We can now examine hard-to-reach areas of a building or a site without ladders or lifts, using a drone. Roof inspections, façade inspections, and structural damage evaluations can all be accomplished in less time without putting our personnel at risk on a steep roof, partially collapsed building or inaccessible portion of a site.

The drone also lets us scan a larger area in less time, and preserve a photographic record of the inspection for later examination and assessment in the office.

We can use the drone footage to identify the problem, map out the scope of the damaged area, and examine the details of the damage.

Our FAA Part 107 Certified pilot is Jim Thompson, our structural engineer, adding significantly to our structural inspection capabilities. We can also share the drone footage directly with our other experts on site to take advantage of their expertise while we are in the field, in addition to sharing the footage once we return to the office.

The footage below was taken to examine a cantilevered residential deck. The bearing condition at the deck joists where they penetrate the masonry façade was impossible to examine closely from the ground as the deck is 3 stories above grade. The drone had no trouble homing in on the joist bearings and providing clear, detailed photographs and video footage. The first part of the clip shows an overview of the deck and the second part shows a close-up view of the joist bearings. We were able to record the joist bearing condition across the entire width of the deck for this 3rd floor deck without wrestling any ladders or putting any personnel at risk of injury.