Unmanned aerial vehicles in the construction industry - Towards a protocol for safe preparation and flight of drones

Abstract

PurposeUnmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), colloquially called drones, are widely applied in many sectors of the economy, including the construction industry. They are used for building inspections, damage assessment, land measurements, safety inspections, monitoring the progress of works, and others.Design/methodology/approachThe study notes that UAV pose new, and not yet present, risks in the construction industry. New threats arise, among others, from the development of new technologies, as well as from the continuous automation and robotization of the construction industry. Education regarding the safe use of UAV and the proper use of drones has a chance to improve the safety of work when using these devices.FindingsThe procedure (protocol) was developed for the correct and safe preparation and planning of an unmanned aerial vehicle flight during construction operations.Originality/valueBased on the analysis of available sources, no such complete procedure has yet been developed for the correct, i.e. compliant with applicable legal regulations and occupational health and safety issues, preparation for flying UAV. The verification and validation of the developed flight protocol was performed on a sample of over 100 different flight operations.

Building Information Modeling Uses and Complementary Technologies in Road Projects: A Systematic Review

“…Laser scanning (T 3 ) technology provides measurements of distances and geometric features of terrain and infrastructure, capturing fine details that are integrated into the BIM model for an accurate representation of reality [111,112]. Drone (T 4 ) technology, on the other hand, allows for the aerial capture of images and data in large or difficult-to-access areas, ensuring that the BIM model accurately reflects the actual context of the construction environment [113]. The increasing popularity of laser scanning (T 3 ) and drones (T 4 ) is a testament to their significant role in capturing highly detailed topographic data.…”

A novel quadrotor carrying payload concept via PID with Feedforward terms

“…The utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has ushered in a new area of opportunities across various industries, attributed to their inherent flight flexibility, efficient and straightforward deployment mechanisms, and uncomplicated structural design (Pinto et al ., 2020). These aerial systems find application in a diverse spectrum of practical scenarios, encompassing tasks such as inspection (Melo et al ., 2020; Szóstak et al ., 2023), surveillance (Scherer and Rinner, 2020; Hasan et al ., 2018), search and rescue missions (Atif et al ., 2021; Pinto et al ., 2021), cargo transportation (Villa et al ., 2020) and the delivery of medical supplies or instructions and other applications (Yazdannik and Tayefi, 2024). In recent years, substantial progress has been achieved in both the modelling and control aspects of quadrotor UAVs, reflecting a concerted effort to enhance their capabilities and performance.…”

Advancements in Building Deconstruction: Examining the Role of Drone Technology and Building Information Modelling

“…The integration of drone technology and Building Information Modelling (BIM) results in superior efficiency and outperforms traditional deconstruction techniques in salvaging materials and minimizing waste (Ge et al, 2017). Drones have also found a place in the construction industry, with the use of aerial, terrestrial, and underground drones in different construction activities, including deconstruction (Szóstak et al, 2022). A term that can be referred to as Drone-BIM deconstruction -a modern approach to building deconstruction and waste management that utilizes technology to provide a faster, cheaper, and environmentally friendly deconstruction method.…”