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A drone’s eye view of North Texas reveals a cornucopia of commercial roofs. A short list would include Built up roofs, Modified Bitumen roofs, Thermoplastic PVC or TPO and more. All will require repair or replacing at some time in their life.

A trend with the US’s largest commercial roofing system manufacturers is to require infrared thermography, a.k.a., non-destructive testing before any warranty claim can move forward. In the North Texas region there is a growing need for specialized drone thermography services.

Three-Legged Crow’s proven system to fill this need for high accuracy qualitative reports starts with a daylight inspection and the creation of the 3D model of the roof’s surface. Then a late night time flight is taken off the roof system. A state-of-the-art radiometric thermographic camera with data in each pixel provides the best product. This data is analyzed using special software and a report is generated in a couple of days showing a completed inspection report of anomalies or moisture penetration.

The long term benefits to having a complete drone thermography inspection from TLC is that the model and infrared images are a historical record of the conditions of a roof system.

Fact: It is only possible to live in the cities and suburbs of North Texas because of farming. Drones are lower operating cost in land and crop management for the agricultural industry and are making a big impact especially with drone thermography.

*Thermal imaging converts the invisible radiation pattern of an object into a visible image. In agriculture, thermal imaging has been successfully adopted for studying plant physiology, irrigation scheduling and yield forecasting. Additionally, it evaluates growth maturity, detects bruises in fruits and vegetables, and spoilage made by microbial activities.

**Using this type of monitoring, capturing the visible and near infrared radiation that plants reflect, capturing the data needed to take action. This data can identify many problems which are caused by extreme climate changes, weeds, pests, diseases, over-planting, improper irrigation, inconsistent application of fertilizer, poor drainage and more.

This is where Three-Legged Crow’s consultation and management of constructing mapping service is most beneficial to our clients. It can be used as part of the initial bidding process, by having survey level accurate measurements cost to generate the bid itself down, as well as aiding in putting together the best possible bid for a potential client.

Identifying problems in real time at a construction site is a constant benefit. Continuously changing job site updates and the ability to spot and stop costly mistakes occurs in a day versus weeks using costly traditional methods. An accurate and up-to-date map of a site can be made in less than 12 hours and overlaid on the construction blueprints. Helping identify potential hazards before they come to fruition.

Using drone mapping also saves time by keeping a project on schedule which is number one in the construction world keeping on schedule is huge. Initial project planning becomes very accurate, and invoicing will be appropriate based on resources used to date. Even adding a single day to a schedule can cost tens of thousands of dollars and avoiding these delays with powerful project management tools. It is all about saving money on the bottom line.

Using drones to map for land development, surveying and cartography is the way the industry has moved. With a drone the generation of high-resolution orthomosaics and detailed 3D models of an area where low-quality, outdated or even no data are available. With drone mapping it is possible to generate high accuracy cadastral maps quickly and easily, even in complex or difficult to access environments. A licensed surveyor can extract features from the images, such as signs, curbs, road markers, fire hydrants etc. Additionally, after post processing the same data can produce elevation models, contour lines and break-lines, as well as 3D reconstructions of land sites or buildings.

Regarding land development and management, aerial images taken by drones greatly accelerate and simplify topographical surveys for land management and planning. Site scouting, allotment planning and design, as well as final construction of roads, buildings and utilities. The generated data can be used for engineering studies using CAD or BIM software that engineers can immediately start working from a 3D model.

There are many businesses that have physical assets, and all those businesses must manage those assets whatever they may be, this is especially true in the construction world. Faster than having to send out a team to manually count, a drone can scan whole areas in minutes that may take days for humans to do. It also removes the need of sending heavy equipment like bucket trucks or building scaffolding to reach hard to get to or hazardous areas. Do not forget liability for any inspectors who would in the past have to manually enter a location to inspect, like a confined space. The use of drone technology is making a process something that saves money on the bottom line for those who use it.

Sometimes flying a drone is more than just hitting a button after you program a mission and watching the drone do its thing go to work. Sometimes it is about capturing compelling content, with an artistic touch to data collection. There are countless ways to imagine using a drone, but TLC has two areas it focuses its creative energy: Real Estate and Events.

Every home is unique and requires consideration of how best to show everything it has, key among those things is location. Drones give compelling visuals expressing both location relative to the area around it, but also the best views of the home itself.

Events can require as much forethought and consideration as a project on a commercial worksite. Timing is everything once a show starts and requires complete focus to get the best possible content generation. Showing off those special events that you want to share with a whole new dramatic perspective, drones fill the need perfectly.