Advancements in technology, particularly drone and terrestrial photogrammetry, have emerged as a game changer for capturing critical infrastructure in land development in a timely and efficient manner. Specifically, within road corridors and verges.
With the rapid growth of the residential housing development market, surveyors are facing increasing pressure to meet project timelines, and document Works as Executed (WAE) information for subdivision development projects.
In this article, we will explore how drone and terrestrial photogrammetry can enhance land development and detailed road surveys (with approval from the relevant authority), offering benefits such as:
• Improved data collection,
• Enhanced engineering design,
• Cost reductions,
• Improved safety.
Our Commitment to Innovation
Drones are quickly becoming more widely used, so there are strict rules to make sure they are used safely. Orion has taken all the steps required to comply with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), the governing body responsible for aviation safety in Australia.
The Orion Group is the holder of an Operators Certificate, which serves as the minimum requirement for businesses intending to operate Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in Australia. In addition, Orion has put a number of its employees through RPAS accreditation training to achieve their Remote Pilots License (RePL) to legally operate RPAS in a commercial setting.
This certification and accreditation not only enables Orion to conduct drone operations for commercial purposes but also signifies our dedication to responsible drone usage, respecting airspace regulations, and contributing to the overall safety of the aviation ecosystem.
By utilising drones responsibly, and in accordance with CASA’s guidelines, Orion aims to unlock new opportunities and drive innovation in aerial data collection and analysis.
Streamlining Data Capture with Drones
Drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, have revolutionised the way data is captured for subdivision and road surveys.
These un-manned aerial vehicles can swiftly and accurately capture detailed imagery of civil works, including bulk earthworks, roads, kerbs, bridges, and other infrastructure.
The imagery obtained is comprehensive and unbiased, capturing everything within its field of view. This eliminates the need for labour intensive and time-consuming traditional surveys that heavily rely on surveyors manually collecting data on the ground.
When flying over the site, and the adjacent road network, drones can capture images of all features - even the hard to reach and hazardous areas. This not only saves time but also enhances safety by reducing the need for surveyors to be physically present in potentially dangerous locations.
The datasets provided show valuable information for:
• Assessing the condition of the site,
• Capture of critical information before cover,
• Monitoring ongoing works,
• WAE documentation.
Enhancing Engineering Design and Survey Applications
Drone imagery plays a crucial role in the planning and design phase of subdivision projects. Virtual access to the site facilitates faster insights and allows for ‘optioneering’ in context, where various design alternatives can be explored and evaluated.
The accurate and up-to-date information obtained through drone surveys allows engineers and designers to:
• Make informed decisions regarding the layout, infrastructure placement, and overall design of the subdivision.
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the existing conditions using high-resolution 3D models to provide a virtual representation of the site.
Terrestrial photogrammetry complements the data captured from the air by drones providing highly detailed reality models with tolerances that can reach sub-centimetre accuracy. This integrated approach enhances the precision and efficiency of engineering design and survey applications.
Unlocking Value from Drone Outputs
The data collected through drone photogrammetry offers immense value beyond just visual representations. It contains vast amounts of geospatial information where it is common for the datasets to contain hundreds of millions, if not billions, of individual datapoints.
All of these datapoints contain X, Y, Z information of each and every pixel, with its colour attribute. This data can be processed and utilised to create orthophoto/orthomosaic maps, 3D models, digital terrain models (DTMs), digital surface models (DSMs), and classified point clouds.
These outputs serve a range of purposes, such as:
• Identifying topographic features,
• Conducting volumetric analyses,
• Generating contour maps,
• Performing change detection/mapping over time.
The analysis of drone data can provide valuable insights into subdivision conditions, construction progress, quality assurance, and site logistics. Moreover, the captured data serves as a reliable source of documentation, providing an accurate unbiased snapshot of the site’s conditions at the time of capture.
Effective Communication and Reporting
The visual representations generated from drone imagery, including images, videos, and 3D models, facilitate clear communication and effective reporting in land development projects.
Stakeholders, contractors, and other parties involved in the development can easily comprehend and visualise the proposed plans and progress. These visual assets provide a common understanding of the project, aiding in collaboration, decision-making, and identifying potential issues or improvements.
3D models and visualisation that incorporates progressive drone scanning can also be used to showcase proposed enhancements or future development stages, enabling stakeholders to visualise the project’s outcomes in a realistic and tangible manner. Such visual communication enhances engagement, reduces misunderstandings, and fosters a collaborative easy to understand environment throughout the project lifecycle.
Efficient Surveying and Mapping
Drones provide significant efficiency gains in surveying and mapping large-scale development sites.
For instance, drones offer a distance advantage when dealing with projects like farmland or underutilised land identified for rezoning. Their ability to cover vast areas quickly makes them well-suited for such projects. Fixed-wing drones, in particular, excel in these scenarios, enabling rapid data capture over extensive regions.
Orion can efficiently scan a site of +100 ha in a matter of hours and quickly generate models of the general terrain and site features such as dams. This is information is ideal for pairing with LiDAR information to aid master planning.
Additionally, drones can be deployed for repeat flights to capture evolving terrains, providing updated survey information as the project progresses. This allows for accurate and up to date data and documentation throughout the project’s development lifecycle.
Cost-Effectiveness and Accessibility
Drones offer a cost-effective survey method, especially for progress bulk earthworks surveys where tolerances of approximately +/-50mm are required.
Equipped with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) and Post-Processed Kinematic (PPK) capabilities, drones can achieve suitable tolerances with minimal ground control requirements. By leveraging the capabilities of drones, substantial cost savings can be realised compared to traditional survey methods.
Drones also prove to be valuable in situations where live activities are underway on site or when access to certain areas is restricted due to heavy plant movement or ground conditions. The flexibility of drones allows surveys to be conducted without disrupting site activities and minimising any potential risk to personnel on foot.
Improving Efficiency for Maintenance Teams
Terrestrial photogrammetric datasets generated through drone and terrestrial photogrammetry techniques can significantly improve maintenance projects and road dilapidation assessments.
Traditionally, visual inspections were required to identify maintenance needs, but with advancements in machine learning and trained asset libraries, drones can automatically detect, extract, and quantify specific features such as potholes.
Automated extraction provides precise measurements of size, volume, and location, streamlining the estimation of replacement material required. Furthermore, supply of coordinates of the identified potholes can be provided to maintenance teams, allowing them to pinpoint the exact locations that require attention.
All of this streamlines maintenance workflows, improves cost estimation accuracy, and facilitates efficient procurement processes, particularly during night works or in challenging access situations.
The Takeaway
Leveraging drone and terrestrial photogrammetry technologies in land development and road surveys can lead to greater efficiency, relative accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. The comprehensive data captured by drones enhances engineering design and planning, facilitates effective communication with stakeholders, provides valuable insights for analysis and reporting, and streamlines maintenance activities.
As the demand for timely and accurate survey information continues to grow, the integration of drone and terrestrial photogrammetry techniques proves to be a transformative approach in the field of surveying and infrastructure capture and development.
For any further information, or to have a chat about how Orion can assist you in your projects, please contact Ryan Pearce – UAV & Digital Lead on 0430 099 248.
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