Exploratory study of using unmanned aerial system imagery for construction site 3D mapping

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory study which aims to assess the potential use of 3D mapping of buildings and construction sites using unmanned aerial system (UAS) imagery for supporting the construction management tasks. Design/methodology/approach The case studies were performed in two different residential construction projects. The equipment used was a quadcopter equipped with digital camera and GPS that allow for the registry of geo-referenced images. The Pix4D Mapper and PhotoScan software were used to generate the 3D models. The study sought to examine three main constructs related to the 3D mapping developed: the easiness of development, the quality of the models in accordance with the proposed use and the usefulness and limitations of the mapping for construction management purposes. Findings The main contributions of this study include a better understanding of the development process of 3D mapping from UAS imagery, the potential uses of this mapping for construction management and the identification of barriers and benefits related to the application of these emerging technologies for the construction industry. Originality/value The importance of the study is related to the initiative to identify and evaluate the potential use of 3D mapping from UAS imagery, which can provide a 3D view of the construction site from different perspectives, for construction management tasks applications, trying to bring positive contributions to this knowledge area.