Increasingly gaining popularity in the construction industry from year to year, Mass Data capture has changed the way contractors and developers get the necessary site data for their construction projects before, during, and at project completion. Drones have proven to be an effective tool for collecting the necessary pre-construction data.

There have been many advances in the technologies used for creating precise maps for use in earthwork projects. However, have you struggled with getting your point cloud into your takeoff software? You are not alone!

The holiday shopping season is in full force with reports that consumers are hitting spending records this year! If you’re thinking of buying a drone for someone special (yourself included), here are some tips on which ones we recommend for earthwork flights. With so many different drones on the market, it can be confusing to decide which one to buy.

The Egyptian pyramids, the Great Wall of China, and great Roman roads were all built in ancient times. Today, it’s nearly impossible for us to consider moving dirt and stones without the use of heavy equipment. The Romans were known for building perfectly straight roads and were able to do so without the modern surveying tools or machinery used today.

It’s essential to get accurate site calibrations when it comes to earthmoving projects. A single-point calibration is the simplest type of calibration performed. Site calibrations are necessary because they enable multiple GNSS-based rover systems to work in your local site's coordinate system. How do you know when a single-point calibration is sufficient or not? We'll share some information and advice to help you figure it out!

Cut & Fills (aka takeoffs) are among the topmost critical components of bidding, planning, and executing earthwork projects. For an inexperienced person, it can be a very time-consuming task. Additionally, it is a process that has little room for error. Mistakes in cut & fill analyses result in extra time, resources, and expenses.

Both LIDAR and Photogrammetry share the same primary purpose: to determine the 3D relationships between other locations; however, their methods differ. Both ways accomplish their task by locating and measuring natural and people-made land features' elevations, angles, and boundaries. These surveying methods are fundamental in construction and civil engineering. Understanding their similarities and differences will help you decide which to invest in and deploy for your projects.

One can never be too careful when it comes to underground utilities detection and digging. According to Common Ground Alliance (CGA), which represents a body of industry stakeholders that advocate for the 811 service, U.S. damages cost $30 billion every year! Contributing to the vast expense of damages are: failure to notify, excavating issues, and locating issues.

It’s no surprise that most people don’t associate the construction industry with technology like they do jelly to peanut butter. The reason is, it has been one of the slowest adopters of technology when compared to most industries. The term Big Data has increasingly gained momentum over the last twenty years, but depending on which industry it's referring to, its meaning and use vary widely.

Whether it’s something you’ve read in our blogs or elsewhere, you know that utilizing drones and other technologies are advantageous in executing, managing, and controlling earthmoving projects in today’s fast-paced world. The days of looking at a job site with 2D paper models are mostly behind us. 3D Models, Digital Elevation Models, 3D Point Clouds and Orthophotos are way more common nowadays.

Residential subdivisions have steadily grown in popularity since their development in the 1940s. They require careful and thorough planning. To obtain the required approvals for construction to begin, it is also necessary to gather site plans, topo surveys, diagrams, and any other relevant project data. Included within the site plan is the layout and grading plan for the site, and that’s where we can get involved to assist with your data prep.

Some of you may already be flying a drone over your worksite during the preconstruction phase and have recognized how beneficial it is to have incorporated this into your standard process. Some of you have not. We’ve identified a few key reasons why everyone should.

Drones have proven to be an excellent tool for collecting mass data. Despite the obvious upfront cost for purchasing the drone, it is an inexpensive way to collect the data compared to conventional means. This method has many advantages, including speed, reliability, accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and more.

Drones can survey a site very quickly, efficiently, and safely. The drone is taking aerial photos through photogrammetry to stitch together the images on the ground while also using GPS and ground control to tie those images down. After the flight, the data is processed through a software program (i.e.: Propeller or Pix4D) which renders everything in 3D.

There is so much for a PM to consider when managing a construction project. Establishing and maintaining effective monitoring and control protocols improves project success. With so many moving parts and the potential for changes arising at any point, how can you best monitor and control your job site?

We genuinely value our client partnerships and want to share some of our experiences with you whenever possible through a Client Spotlight. In particular, we are working with a contractor out of Western Virginia, S&K Contracting Inc., that approached us recently about a subdivision project. Their enthusiasm for their work is contagious, and for that reason, we have decided to shine a light on them.