Drones have proven to be an excellent tool for collecting mass data. Despite the obvious upfront cost for purchasing the drone, it is an inexpensive way to collect the data compared to conventional means. This method has many advantages, including speed, reliability, accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and more.

Without a thorough takeoff (cut and fill) process to accurately quantify the materials needed for your project, your estimates can be way off. Whether you're using a manual process or a digital process, errors in takeoffs result in inaccurate bids and additional expenses.

Are you having trouble deciding when to use spot elevations versus contour lines to determine your breaklines? Well, don't worry because you're not alone. We are often confronted with that question and are here to help you figure it out.

Drones can survey a site very quickly, efficiently, and safely. The drone is taking aerial photos through photogrammetry to stitch together the images on the ground while also using GPS and ground control to tie those images down. After the flight, the data is processed through a software program (i.e.: Propeller or Pix4D) which renders everything in 3D.

We are often asked how we can provide value to a road, utility, or site contractor who already has an in-house GPS model builder. The answer is simple, we work collaboratively with them to add the modeling expertise of our VCEs, we take up the slack to get large projects ready for construction, and we bring more modeling tools to the table.

By bringing together virtual models, data analytics, systems, people, and improved workflows through CIM you will gain efficiencies in every phase. Stakeholders will be able to easily access and rely on accurate and timely information which will enable them to do their jobs better. Your projects will not run behind schedule as often and your overall costs will decrease.

So, you’ve invested in some GPS machine control technology. You’ve weighed the option of training or hiring an in-house person versus hiring an external service provider to handle the data prep. Based on your research, you’ve decided to partner with an external company that specializes in data prep and want to know what the next steps are.

A question we are frequently asked by our clients and prospective clients is “What is the turnaround time for this project?”. Generally speaking, we typically run on average with a two-week turnaround time but situations sometimes impact that timeline which means it could take longer. Let’s go over some problems that impact the speed of model building.

The increased use of GPS systems for construction projects has led to contractors often asking themselves or service providers like us, “What does a 3d road model cost?”. Typically, you’ll hear the standard reply of “it depends” which it does. However, we’re going to explain why it depends and what each type might generally cost.

Continuing our support for Careers in Construction month by giving you information about two exciting professions: civil engineering, and landscape architecture. Some might think they’re very similar, however, they differ quite a bit.

In tribute to October’s Careers in Construction month, we’re sharing what it’s like to pursue a career as a Virtual Construction Engineer (VCE). It’s not necessarily a widely known term, so we’re glad to share our knowledge as well as some insights from our very own VCEs.

When was the last time you were on a job site where you didn't see large rolls of fabric lying around somewhere? You'd probably have to go way back in your memory bank to find one. These penetrable fabrics, called geotextiles, are an essential part of most construction projects today. When used in construction projects, they have numerous advantages.

Dozers are arguably the coolest piece of heavy equipment out there; however, we can make a strong case for the road grader. Long gone are the days of graders being pulled by horses and tractors! The power and versatility of a modern-day road grader are two of the top reasons we consider it to compete with the dozer for being badass.

Breaklines are essential for creating a precise 3D surface model. Breaklines connect data representing specific features on a surface, such as the centerline of a road, a ridgeline, or a ditch's flowline. Whether to use spot elevations or contour lines to determine your breaklines is not always clear. Here, we help shed some light on the differences between contour lines and spot elevations and provide guidance on when to use which one.

For GPS to work successfully and efficiently in earthwork, there must be accurate 3D models loaded into the dozer or other heavy machinery. GPS has become more of the industry standard, and we expect there will not be many site contractors running projects without GPS on their equipment. The benefits are far too great not to make the switch.

We genuinely value our client partnerships and want to share some of our experiences with you whenever possible through a Client Spotlight. In particular, we are working with a contractor out of Western Virginia, S&K Contracting Inc., that approached us recently about a subdivision project. Their enthusiasm for their work is contagious, and for that reason, we have decided to shine a light on them.