Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), or as we call them, drones, are finding their way into engineering applications. The price to fly (use) these machines is coming down and ideas about how they can be incorporated into the work we do is rising. At A3 Environmental Consultants, we find ourselves in the curious position of both being asked if we can provide these services and why these services are worth the money spent on the project.
We’d like to answer those questions and more but the best place to start is probably by talking about the mainstream uses for UAVs in engineering and environmental consulting.
UAVs in Engineering & Environmental
In engineering and environmental consulting, UAVs are used for a variety of applications that enhance efficiency, safety, and data accuracy. Some common uses include:
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Surveying & Mapping
UAVs equipped with cameras and LiDAR sensors can quickly capture high-resolution aerial images and 3D models of construction sites, topography, and infrastructure, providing detailed maps and surveys that are essential for planning and design.
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Inspection & Monitoring
UAVs are used to inspect hard-to-reach or hazardous areas such as bridges, power lines, pipelines, and large structures, reducing the need for manual inspections and minimizing risk to workers.
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Site Analysis & Progress Monitoring
Engineers use UAVs to monitor construction progress, document site conditions, and ensure projects are on schedule. Drones can provide real-time updates and visual records that help in decision-making and project management.
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Environmental Assessment
Drones can be deployed to collect data on environmental conditions, such as assessing vegetation health, monitoring erosion, or tracking the spread of contaminants. This is particularly valuable in large or difficult-to-access areas.
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Infrastructure Design & Maintenance
Drones aid in the design and maintenance of infrastructure by capturing precise data that supports the development of models, simulations, and inspections, leading to more informed maintenance schedules and resource allocation.
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Disaster Response & Risk Assessment
Drones can be used for rapid assessment of damage following natural disasters, providing critical information for engineers to plan repairs and improvements, and for assessing risks in areas prone to natural hazards.
By integrating drones into engineering and environmental consulting workflows, professionals can achieve more accurate data collection, improve safety, reduce costs, and enhance the overall quality of their projects.
Reducing Project Costs with Drones
I’d like to expand on how drones drive down project costs.
Insurance
The work we do frequently has an element of danger. Putting a human in the way of danger is sometimes necessary. We have training and safety equipment for protection. Every encounter with danger runs the risk of increasing both our insurance premiums and the premiums of the industry collectively. Drones offer the ability to risk a $4000 machine instead of a priceless life when inspecting our projects. Keeping insurance claims down keeps our insurance premium costs down for our clients. It makes us more competitive when bidding and lowers client costs overall.
Time & Talent
It is often said that time is money. In our business, hours cost our clients dollars, so time is definitely money. The price for different levels of talent is different depending on the level the project scope requires. So a junior staff member may be $65 per hour when a senior staff member is $165 an hour. The cost to drive to the project (we call it a mobilization) , collect data and drive back is always going to cost more for higher cost talent. Drones allow us to use less expensive staff to collect data and bring it back to our more senior staff. This drives down project costs while having the added benefit of a permanent record of what was done on a particular date.
Detail
Drones allow us to capture a level of detail and record it for all time. This detail is handy as projects progress to remember what was done, when, and by whom. It tells us if someone deviated from the plan and who that someone was. It tells us where things where done, geographically, on the project site. All of these things are captured in greater detail than any drawn note or memory could provide. These details can be referred back to forever, showing teams where to dig, repair, or sample and unfortunately for some, who screwed up and when. All of these things if used correctly, drive down costs and rework or shift the costs from the project owner to whoever warranties the work.
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