DRONES DRONES EVERYWHERE! Drones are taking the construction industry by storm and it’s not surprising why. In a recent ForConstructionPros.com article, we learn how drones seem to be dominating many conversations in the construction industry. But can a drone help improve your business? Absolutely.
The asphalt industry has taken these drones from a marketing tool and turned them into a real way to increase profits in their plant operations and beyond. At the asphalt plant, drones are primarily used for quantities measurement, site preparation and inspections and using them can help save contractors an exceptional amount of time and money.
Various materials and aggregate in asphalt are inventory that have a monetary value attached to them. Measuring the volume of stockpiles accurately is key in determining the value of the material. A drone can be used to fly over the stockpiles to collect aerial imagery from which accurate quantities can be measured.
“Accurate material inventory allows asphalt companies to properly serve their customer orders, as well as improve a steady state for production level-based demand,” Jason Nichols, product marketing manager at Kespry says. “Traditional survey methods used to measure inventory are often inaccurate, time-consuming and dangerous. Drone technology is up to 80% more accurate than traditional survey methods and removes workers form active and dangerous environments. Using an end-to-end commercial drone solution, companies are flying as often as needed, reducing labor costs and ensuring annual write downs are reduced by 95%.”