Drones in Construction (BIM + GIS)
11 Mar 2024 | Brian Babu
In the world of construction, where precision, efficiency, and innovation converge, the integration of technologies has become paramount. Among these, drones have emerged as an essential tool, reshaping traditional approaches to project management and site analysis. Leveraging the power of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drones have revolutionized the construction industry.
In this blog post, we delve into the transformative role of drones in construction, particularly when integrated with BIM and GIS technologies. From streamlining surveying tasks to enhancing spatial analysis and decision-making, the synergy between drones, BIM, and GIS has opened new avenues for optimization and collaboration across the construction lifecycle.
A geographic information system, or GIS, complements BIM by mapping and visually displaying the land and features surrounding a site. By showing the interrelationships between a project and the nearby terrain, GIS reveals how a structure will interact with the connected world. With that visibility, AEC professionals can increase productivity and minimize costs from unexpected site impediments or late design changes.
Tech-forward companies are integrating drones into workflows for additional productivity gains. With cameras that provide sharp, comprehensive visuals from any angle, drone imagery can be integrated with GIS and BIM so planners see highly realistic 3D models of construction progress at a glance.
In the past, GIS and BIM were siloed and could not easily share data. Now the two are reaching new levels of interoperability, giving designers and stakeholders a seamless picture of a building under construction and a common platform for collaboration and communication. With the addition of drone imagery, managers approximate the experience of being on-site, but with the ability to rewind and fast-forward construction progress or observe a project from any angle.
DEVELOPING A WORKFLOW
SITE ANALYSIS
Site analysis is a crucial first step in creating a viable building design. Considering factors such as site location, topography, zoning regulations, traffic conditions, and climate allows a designer to maximize its inherent opportunities and anticipate any potential issues which may cause problems to the project.
Drones are increasingly becoming more versatile in the AEC industry. We recently performed a photogrammetric survey of a proposed development site to analyse and document the site and context conditions as well as generating a three-dimensional terrain model using a drone and photogrammetry software. The 3D terrain model was imported various CAD applications and then augmented with GIS data and other data sources in order to conduct an analysis of the site.
The project site is located in Kiserian town, Kajiado county with a cool dry climate and an annual temperatures averaging 21°C over most of the year. Collecting GIS data can be done easily with both enterprise and consumer drones. The use case of the data will determine the drone used. For our case, we used a DJI Mavic 2 Pro to capture the aerial images and Pix4D, a free drone flight planning app for optimal 3D mapping and modelling. We flew a cross grid mission as this ensured that images were taken from multiple sides, with 75% overlap for optimal processing. Compared to the simple grid, this mission is recommended for capturing more vertical details such as buildings and for best results in the generation of a 3D model outputs. All civil aviation protocols were observed.
The digitization of job sites has given rise to a broad perspective of the entire construction project. The representation of land as an orthomosaic map, which is a sequence of individual photos linked together via software, contributes an in-depth analysis as they can estimate true distances. The data can also be mirrored as 3D models via multiple 3D points of the site to give life to the client’s perspective of their project. A complete 360 view of the job site allows clients, stakeholders, and even the workers to gain insight about the project. Moreover, drones can also generate Computer-Aided Design (CAD) overlays and see whether site activities have diverged from the design plans.
Through accurate Aerial monitoring and inspections, drones provide data for 3D creations and orthomosaic maps of the construction sites. Topography enables seizing specific site-maps, including contours and terrain, to be systematically captured, updated, and collected as online maps for convenient inspection of site conditions. 3D Mapping gives rise to greater control over projects, updating stakeholders frequently, in a fraction of the time and expense of traditional practices.
Drone orthomosaic maps have changed the game for construction companies. These highly detailed maps give companies a completely accurate and comprehensive view of their project sites at any time. This gives project managers a new level of confidence in their ability to manage their projects ahead of schedule and under budget while keeping investors, stakeholders, and executives in the loop through all stages of the project.
Construction firms also find orthomosaics particularly useful. They can get updated views of their construction sites on a regular basis, and they can leverage the accuracy of the orthomosaics for precise measurements.
A variety of desktop and cloud based applications can be used to generate accurate 2D and 3D maps. In our case, we used ReCap Photo, a service of ReCap Pro, to generate geo-located textured meshes, point clouds, and ortho-photos of existing conditions from drone captured data.
With cloud processing, you can generate orthomosaic map, point cloud and a 3D mesh of a site within hours. However, if you require a more precise processing application, Agisoft Metashape, a stand-alone software product is a good alternative that does the processing in on your PC. As processing image into 3D is a computer hardware intensive process, a powerful PC is required.
In ReCap Pro, you can view the point cloud in their proprietary format. One can however export point cloud information to industry-standard file types such as .LAS and .E57. Point cloud information tends to be huge in size and to view it one needs to install applications that can view this data types. In comes Potree.
Potree is a free open-source WebGL based point cloud renderer that allows users to view data sets with billions of points, from sources such as LIDAR or photogrammetry, in real time in standard web browsers. One of the main advantages of point cloud visualization in web browser is that it allows users to share their data sets with clients or the public without the need to install third-party applications and transfer huge amounts of data in advance. The focus on large point clouds, and a variety of measuring tools, also allows users to use Potree to look at, analyze and validate raw point cloud data.
