How a Smart Tower Crane Keeps You Up-to-date with Construction Progress

Pix4D Crane Camera: Your automated, safe and reliable solution

Pix4Ds world first innovation combines specialist camera units mounted on a tower crane with the power of photogrammetry and automated cloud processing. Cameras capture high-resolution images automatically while the crane is completing its normal operations. When sufficient images are captured to create a 3D and 2D model of the site, the images are transmitted to the Pix4D cloud and automatically processed. The results are then available via the Pix4Dbim platform, and can be accessed remotely by anyone who needs to review the current status of the site.

Capturing images from a tower crane is a safe, fast and drone-free solution to collect valuable site data. The automatic nature of the image capture and processing means no human intervention is required to collect a daily visualisation of the site. What better way to verify the as-build v as-design than to have automatic daily updates of the site without ever leaving your office.

How this system supports your BIM process

For the BIM process to be successful, the scheduling devised by the BIM application must be strictly adhered to. Any deviations from the schedule that are caused by errors can only be compensated for if these errors are spotted early enough and then fed back into the BIM process. With the Pix4D platform you can overlay design drawings and check the daily as-built directly against the design and schedule. Precise measurements, volume calculations and inspections can be performed either from the site office or remotely and shared in real time with anyone.

A 2D as-built map overlayed to the design drawing taken from the BIM application. This allows the as-built status of the project to be understood, and any errors spotted early.

Why this data is valuable in construction

During the build phase of a construction project, it is often necessary to collect survey data. In the early stages, this can be a pre-build site survey that gives important data to the earthwork contractors. During the build, routine surveys of the as-built status of the project are compared to the design to ensure that everything is proceeding correctly.

Site materials estimates, site access maps and virtual site inductions can all be sped up using the daily capture outputs.

Spotting construction errors early will avoid unnecessary and expensive rework at later stages.

Checking the progress of the build against the schedule provides verification that everything is on-track. With Pix4D Crane Camera there is a daily actionable and verifiable audit trail of high resolution images and performed activities to support the as-build work.

"Dont tell me what was built on that day, show me"

Should warranty issues arise in the future the ability to verify what was built on any given day with high definition images becomes an invaluable source of information to help swiftly resolve disputes.

A time-series of 2D maps generated by a mosaic of multiple images. These images are orthographic: perspective-free, fully scaled, measurable and georeferenced. This time-series provides important information on the progress of the project, and can help detect scheduling problems.

What about drones on the construction site?

Collecting survey data using traditional on-site methods such as total stations and laser scanning is expensive, inconvenient and often intrusive. It is therefore clear that collecting images from a drone flight over a site that can produce survey data is a big advantage (and up to 80% faster than traditional methods). This is especially true over large areas and sites in the civil and infrastructure space.

However, in an increasingly regulated world the ability to fly drones in built up areas is becoming complex, think; pilot licensing, insurance, flight approval etc. With the Pix4D Crane Camera system there are no approvals, pilots, operators or special equipment needed. The system comes fully prepared for your unique site out of the box.

To learn more about Pix4D Crane Camera send an email to angelo.feltrin@pix4d.com