The Next Big Thing: Construction site drones

Drone technology is already changing the way we deliver pizza, monitor our environment, and conduct surveillance. Why wouldn't it change the building industry as well?

COPTRZ, a new drone company (and a brand of the Martek Group) is making the case for drones in construction.

"Drones have so many uses for construction projects, we're excited to be the ones spreading the word to get these useful tools into the mainstream," said COPTRZ founder Steve Coulson. "From high-quality live video feeds for inspections on tall or dangerous structures, to producing detailed land analysis for project planning, UAVs are ideal for any construction project. They can even keep stakeholders happy as clear visual site progress reports are easy to produce."

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are more affordable than helicopters, as the company points out. And they can get in closer to deliver more detailed information.

"The multiple uses of UAVs mean anyone using them will easily save money on their construction project," added Coulson. "Drones can reduce the number of staff required for hazardous inspections, and help identify potential problems well before they would normally be spotted thanks to the affordability of regular inspections and surveys."

Of course, COPTRZ is hardly the first to put two and two together.

Kespry is another drone company that caters to builders, offering solutions for creating daily aerial reports to track construction progress, manage resources, reduce downtime and more.

Last summer, a new downtown stadium for the Sacramento Kings in California was being built with the help of drones.

"The value of drones in construction, at least for the time being, is more or less tied to their ability to venture where humans and heavy machinery cannot," wrote Gizmag's Nick Lavars in a March 2015 article. "This dictates that the vehicles remain small, agile and with minimal payload, zipping around with onboard high-res cameras and relaying progress shots and aerial surveys to construction teams on the ground. This might sound like little more than a negligible cost-cutting, but drones are already forming an integral part of business operations for innovative construction firms the world over."