Why you should add this tool to your toolbox
Submitted by CONEXPO-CON/AGG
Drones – the aerial eye of the jobsite – have become a versatile tool for earthmoving operations. Among the benefits: increasing efficiency, productivity and accuracy on job sites. In addition, drones help reduce unplanned costs and rework throughout a project by providing a steady stream of job site progress data.
As drone technology evolves, the greater the return on investment in employing them, according to Zach Pieper, director of operations and co-owner of Quantum Land Design, an industry leader in managing and preparing 3D data required for construction projects of any scale.
“Drones are another tool contractors can put in their toolbox to make more efficient and better decisions.”
– zach pieper, quantum land design
“That is why is it important for those in the construction industry, especially in earthmoving, to learn about using drones,” said Pieper. “Drones are another tool contractors can put in their toolbox to make more efficient and better decisions. There are many situations where a contractor might need to keep track of how much earth is being moved, compare the current site to the planned site, and figure out how many yards of earth [there are that] still to be moved and where that dirt must go. Drones can be a very cost-effective way to do that.
“Drones can also provide a very rich layer of data that can be added to your knowledge of a project and your ability to manage it properly.”
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When it comes to drones, Pieper says there are two types of contractors.
“One group I call ‘drone curious.’ They think drones are interesting and they need to be learning about them,” said Pieper. “The second group are those contractors that already have drones and feel they are not utilizing them as well as they could be. Or they bought a drone for a single purpose, which it is serving well, and they want to get more use out of the information collected. Or they want to get ideas on how to better use their drones on job sites.”
The How to Utilize Drones in Your Earthmoving Business education session at CONEXPO-CON/AGG will cover the high-level basics of drones, including types of drones, applications, the kind of data you can get out of drones and basic data collection procedures.
“The session applies to nearly any size contractor,” said Pieper. “It will be an information-dense way to learn how you can use drones to make better decisions with your contracting company and on each job site. It will be focused on applied technology. Everything in the education session will be information that any contractor can take back to their company or their jobsite and put it to work.”
Held every three years, CONEXPO-CON/AGG is the must-attend event for construction industry professionals. The show features the latest equipment, products, services and technologies for the construction industry, as well as industry-leading education. The next CONEXPO-CON/AGG will be held March 14–18, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nev. For more information on CONEXPO-CON/AGG, visit www.conexpoconagg.com.