Teesside contractor drives innovation in construction with drone technology

As part of Bdaily’s latest feature, Innovation Week, we see how construction firms across the UK are benefiting from improved inspections, communications and efficiency as the drone surveying revolution gathers pace. Read on to find out more…

Through the last five to 10 years, drones have been used increasingly in the industry as businesses seek out smarter ways to work. For Teesside based contractor Applebridge, a lot of research has gone into the use of drones on site, and the service is now expected to play an integral role in the Group’s growth plans for 2023 and beyond.

Time-saving technology

Managing director Chris Brown explained that now is the right time to bring drones into the Applebridge toolkit. With the Group expanding rapidly, a need to develop new services is “inevitable”.

He commented: “Our surveying needs continue to grow. Introducing the drone now allows us to survey a full site in a day, a process which could previously have taken a full week to action. Naturally, the drone requires extra in-office work, but it still saves us a lot of time.”

The drone technology is currently being trialled through the Group’s earthworks business, ZTL Contracting, and Applebridge Construction Limited. Its key input comes in surveying larger scale sites where there isn’t much vegetation on site.

From Cut and Fill drawings that the drone helps produce, which shows the volumes of material that need to be cut (removed) and filled (placed), to producing drawings of site progression and creating 3D mesh of sites which can be delivered directly to computers and laptops, the drone’s high-quality imagery and video capability is only just starting to show its true potential.

Chris added: “We are yet to take full advantage of the drone technology but envisage a wider rollout down the line. A key benefit has seen the management team make informed plans on what to do with stockpiled materials, while also highlighting any limitations or drawbacks that were previously unknown.”

An eye for innovation

Although drone technology had been on Applebridge’s radar for some time, it was engineering apprentice Bailey Middlemas who drove the service’s introduction.

Bailey joined Applebridge as an apprentice civil engineer in 2021 and has gone from strength to strength. Working in the engineering department he had been responsible for constructing tender site models for ‘cut-and-fill’ analysis, ‘as-built’ surveys and ‘generating setting out information’ for site engineers.

It was his “inquisitive mind” that saw him research the viability, requirements and potential for drone technology, which he successfully pitched to Applebridge as a viable product.

Now heading up the drone surveying service, Bailey, who was crowned Trainee Civil Engineer of the Year 2022 at the CECA North East Awards in November, has enabled Applebridge to provide a cheaper and faster method for surveying areas that would have previously been high risk to the health and safety of its employees.

Applebridge was placed fourth in the UK in the Department for Education’s 2022 rankings as a Top SME Apprenticeship Employer, something which is backed up by the firm enabling its apprentices to be bold and “ambitious” in their career development.

Chris explained: “Applebridge is a strong believer in investing in youth, apprentices often have the most inquisitive minds and frequently bring fresh ideas to the Group. As a result of Bailey’s research into the drone sector, we were quickly won over to the potential of drone technology and decided to bring the service in-house.

“The quality of Bailey’s work is to an exceptional standard and his curious mind has resulted in improvements in efficiency and service provision.”

Applebridge now holds three drone pilot licences and has started to offer the service out for 2023 projects, where relevant. In the future, Applebridge aims to expand the use of drones to sister companies Retaining UK and Applebridge Building Services, increasing the applicability and scope of the service.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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