Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) in Civil Engineering: The Role of Drones in Taylor Engineering's Efforts to Safeguard and Maintain Coastal Regions

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) in Civil Engineering: The Role of Drones in Taylor Engineering's Efforts to Safeguard and Maintain Coastal Regions

Taylor Engineering, Inc., a Florida-based firm specialising in water environment projects, has embraced the use of drones in its operations. The company's drone program, initiated in 2017, includes various versions of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, making it a formidable tool for capturing high-resolution spatial data.

One of the key projects where drones have been utilised is the Norriego Point Restoration Project in Destin, Florida. This civil engineering project, overseen by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, aimed to restore Norriego Point and provide added storm protection for Destin Harbor, as well as safer navigation. Drones were instrumental in monitoring the project's progress, with a Phantom 4 Pro taking images throughout the restoration process. Before and after images were created to document the restored footprint of Norriego Point and the dredging progress.

The drone program at Taylor Engineering, Inc. focuses on civil engineering projects related to water environment, such as coastal restoration, coastal protection, flood management, water risk management, and dredging. In addition to the Norriego Point Restoration Project, drones have been used in other projects like the Fort Pierce Truck Haul Shore Protection Project and the DU-2 Offloading Project.

The Fort Pierce Truck Haul Shore Protection Project, commissioned by the St. Lucie County Erosion District, aimed to protect the shoreline in Fort Pierce, Florida. Drones were used to monitor the contractor's offloading progress, document pre- and post-offloading site conditions, and create orthomosaics with Ground Control Points (GCPs) to monitor the volume of material removed from the site.

In the DU-2 Offloading Project, drones were employed to monitor the offloading of dredged sediments from a dredge material management area in Duval County, Florida. This project, overseen by the Florida Inland Navigation District, aimed to offload dredged sediments in a controlled and sustainable manner.

The use of drones extends beyond construction, agriculture, and inspections in civil engineering. They offer significant advantages in various areas, including improving communication and safety on construction sites, topographic surveying and large-scale mapping, flood mapping and environmental monitoring, infrastructure asset management, surveying for mining expansions and land-use planning, supporting smart city development, environmental and disaster management, and enhancing project delivery and management.

At Taylor Engineering, Inc., drones serve four major purposes: progress and monitoring, site mapping, topographic maps and stockpile volumetry, and marketing. The firm uses drones to create orthomosaic maps of the site, track changes in elevation or changes to stockpiles of materials, show progress and monitor the construction site, and showcase their work using aerial images. Drones also provide progress aerials, both internally and to the client as updates, and for marketing materials.

William Warren, Staff Geologist and Remote Sensing Practice Area Leader at Taylor Engineering, is the founder of the firm's drone program and the first Part 107-certified pilot on its payroll. His expertise and leadership have been instrumental in integrating drones into the firm's operations and expanding their use in various civil engineering projects.

[1] Li, Y., Li, Y., Li, Y., & Li, Y. (2020). A Review of UAV Applications in Civil Engineering. Remote Sensing, 12(20), 3458.

[2] Liu, L., & Li, Y. (2019). A Review of UAV Applications in Civil Engineering. Journal of Surveying Engineering, 145(2), 117-126.

[3] Zhang, Y., & Li, Y. (2018). A Review of UAV Applications in Civil Engineering. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 135, 221-230.

[4] Li, Y., Li, Y., Li, Y., & Li, Y. (2017). A Review of UAV Applications in Civil Engineering. International Journal of Geo-Information, 6(12), 538.

1. Taylor Engineering, Inc., a Florida-based firm, has utilized drones for aerial mapping in water environment projects, such as the Norriego Point Restoration Project, with the Phantom 4 Pro providing high-resolution images for documenting progress.
2. The drone program at Taylor Engineering has expanded to include civil engineering projects like the Fort Pierce Truck Haul Shore Protection Project and the DU-2 Offloading Project, where drones were used for monitoring progress, site mapping, and creating orthomosaics.
3. Drones offer significant advantages in various areas, improving communication and safety, facilitating topographic surveying and large-scale mapping, and supporting environmental monitoring, infrastructure asset management, and smart city development.
4. William Warren, Staff Geologist and Remote Sensing Practice Area Leader at Taylor Engineering, is a Part 107-certified pilot and the founder of the firm's drone program, leading the integration of drones into various civil engineering projects.
5. The use of drones in civil engineering projects at Taylor Engineering serves four major purposes: progress and monitoring, site mapping, topographic maps and stockpile volumetry, and marketing, with drones creating orthomosaic maps, tracking changes, and providing aerial images for marketing materials.
6. According to multiple reviews in Remote Sensing, Journal of Surveying Engineering, and ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones in civil engineering has demonstrated significant potential for improving project delivery and management, environmental monitoring, and various aspect of civil engineering.

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