SenSat | Partnering with Costain to implement drone based surveying

SenSat, a UK based digital surveying company, has partnered with Costain, a leading engineering solutions provider, to integrate aerial drone based 3D site modelling into the firm’s highways construction projects across the UK for the first time. The move is designed to enhance manual methods of data collection by utilising the latest in professional drone technology to deliver high-resolution 3D models for engineers and site teams.

Analysis conducted by Costain showed the solution had delivered a 36% reduction in data capture costs, data capture was completed 400% faster and saved over 186kg of C02. Moreover, the use of pre-programed drones removed the need for staff to work in potentially hazardous areas, as the airborne units can cover huge areas in a fraction of the time – more than 400 ha in a single hour-long flight.

SenSat uses engineering grade drones to create a photorealistic, geo-located 3D model of an entire project area, which can be integrated with other existing data to create a single program model. These drones and their sensors are specifically designed to measure, map and recreate construction sites in ultra-high resolution. The technology relies on photogrammetry, the practice of determining the geometric properties of an object through the triangulation of photographic images.

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The work SenSat has already conducted with Costain has been awarded ‘Company Innovation of the Year’ at the 20th Annual Construction News awards. The judges noted that the innovative technology had a wide base of applications for construction industry and commented it “had produced a synthesis of three cutting-edge technologies to take on a longstanding challenge, demonstrating savings in cost, time and carbon”.

In 2014 the government committed £15 billion worth of investment to increase the capacity and condition of England’s roads. Independent calculations by Costain forecast that the total inefficiencies in onsite communications typically contribute to over 1% of a project’s total cost. With the substantial cost and efficiency savings offered by SenSat’s drone based site modelling scheme, it is clear that these technologies will be essential for delivering future projects on time and on budget.

James Dean, CEO at SenSat comments: “Having a digital copy of the world around us is incredibly useful. It allows us to measure quicker, calculate more accurately and plan in ways that were simply not possible even two years ago. This partnership with Costain represents a strong endorsement of our capabilities and reflects SenSat’s efforts to provide a breadth of digital geospatial services to our growing customer base.”

Paul Georgie, CTO at SenSat comments: “The good news is that this represents just the beginning. The underlying technology is becoming increasingly automated, reducing costs and driving up efficiency. We believe SenSat’s technology will be critical in delivering efficient projects that meet the ever-stricter demands on time, budget and safety over the next two decades.”

Peter Slater, Aerial Solutions Manager at Costain comments: “By partnering with innovative technology firms such as SenSat Geo, we are able to run our construction sites safer and more efficiently. The diverse capability these systems offer have shown the way forward, we are now looking at the realistic prospect of mass implementation across a variety of industries over the next few years. With the substantial cost and efficiency savings offered by a drone-based site modelling scheme, it is clear that this technology is becoming increasingly important for delivering projects on time and on budget.