RESTORATION
Flying into restoration sites Learn what drones have to offer your restoration company with an inside look at this rising industry technology.
40 INCLEAN May / June 2020
W
e are all familiar with drones. The small ones are fun to fly around your house and spy on neighbours. The large ones are used in warfare, surveying enemy territory and taking out bad guys. But in there is a middle ground that holds a wealth of benefits for restoration companies that work on large sites, especially commercial buildings. We aren’t talking about the little quadcopters you can buy for $100, but rather “commercial” drones that are larger and smarter – and will cost a good bit more, obviously. The term “commercial” here comes from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who defines any drone that is used for financial benefit as a commercial drone. You’ll also see terms like unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the drone itself, and unmanned aerial system (UAS), which is a more all-inclusive term for everything involved in flying a drone, including the pilot and ground station.
These types of drones collect data in hardto-reach places faster than a technician could, while keeping them safe. They can also carry sensors (like thermal imaging, 3D mapping, and measurement) that provide data needed for beginning, maintaining, and documenting a project. While these devices aren’t for every restoration company, they do provide significant benefits to certain kinds of companies. And they are becoming increasingly popular in the industry.
SAFE, FAST DATA COLLECTION One of the most obvious but important benefits of drone use on restoration job sites is the added safety it provides to the technicians on the ground surveying damage. Protecting your workers is obviously key in any job, but especially in fields like res-toration where dangerous situations are more prevalent. Randy Rapp, associate professor of construction management at Purdue University,
