Assessment of Construction Quality through Drone Technology – Comparing Drone Based and Ground-Based Inspections

Abstract

In the last few years, drone technology has emerged as a vital aspect of the construction industry in view of their effective and safe ability to access site-generated real-time site information. These Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly known as drones, are being utilized in various activities such as site monitoring, tracking, safety surveillance, and inspection. Their ability to access hard-to-reach areas, which was earlier considered unsafe, makes them a more preferable tool. At construction site execution level, quality assessment is one of the most prominent areas to concentrate on because it impacts structures directly with implications for safety, durability, as well as satisfaction for clients. Under customary quality assessment methods, personnel concentrate on making manual observations during construction activity execution. These activities often prove to be lengthy and risky for personnel. The advent of drone construction tactics enables construction personnel to use drone cameras to observe site conditions. While there is an increase in the application of drones for monitoring and safety purposes, their effectiveness with respect to construction quality assessment is still evolving from traditional ground-based inspections. Clearly understanding which quality parameters can be reliably evaluated using drone-based inspection and which aspects need close human observation is essential for effective implementation. This study focuses on the evaluation of the role of drone technology in construction quality assessment by comparing drone-based inspections with conventional manual inspection practices.