Construction Progress Monitoring Using Unmanned Aerial System and 4D BIM

Construction progress monitoring may help for an efficient management process as planned. Studies have proposed the use of visual data technologies; however, little has yet been done for the development and implementation of methods for integrating such technologies into construction management routine. This study aims to implement and evaluate the proposed method for systematic visual progress monitoring integrating into the production planning and control process, supported by 4D BIM, photogrammetric 3D mapping using Unmanned Arial System imagery, and performance indicators. The proposed method was implemented for 20 weeks in a case study on a construction project. The data collection included construction site 3D mapping generation, visual comparison of 4D BIM and 3D mapping status, measurement of performance indicators, and structured interviews. The evaluation focused on the following research constructs: compliance with the planned goals, impact on the construction progress deviations, transparency, and collaboration. The main findings indicate an improved integration of progress analysis and decision-making, improvement of progress deviations’ identification, and allowed for better compliance with planned goals and increased transparency and collaboration. The main contribution of this work is a better understanding of the impact and added value of the new information flow provided by using the proposed method.