Working towards building a better tomorrow creating design ideas to change one’s perception towards infrastructure development and revolutionizing. Learn how drones can be our future too!
By Abdul Rafay Mohammed
By Abdul Rafay Mohammed
| Drones are rapidly gaining popularity and have been used for a variety of purposes in the construction and engineering industry. In April 2021, NTH was tasked with inspecting the facade of a 10-story office building in the Downtown Detroit. NTH retained a subconsultant to assist with supplying and operating a DJI Matrice 300 RTK aerial drone. This drone is equipped with sophisticated sensors to optimize flight paths and a 42-Megapixel high-definition camera to capture images. Façade inspection has become a crucial part of preventative maintenance for facilities, building owners, and property management companies. Additionally, the City of Detroit, as well as many jurisdictions in the country, mandate a façade assessment for high-rise buildings every 5-years in the Building Code. |  |
 | The purpose of the façade assessment that NTH conducted was to assess the condition of the building’s façade in accordance with the City of Detroit Façade Ordinance to identify potentially hazardous conditions. NTH previously conducted an assessment for the same building’s facade in 2014 using traditional methods for accessing the upper levels including the use of temporary scaffolding systems, swing stages, and boom trucks. These traditional methods are expensive, time-consuming, require extensive planning, and have higher safety risks. Additionally, NTH was only able to perform close-up inspections of select areas on each elevation since gaining access to whole façade was not practical. |
During the façade inspection, the drone captured high-resolution images of the building’s façade, which we reviewed later in the office to document defects and/or irregularities. The drone’s software is integrated with artificial intelligence to process the captured images that we then use to generate terrain mapping, 3D Models, and raw imagery. The subconsultant generated a 3D Model and mapped the photographs in the order of the flight path making it easy for NTH to review. The model can also be a resource for the Owner, assisting with future maintenance activities.
The overall process was efficient in terms of costs, time, and data analysis. With safety being a major concern in traditional façade inspections, drone inspections, on the other hand are performed from a safe remote location.
Additionally, due to the Covid-related restrictions, NTH engineers were able to conduct the work while abiding by the CDC’s social distancing protocols.
The key benefits of using aerial drones for inspections are:
The overall process was efficient in terms of costs, time, and data analysis. With safety being a major concern in traditional façade inspections, drone inspections, on the other hand are performed from a safe remote location.
Additionally, due to the Covid-related restrictions, NTH engineers were able to conduct the work while abiding by the CDC’s social distancing protocols.
The key benefits of using aerial drones for inspections are:
- Efficiency
- Safety
- Extensive Data Collection
- Cost-effective
- Remote Access with Visual Guidance
- Accuracy
- Photographic Documentation, and
- Efficient Data Analysis
With the requirements for façade inspections of structures that are five or more stories, NTH offers cost efficient and effective assessment services with these technologically advanced methods using drones for façade inspections that prove to be safe for all. Using the documentation, our engineers can efficiently analyze and recommend repair / restoration options as quickly as within 24 hours of the inspection.
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