High Rise Tower Block Inspections

Planning and conducting multistory and High Rise Tower Block Inspections can be a headache for facilities management companies, local authorities, councils, and housing associations. Routine maintenance and defect and dilapidation monitoring can be costly using traditional methods. Not only can traditional methods such as scaffolding, elevated platforms, and rope access be costly, time-consuming, and invasive but they also have an element risk attached. A large number of these structures were built in the 1970s and have been retro fitted with external cladding to help with insulation, in some cases this cladding is not performing as intended and problems such as cracking, water ingress, and in some cases cladding failing and coming away from the structure.

Case example

Iprosurv was approached to investigate the use of drone technology to inspect a high-rise tower block from a local authority housing association. the structure in question was built during the 1970s and retro fitted with external cladding in 2014. On routine inspections, it was noticed that cracking had appeared in the cladding and large portions of cladding were coming away from the structure, this in turn had caused a health and safety issue for tenants entering and exiting the block for the general public using walkways past the structure.

Traditional methods

The cost of traditional methods had been investigated and for inspection, purposes were expensive and required time to get to the site. Scaffolding was more than £250.000, rope access was also expensive and time-consuming on-site with the need to manually take mages and formulate reports and log each image to enable navigation around the structure.

Technology-led methods

But there is another way, a way that is led by, facilitated, and completed by drone technology. Drone high-rise tower block inspections, a method that could reduce the cost of inspection by a factor of 100. Sound too good to be true? It’s not, it’s reality and we are helping clients across the country bring those theoretical savings to life.

The solution

Iprosurv listened to the clients requirements and advised on the best course of action to take to enable drone technology to be used and to get the best output for the client.

From there Iprosurv started to plan the operation keeping the client informed at all stages of the planning and subsequent operation, the client was kept informed at every stage of the flight planning, Iprosurv facilitated all of the necessary flight applications, local authority applications, and police notifications.

The client had decided that they would require a 3D interactive model that would enable them to quickly identify issues and annotate measurements, and annotations on the model with the ability to share with other stakeholders.

Results

Once the inspection had been completed the media was uploaded to the Iprosurv’s proprietary system where the data was processed through advanced analytics to the client’s requirements in this case the 3d interactive model.

The client can inspect the 3d model and individual images that were produced to make up the model, the client also has the facility to make linear and volumetric measurements as well as apply risk ratings and annotations.

The data can be instantly shared through the Iprosurv portal with unique user access.

Savings

The savings on access alone were in the region of £250.000 and the production of the 3d model data set allowed multiple stakeholders to view at the same time including surveyors, structural engineers, contractors, facilities management, health and safety, resulted in better and faster decision making.

Benefits

Quicker to deploy than traditional methods (Usually 24hrs)
Advanced data collection (3D modelling)
Cost saving (normally 75% cheaper than traditional methods)
Reduction in health and safety issues
One data set multiple uses
One data set shared with multiple stakeholders
Simple and repeatable
Reduced business carbon footprint
Enhanced decision making

Drones in your business

Introducing drone technology into your workflow can have many benefits, whether you want a complete outsourced solution and letting Iprosurv manage the operation from our own drone pilot network.

Or if you prefer to train your existing workforce to use drones in their everyday operations and take some or all of the work in-house, Iprosurv are here to help you identify use cases, quick gains, cost cutting, business gaps that drones can fill immediately, training, compliance and continued support.

We have helped over 100 businesses introduce drones into their workflow.