The Abu Dhabi City Municipality has started trials of using drones for remote monitoring and inspection of construction projects. The feasibility study involves testing of drone technology to continuously monitor all developments at construction sites through live images, generating accurate engineering reports and ensuring their compatibility with all the stipulations of construction.
Following the completion of the trial run, the Municipality will evaluate drone regulations and operating procedures such as licensing and registration, security permits, hardware specifications, flying zones, altitude and range. The Municipality is also keen to widen the scope and use of this technology to all projects within its domain and start offering drone operating courses to engineers, initially, and broaden their scope to improve services in the future.
Engineer Mohammed Omar Basaleeb, director of building permits, Abu Dhabi City Municipality, said: “The aim of this test is to ensure that works undertaken are compatible with the applicable standards as well as the licensing conditions set by the Municipality. This technology shortens the time taken by engineers and saves the hassles of moving from offices to construction sites. They can coordinate with the site contractor the operation of the drone whenever needed and enable the examination, viewing and inspection of all details of project components. It also gives full description of the current situation and document each project phase through live video clips. This will reflect positively on the construction level and project quality. The technology also contributes to achieving sustainability standards through saving fuel consumption by reducing the movement of vehicles of engineers, engineering inspectors, and accordingly reducing carbon emission and protecting the environment.”