The use of 3D point cloud models in combination with online-based platforms such Potree, gave us the opportunity to develop creative ways to represent, analyse, interact and share models in a completely virtual environment. Commonly, the way we present site data is using analogue techniques (i.e., physical models, sketches, drawings) or digital 3D- and BIM-based models (i.e., in Revit, ArchiCAD, Sketchup), so these new technologies supplemented our job site analysis with a range of new tools and techniques that we were not able to experience before.
WOKING WITH POINT CLOUD IN GRAPHISOFT ARCHICAD
ArchiCAD natively opens .XYZ and .E57 file formats and converts them into objects, which can be placed on the Floor Plan or in the 3D window. The user can then align the building model to point clouds, on the Floor Plans, sections/ elevations and the 3D window.
It is recommended to keep the point cloud where it is (i.e. don’t move it). Then move and rotate the project layouts to suit the real-world truncated location of the point cloud; with coordinates of noted survey control points that can be shared with other consultants for coordination. The truncation amount is shown on the 2D drawings.
If you need to edit the point cloud (e.g. delete the points representing the parts that will be demolished) there is a free point cloud editor called CloudCompare.
WOKING WITH POINT CLOUD IN TRIMBLE SKETCHUP
An essential part of our workflow is SketchUp Studio, which includes the Scan Essentials extension for importing and modelling on point cloud data. With Scan Essentials, you can import, view, and model from 3D scan data directly in SketchUp. Keeping interoperability top of mind, you can import a variety of industry-standard file types such as E57, LAZ, and LAS as well as the Trimble RWP format from terrestrial laser scanners, mobile mapping devices, and drones.
ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
The design brief requirements were a mixed use development that had a mix of commercial and residential spaces. One of the factors that strongly influenced the decision-making around the project was the natural surroundings. Being located in the town area, adjacent to a large commercial building and with views of Ngong hills presented a interesting blend of opportunities.
The project incorporates a series of climate adaptation and sustainable features, such as insulating green roofs and rainwater collection systems. The volumetric stepping composition and rooftop green areas also serve a climate-related purpose, decreasing temperatures during the hot days, and radiating the heat back into the structure in the chilly nights of Kajiado county. Taking inspiration from the Ngong Hills adjacent to the town, the building transitions from the town’s hardscape to the lush terraces and flora beds cascading from the sky-park on the highest level all the way down to the street level. The orientation of the roof surfaces is optimized for maximum daylight and energy from the integrated PV panels.
The residential tower features various studio unit sizes. The sky-park provides a communal space for the residential program, encompassing a sky garden with views of Ngong hills, gym, clubhouse and other recreational facilities. Social gathering spaces can also be found in the retail podium, together with indoor-outdoor areas that would cater to the residents as well as the local community.
Understanding the thermal performance of green infrastructure is crucial to plan, design and implement more sustainable, liveable, climate-adapted and low-carbon communities, especially in the context of climate change and global warming.
Monitoring construction with technologies like GIS, BIM, and drone imagery creates a productive feedback loop, enabling executives to adjust the project vision based on the latest developments, and fold those updates back into daily site work. The same pattern can be repeated during the maintenance and operation stages of a project.
In future, with the advent of new 3D remote sensing technologies, we will be able to conduct multifaceted performance-based analyses in a more rapid and precise way. With a better understanding and visualisation of these complex processes, researchers and educators will be able to communicate the scientific evidence in a more effective way so we can make more informed decisions to combat climate change and achieve a more sustainable future for all.
COMMUNICATING IN THE DIGITAL ERA
The ease of embedding and displaying Potree and Sketchfab models on other online platforms has improved in-house discussion, participation, and engagement among project stakeholders irrespective of their geographic location. Another advantage of using online platforms is that they allow us to embrace new digital technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), and provided our clients with fully interactive and immersive tools to communicate and disseminate our work not only within their companies, but also within the broader community.
Click on the image to open the 3D Web Scene
I can speak for my area of interest. I find that 3D science is a very needed and powerful tool to help visualize structures with complex 3D relationships. It applies very well to the need of communicating concepts to non-specialists, especially in the fields of architecture, engineering and construction.
In my experience, online sharing platforms such as ArcGIS Online and Sketchfab are very practical platform for this purpose, because they allows a large number of people to have access to site conditions and design models. The Viewer API adds the possibility to interact with the models, providing the opportunity to include many overlapping features that can be switched on and off as needed. These API tools allow several features to be included in the models, making them more informative and interesting to explore.
Watch the Process on the Video
HARDWARE USED:
DJI MAVIC 2 PRO – https://www.dji.com/mavic-2
SOFTWARES USED:
DroneDeploy – https://www.dronedeploy.com/solutions/construction/
Autodesk ReCap Photo – https://www.autodesk.com/products/recap/overview
Graphisoft ArchiCAD – https://graphisoft.com/solutions/archicad
Trimble SketchUp Studio – https://www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-studio
Blender – https://www.blender.org/
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