We’ve recently been getting a lot more use out of drones on our projects (aside from just getting great photos for our marketing team). In a current maritime project, drones were used to gain an understanding of the area both prior to and during construction. Having this viewpoint early on enabled the team to make more informed decisions regarding the impact of the design on the surrounding environment, compared to using conventional processes. Drones also provide an alternative for difficult inspections such as grain silos where it’s nearly impossible to gain access without using high risk means.
We also use drones to create 3D models for civil planning projects which would usually use poor quality contour data and outdated imagery. Using state of the art technology in our RTK GPS Surveying Hardware, Drone and Pix4D we’re able to generate accurate 3D models and up to date aerial imagery for our projects at a fraction of the cost and time compared with conventional techniques. On recent rural projects for DPTI, this has enabled WGA to start undertaking 3D design of projects much earlier than typically possible as our designers do not have to wait for a conventional survey to be ready.
This is a game changer for planning.