The construction and energy industries are benefiting immensely from drone technology. Aerial Field Services has tailored solutions to support these sectors – from land surveying and site monitoring for construction projects, to pipeline inspections and facility oversight for oil and gas operations. In the Northern Tier region, where companies like Chesapeake Energy operate extensively in natural gas extraction, our drone services provide a safer, faster, and more detailed way to gather information and keep projects on track. This page outlines how AFS drones are applied in construction & infrastructure projects and in the energy sector, highlighting real-world benefits like improved safety, cost savings, and enhanced decision-making.
Construction sites are dynamic environments with constant changes. Our drone services in construction help project managers maintain visibility over these changes and streamline many tasks:
Before breaking ground, construction projects require accurate land surveys. Traditionally, survey crews would spend days measuring and mapping the terrain. Now, drones can perform topographic surveys in a matter of hours, providing detailed elevation models and high-resolution aerial imagery as a base map. For example, when surveying a proposed building site or highway route, our drones capture thousands of points of elevation data. The resulting maps help engineers identify how much earthwork is needed and plan site grading more effectively. We provide CAD-compatible outputs (contours, point clouds) that integrate into the project’s design workflow seamlessly.
Throughout the build, drones give an eye in the sky to track progress. We conduct regular aerial photography or mapping flights (weekly, biweekly, or as needed). These overhead images show exactly what has been constructed, where materials are stockpiled, and the status of various project areas. Project managers can overlay these images on site plans to verify that things are being built according to design. Are foundations in the correct location? Is that new access road aligned as planned? Drones help answer these questions without having to walk the entire site. Our clients often use these progress photos in status meetings or reports to stakeholders, because a picture is worth a thousand words when conveying project status.
Need to know if that excavation is to the right depth, or how far the paving progressed? Drone-generated 3D models allow for quick measurements. We can, for instance, measure the slope of a newly graded area or the height of a stockpile. This aids quality control, ensuring the work meets specifications. If discrepancies are found, they can be corrected early rather than at project end.
A large construction site can be chaotic. Drones help in planning site logistics – from the aerial view, one can decide where to place equipment, how to optimize material laydown areas, or where to create safer pathways for workers by seeing bottlenecks from above. Additionally, drone surveillance can improve safety: you can spot unauthorized personnel or identify unsafe practices (like too many workers in a confined area) and take action. Some project managers use our drone imagery to brief crews each morning, pointing to areas of focus or potential hazards visible in the latest overhead shot.
Having a catalog of dated aerial images is excellent protection against disputes or claims. If an issue arises – such as a claim of property damage or a question about when a certain component was installed – the drone imagery can serve as an objective record. For example, if a nearby property owner claims construction runoff damaged their land, an aerial photo timeline could show whether silt fences were in place and working properly at all stages.
One of the most dramatic impacts of drones in construction is time and cost savings. Instead of spending money on manned aircraft for aerial photos or labor-intensive ground surveys, a quick drone flight does the job. Research indicates tasks done by drones can be 80% faster than manual methods , which often translates to lower costs or the ability for your team to focus on other critical work while we handle the aerial data collection.
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