Drones have moved from a novelty to business as usual in the lower 48, particularly in the construction industry--and they have even more to offer in the last frontier.

If you're in the construction industry in Juneau, Anchorage, Fairbanks, or the more rural areas, you know that in Alaska, construction projects have their own special hazards. Rain, snow, earthquakes, and just sheer distance from one job to another are part of the deal. Many of those can be alleviated or monitored through the use of drones.

Drones (small, unmanned, aircraft systems or vehicles) are paving the way for videography of construction sites without putting you or your team at risk on slick, iced-over or rain-wet surfaces, and at angles that would be impossible otherwise.

Here are just a few ways to use drones in a construction environment:

• Drone Surveys: Surveying a new job site, or surveying an addition to a current one is quick and accurate with an experienced drone pilot on the controls.


• Drone Construction Updates: Showing your client the job progress is easy with a birds-eye video showing exactly how far your team has gotten.


• Drone Construction Monitoring: Monitoring the job site when you can't be everywhere at once is key, including whether safety procedures are actually being followed.


• Drone Construction Inspections: Inspecting structures to make sure the work's been done to your satisfaction means passing the local inspector's walk-through will be a snap later. You can zoom in on welds and check for snow/rain damage when buildings that haven't been dried in yet are subject to the inevitable storms. Checking for quake damage that just isn't visible from the ground becomes business as usual with drone inspections.