Skyports Drone Services (Skyports), the global leader in drone delivery and inspection services, has partnered with HOCHTIEF to provide automated BVLOS “drone-in-a-box” aerial surveying of the Rheinbrücke Leverkusen bridge construction site, on the River Rhein, north of Cologne, Germany.

In an innovative addition to the deployment, Skyports is overseeing its drone missions from its Remote Operation Centre (ROC) in Madrid, Spain, negating the need for on-site pilots, providing significant flexibility and efficiencies.

For the deployment Skyports has installed a fixed “drone-in-a-box” system at the construction site. Conducting weekly automated BVLOS drone surveys, the survey data collected helps HOCHTIEF to build a layered picture of how the build is progressing week on week. The bridge is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by 2028, requiring extensive earthworks, the removal of the old bridge, and new construction on both the east and west banks.

Previously, progress monitoring of the construction site was mostly manual and subjective. Some drone surveys had been conducted, but these were limited, infrequent, and required on-site personnel. With advancements in drone technology and Skyports’ expertise, this process has now been fully automated – eliminating the need for on-site pilots or access.

To provide detailed next-level data, the data collected by the drone is being processed by DroneDeploy, providing both 2D and 3D survey outputs for progress monitoring reports. Providing a detailed 3D model of the bridge each week, it allows HOCHTIEF to track construction progress and monitor any occurrences, helping to identify any issues early and reduce the chance of overruns or delays to the project.

Alex Brown, CEO, Skyports Drone Services, said: “Large infrastructure projects are incredibly intricate and complex, with construction companies under pressure to deliver on time and on budget. With automated “drone-in-a-box” surveys like this we’re providing alternate perspectives and deep level data insights that can improve resource planning and catch any potential issues early, helping keep projects on track. Piloting the drone remotely also means we are creating operational efficiencies, improving cost and data outputs for our customers.”

Klaus Grüttner, Executive Vice President Europe, HOCHTIEF Infrastructure, said: “By partnering with Skyports, we have a leading innovator in drone technology at our side to drive our complex construction projects. This cooperation enables us to monitor the construction progress seamlessly and cost-efficiently and to provide targeted support in billing, especially in earthworks. In addition, we benefit from precise surveying data that supports a continuous target/actual comparison and the optimization of our construction processes.”