Why You Should Integrate Drones into Your Heavy Civil/Aggregate Business | Part 1: Benefits and Challenges

With their reliance on brute-force machinery to shape projects, the heavy equipment and construction industries may seem an unlikely place for technological advancements. However, technology is revolutionizing the efficiencies in how these projects take shape. One technology making a significant impact is the integration of drones into work processes, particularly those using a relative low-cost photogrammetry solution.

In part 1 of this 3-part series, we’ll examine the benefits and challenges of integrating drones into your operation.

The benefits of using drones in heavy equipment operations

The benefits of drones to our industry encompass many found in other applications. They include replacing manual, error-prone, and time-consuming surveying processes with the speed and accuracy of digital alternatives.

Enhanced efficiency

Drones provide precise data collection, significantly improving decision-making processes and reducing project downtime. For example, in the past, calculating a worksite or roadway profile required physically surveying the site using levels, total stations, measuring tapes, GPS/GNSS sensors, string lines, flags, and lots of people-hours. Drones replace all this by flying over the site and capturing higher levels of detail with impeccable accuracy in a mere fraction of the time.

Improved safety

Projects can include inaccessible and other hazardous terrain. Using drones to survey, monitor, and collect vital site data areas reduces the need for workers to be in dangerous environments, minimizing accidents. Drones overfly these areas for initial and ongoing safety monitoring. For example, heavy rains may create unstable surface conditions or flooding that is not easily visible to equipment operators.

Real-time data and analytics

Drones offer real-time visuals and data that enhance site management and planning. They can also capture and display real-time topographical maps and digital elevation models, facilitating project planning and execution. This adds an unprecedented ability to ensure roadbed profiles and foundations are precisely where they should be.

Environmental impact mitigation and monitoring

More sites are becoming subject to environmental regulations. Environmental permits are a fact today. These permits specify what the contractor must do to protect, restore, and otherwise mitigate ecological damage. As the project unfolds, routine drone flights can document adherence to environmental permit requirements and avoid expensive penalties later.

Challenges and considerations when using drones

Initial costs

As already discussed, developing an in-house drone capability requires investing in hardware, software, training, and licensing. This outlay may not make sense for businesses in the initial stages of integrating drones into their heavy equipment workflows. Outsourcing drone services to proven and reliable third-party providers allows these companies to experience the benefits and savings of drones, trying before flying. RMS’ competitive pricing and scalable packages ensure that businesses of all sizes can benefit from drone technology without prohibitive costs.

Data security and privacy

Protecting data collected by drones is crucial, especially for sensitive projects or government contracts. Before bringing data into your network, ensure your cybersecurity measures can handle all current cyber threats and that all vendors who provide data for your systems, including drone service providers, have impeccable cybersecurity practices, too. RMS ensures robust data security measures are in place to safeguard the information drones collect. Our state-of-the-art cybersecurity means our two systems can transfer data safely and securely.

Weather and environmental factors

Adverse weather conditions like heavy rain or high winds can limit drones not designed or built to handle these conditions, a common characteristic of lower-cost drones. RMS’s drones are equipped to handle various demanding weather conditions, though planning for weather-related delays remains essential to comply with FAA flight restrictions and maintain project timelines

On-going maintenance 

Regular updates and maintenance are necessary to ensure drones operate safely and effectively. This maintenance covers the airframe, rotors, motors, sensors, cameras, and communications systems. RMS provides ongoing maintenance services, including regular software updates and hardware checks, to keep drones operational and reliable.

Let RMS show you how to integrate drones into your workflows

Integrating drones into heavy equipment operations offers increased efficiency, improved safety, and significant cost savings. RMS’s comprehensive drone services, including scalable survey packages, Smart Construction Dashboard, Propeller, and Aeropoints, provide the tools and expertise to optimize construction workflows without the substantial up-front investment necessary to build an in-house drone capability.

Let's talk if drones are on your company’s radar. Leveraging RMS’s drone solutions to enhance your operations through in-house integration or by partnering with RMS’s specialized services might be exactly what you need. As drone technology advances, the collaboration between drones and heavy equipment will further revolutionize the construction and industrial sectors, driving innovation and sustainable practices.