Automated Construction Progress and Quality Monitoring for Commercial Buildings with Unmanned Aerial Systems: An Application Study from Switzerland

Clemens Kielhauser,Raul Renteria Manzano,Bryan T Adey,Jeffrey J Hoffman

doi:10.3390/infrastructures5110098

Clemens Kielhauser, Raul Renteria Manzano + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures5110098

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Journal: Infrastructures	Publication Date: Nov 11, 2020
Citations: 18	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: ETH Zurich

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs), which have become a key tool in remote sensing in recent years, have also rapidly entered the practice of Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO). This paper presents an application study of a methodology for monitoring construction progress and quality using real-time data from a commercial building during the execution phase and the results of an analysis of the costs and benefits of monitoring construction progress and quality with and without a UAS. The methodology used consists of three parts: (1) automated data collection at the construction site, (2) data processing, in which the collected data are processed to generate the outputs necessary for the data analysis, and (3) data analysis to monitor construction progress and quality. The method is based on the detection of structural elements, combined with four principles: the sectional approach, the calculation of the concrete volume, the height-distance measurement, and the detection of defects by visual comparisons. The cost-benefit analysis considers three cases: monitoring of progress (1) by the construction company using the UAS, (2) by external contractors using the UAS, and (3) by the construction company without using the UAS. We show that the in-house operation of the UAS is associated with medium costs. However, a return on investment can be achieved quickly if the strategy for the operation of the UAS is clearly defined. In summary, the use of a UAS for the automated monitoring of the construction progress and quality of commercial buildings is practicable, which can quickly lead to a return on investment. We also show that there is great potential for further improvements.

Highlights

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) have rapidly entered the practice of Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) in recent years, and forecasts indicate that their use in these areas will continue to increase in the foreseeable future [1,2]
The main direction of development in the AECO industry is moving towards Building Information Model (BIM) technology and data management, as BIM enables efficient data management and data analysis compared to more traditional methods [4,5]
BIM is mainly used within project management to manage resources, while other essential aspects such as monitoring progress and quality during the execution phase using real-time data are given less priority

Summary

Introduction

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) have rapidly entered the practice of Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) in recent years, and forecasts indicate that their use in these areas will continue to increase in the foreseeable future [1,2]. BIM has even greater potential and can be further enriched with advanced tools that could integrate all the components already present in the construction sector and, further improve the productivity and quality of construction projects [6,7]. A significant window of opportunity for such improvement lies in the area of project management [8,9]. BIM is mainly used within project management to manage resources, while other essential aspects such as monitoring progress and quality during the execution phase using real-time data are given less priority. The same is true for UASs, which play a significant role in safety-related applications for infrastructures, but less in the area of project management [10]

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