The Viability of Drones in Construction

Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are utilised extensively within the infrastructure and construction industry for a number of different reasons. Drones are used primarily to take advantage of their ability to fly freely within any three-dimensional space, providing builders with a number of applications that were once expensive and impractical to implement.

Quadcopters are the most popular form of drone in use today, due to their durability and low cost. Propelled by four, manually shifting rotors, quadcopters are incredibly nimble and can move quickly within the air. Quadcopters are considered cheaper and more durable than conventional helicopters, as well as being safer due to their smaller blades which possess less kinetic energy.

Drone technology is used for a variety of different applications within the construction industry, especially for use in aerial photography. This is because drones can reach incredible heights within the sky, reaching more than 100 metres above ground in typical use cases. These are heights which are inaccessible from people without expensive manned solutions. This footage can be used for marketing collateral, to showcase a construction with an array of beautiful images and grand perspectives.

Taking a closer look at Building Information Modeling

While Building Information Modeling has been around since at least the 1970s, the proliferation of digital technology over the past ten years has allowed Building Information Modeling to gain traction in the realm of building and construction. Building Information Modeling (otherwise known as BIM) is a concept that revolves around the automation of building tasks into representative digital spheres, as a method of promoting efficiency and control over our construction processes.

This ample recreation of our physical and functional assets into digital representations allows us greater control over every single aspect of the building process. This is important from a project management perspective, as it not only promotes efficient hierarchical organization, however also allows for greater communication between managers and on-site workers.

BIM can help assist in the detailed planning of a building’s internal layout, visualize the impact the construction of a building maintains on its surrounding infrastructure, as well as fine-tune relevant high-level details of a project, such as the quality and quantity of material being used in construction. This allows all employees, from CEO to supervisor, to stay on the same level and create greater accountability over what is taking place on a project.

Improving Upon the Basics of Labour Hire

Construction is a labour intensive industry, revolving around a wide range of essential skills, from basic labouring to project management. Choosing the right kind of labour for the job is important for abiding to various legal requirements and building regulations.

Choosing the right labour will not only make your construction more secure, however it can also help you maintain worker safety and save your business money.  With a myriad of options to consider in regards to labour hire, here are some important factors to consider when it comes to approaching labour for your next construction project.

Type of labour required

Perhaps the easiest place to start when considering labour hire is to focus on the kinds of skills required to complete your next construction project. This can be further simplified by breaking down your construction project into the various tasks that need to be completed.

Focusing on these tasks not only makes it easier to visualise the construction project and type of labour required, however it can also help us quantify how long each of these tasks should take in the overall scheme of the project. Time is money and by understanding how long each task should take, we can begin to consider the kinds of people required, particularly for the duration of the task.