Trends, benefits, and barriers of unmanned aerial systems in the construction industry: a survey study in the United States

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) have rapidly been integrated into the construction industry over the past few years, and their application is continually growing in this domain. The recent development in UAS regulations and technical capabilities have played a significant role in their popularity and wide deployment in various stages of the construction lifecycle. UASs could be used as a platform to enhance the construction practices in general; however, little is known about how construction professionals are adopting this technology in specific construction practices and the barriers they are facing for their successful implementation. The purpose of this study is to explore the current state-of-practice of UAS integration in construction from the industry professionals’ viewpoint. A comprehensive survey study was conducted in the United States to identify the practical construction UAS application areas, their adopted technologies, as well as the benefits and barriers encountered during their implementation. Responses (n=56) showed that most common UAS applications include progress monitoring, site planning, and site surveying/mapping. Rotary-wing vehicles and visual and thermal cameras were the most used platforms and onboard sensors, respectively. Saving time, improving accessibility to compromised spaces, and reducing cost while accomplishing construction tasks were highly regarded as UAS implementation benefits in construction. Participants also considered flying in various weather conditions, within confined or congested areas, as well as the advanced technical know-how requirements, and the increased liability and legal challenges as barriers to using UASs in construction-related tasks. By understanding UAS adoption in construction, this study provides a roadmap to better identify the industry needs and guide researchers and professionals in investigating application areas and barriers that might have maximum benefits for the construction industry in the United States.

The Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Dynamic Site Layout Planning in Large-Scale Construction Projects

“…The flexibility and manoeuvrability that allow UAVs to access hardto-reach areas and the skill to cover large-scale sites economically and efficiently [49][50][51], providing visual access through photos or real-time videos, are some of its greatest attractive features [33,52,53]. These characteristics make this technology ideal for mapping and monitoring activities [1], enabling its use at all construction stages [54], from planning, which requires extensive knowledge of the site conditions, location, and surroundings [47], to permanent monitoring, through information related to the presence of construction resources and workflow progress [55]. As a result, site engineers and site planners nowadays have a tool that helps them obtain detailed and up to date information about the logistics and schedule of construction operations [47].…”

“…These characteristics make this technology ideal for mapping and monitoring activities [1], enabling its use at all construction stages [54], from planning, which requires extensive knowledge of the site conditions, location, and surroundings [47], to permanent monitoring, through information related to the presence of construction resources and workflow progress [55]. As a result, site engineers and site planners nowadays have a tool that helps them obtain detailed and up to date information about the logistics and schedule of construction operations [47].…”

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InDrone: a 2D-based drone flight behavior visualization platform for indoor building inspection

“…site mapping, earthwork volume calculations, construction activities progress monitoring, safety monitoring and inspection) and postconstruction (e.g. structure inspection and maintenance, postdisaster reconnaissance and marketing) (Albeaino et al, 2019;Albeaino and Gheisari, 2021;. Drone technology integration in the AECO domain is expected to increase even more in the near future, especially with the growing need for enhancing project productivity and addressing skilled labor shortage through robotics and automation.…”

Professional Risks When Applying Pesticides Using Unmanned Aircraft: Features and Comparative Hygienic Assessment

“…На основі прогнозу Міжнародної Асоціації безпілотних транспортних систем, легалізація комерційних БПЛА може створити економічний вплив на понад 80 млрд. доларів з 2015 по 2025 рік, а потреба сільського господарства у БПЛА досягне до 80 % від загальної кількості [3]. Очікується, що на світовому сільськогосподарському ринку в період з 2018 по 2026 рр.…”