drone and do all the data collection work in-house, Sax says it might be wiser to contract a service provider as needed due to complex technical requirements, including necessary permits, and the cost of both the drone itself and the liability insurance to go along with it.