The use of drones now allows engineers to inspect hard-to-access sites, identify safety hazards, and find structural problems. Drones can be fitted with cameras and other sensors to enable on-site inspections and provide aerial photos and videos of sites and structures. Drones can also be useful in conducting cultural inventories.
Shane Steiner, PE, is vice president of aviation at KLJ Engineering and Planning Services in Bismarck, and he says drone technology has advanced dramatically over the past five years, making them a key tool for his company's engineers.
Shane Steiner
“We use drones for surveying and to monitor construction sites to check project progress. Flying a drone around a project to take aerial photos and videos gives us a new perspective and way of monitoring things,” he said.
Drone accessories are becoming just as advanced as the drones themselves. Drones are getting bigger, batteries last longer, and sensors are becoming more sensitive. Drone-mounted thermal imaging cameras are used for inspections to determine the extent of cracks in structures and surfaces, for example. Drones can also be used in culturally sensitive areas.
“If we're in a sensitive area and there's limited things we can do and we're in an area where tribes don't allow people to go, we can fly a drone with a thermal imaging camera. We can pick out rock formations and other features and work with the tribes to better manage it. It's less invasive than having someone walk or drive around everywhere,” Steiner said.
Drones aren't the only technology being used. 3D visualization is also advancing. Whether for marketing or project proposals, it's beneficial to be able to view an environment or project from all angles.
KLJ aviation planner Andrew Zielike demonstrates flying the drone.
/ Provided by KLJ
“On the aviation side, we can see the benefits, such as a road along the airport. Or if we wanted to skip a phase of the project, what would that be? For airports, this is important because safety is a big concern. It's also important for the control tower; their big concern is blind spots. If you put in a couple of hangars and suddenly the control tower can't see part of the terminal, or one of the boarding bridges, or half the apron where the planes take off and land, then that creates a problem,” Steiner said.
3D technology allows project teams to be proactive and reduce concerns.
Building information modeling (BIM) has been around for decades, enabling engineers and architects of all disciplines to collaborate on virtual 3D models, says Tevis Holzer, project manager and engineer in the structural department at Banner Associates in Brookings, South Dakota.
Tevis Holzer
/ Courtesy of Banner Associates
“Coordinating on a single model keeps engineers on the same page, detects clashes between building components, and reduces mistakes. More recently, the use of drones and advanced scanning systems has enabled engineers to incorporate detailed 'as-built' conditions into these models, greatly reducing the need to manually measure and document existing conditions,” says Holzer. “As BIM models become more detailed and dynamic, 'digital twin' models can incorporate real-time sensors from the actual building, helping engineers and building owners improve operational efficiencies and maintenance over the entire life of a building.”
Geographic information systems (GIS) offer a similar capability to track horizontal infrastructure, such as the age and condition of underground pipes or the location of holes in streets, he added. GIS provides surveyors and planners with highly detailed data, allowing measurements down to 1/16 of an inch.
INPUTiD, a unique platform developed by Bolton & Menk, is a web-based public engagement platform that allows stakeholders and the public to provide comments and interact with each other using a visual, user-friendly mapping interface.
/ Courtesy of Bolton & Menk
Bolton & Menk, an engineering firm celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, developed a proprietary platform called INPUTiD, a customizable web-based public engagement platform that allows stakeholders and the public to post comments and interact with each other in a visual, easy-to-use mapping interface. The platform is being used by the North Dakota Department of Transportation in their SMART 29 Corridor Plan, which focuses on traffic management on Interstate 29.
“We're currently creating one of these maps for a project we're doing in Grand Forks, and people can go to the map and post comments, like, 'I really love this section of the greenway and I use the bike path a lot,' or 'I've always felt that this intersection is unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians,'” says Blue Weber, the company's community outreach liaison. “This interactive map allows people to give their input, and as they start creating their design elements, they can overlay those designs on INPUTiD. They might look at layouts A, B, and C and say they like a particular design because of the intersection or whatever. It's a really great way to show what you've designed and built while also getting feedback throughout the process.”
Blue Weber
/ Courtesy of Bolton & Menk
Weber said many people might be surprised to learn that infrastructure projects begin with data collection studies and analysis and end with project design years before they become visible to the public.
“I don't think people who see road construction think about all these calculations that go on behind the scenes,” Weber said.
Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to be a powerful tool in the near future, but its adoption has been slow in the engineering world. Steiner said that the company's in-house AI systems only pull information from its own databases, which is useful because engineers know where the data they're accessing comes from.
“Engineers need to find ways to use AI technology in lower-risk situations and focus on developing trustworthy AI tools to harness its power,” Holzer said.
Carrie McDermott joined Prairie Business magazine in March 2023. She covers business industry trends in North Dakota, South Dakota and Midwest Minnesota. Email: [email protected].
