The Use of Drones in the Construction Industry: Applications and Implementation

In a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, Industry 4.0 can be the silver lining of the construction industry which has been facing daunting chronic problems for decades. The transformative impact of Industry 4.0 which has been well documented in the industrial sector has spurred interested among construction researcher to explore the opportunities Industry 4.0 can have on our industry. Among the various Industry 4.0 technologies, drones have found their way into the construction industry and their use has been on the rise. Building on the existing body of knowledge, this paper summarizes the current state of adoption of drones in the construction industry. To achieve the research objective, the various applications of drones throughout the construction project lifecycle are explored, associated benefits, challenges, and costs are identified, and considerations to be accounted for are discussed. The findings summarize the "5W2H" - or the What, When, Where, Why, Who, how, and How Much - of the use of drones in the construction industry.