Drones were the rage at the Aggregates and Asphalt Tradeshow

The Aggregates industry, one not normally associated with rapid change, was a buzz with drones and the capabilities that UAVs are bringing to transform stockpile volumetric measurement and mapping.

On four key axis – (1) safety, (2) accuracy of data, (3) timeliness and (4) cost – aerial collection of image data via drone (UAVs) and subsequent photogrammetric processing yields discernable advantages for computing stockpile volumes and mapping topography when compared to current alternatives.

We just returned from Nashville where DroneView Technologies exhibited at the National Stone, Sane and Gravel Association’s Agg1 Aggregates Academy and Expo and the World of Asphalt tradeshow. While the Music City Convention Center was filled with impressive big iron from industry leaders –Caterpillar, Deere, Komatsu among others, there was much attention and exploration of drones (UAVs) and the benefits that they bring to the aggregates industry.

While the industry’s adoption of drone data collection and photogrammetric processing to compute stockpile volumes is currently relatively small, approximately 3-5%, it is widely anticipated that within three years 60-70% of all of the aggregate industry’s stockpiles on a global basis will be measured with drone data collection and photogrammetry.

Virtually every large aggregates producer – Cemex,Vulcan Materials, Old Castle, Cal Portland, Martin Marietta, Lehigh Hanson, among others - is rapidly evaluating how best to bring drone (UAV) data collection into their operations.

Some will choose to do it themselves with internal resources purchasing equipment from the likes ofDJI, Topcon, Trimble, Kespry, Sensefly and others.

Most we are finding want to partner with a national services provider like DroneView Technologies which provides a fully FAA compliant turnkey solution from data acquisition, processing and volumetric reporting.

Fro more information on how DroneView Technologies can help your business with turnkey solutions for stockpile volumetric measure and reporting, call Lorne Zalesin, VP of Sales and Marketing at 866.235.9400x708 or email sales@DroneViewTech.com.