Industrial & Manufacturing Archives - ��ý Construction

Eyes in the Sky: How drones support risk management on construction sites

nisaschmitz — Wed, 20 May 2026 16:58:50 +0000

Publication: , May/June 2026

On most construction sites, risk often hides in blind spots — on rooftops, behind façades, and within small misalignments that lead to costly rework or litigation. Contractors are increasingly turning to drones, not as a marketing tool, but as a component of their risk management strategy to reshape how projects are documented, monitored, and protected. Aside from capturing images, drones can also generate defensible data, reduce exposure, and provide visibility that traditional methods cannot match.

For many firms, the shift is deliberate. ��ý Construction’s drone program sits squarely within its risk management department.

“��ý’s drone program lives in our risk management department because its primary function is to to support our people and construction operations to drive safer and higher quality outcomes,” said Charles Wilson, vice president of risk management at ��ý, a member of multiple AGC chapters. “Given the increased demand for drone flights for safety, quality, and production needs, it made financial sense to invest in our own drone program.”

Data Collection

Drones generate measurable, timestamped, and verifiable data that can stand up in disputes, audits, and claims. Contractors using drones rely on 2D maps, 3D models, and geospatially accurate imagery to create precise project conditions. These datasets allow teams to quantify earthwork, verify installations, and compare progress against design without stepping foot in a hazardous area. Traditional inspections often require ladders, lifts, or scaffolding. Drones offer a safer alternative and allow teams to capture detailed data without putting people in harm’s way. In addition, drones give access to remote stakeholders who are not on-site every day but can sometimes hold up decision-making processes if they cannot see the reality on site.

“The amount of data collected in a short flight surpasses the amount that a person inspecting an installation can provide on their own,” said Wilson. “Anytime we can eliminate the need for a person to work at an elevated position is a win.”

Beyond safety, contractors can also document site conditions daily, creating a record that can resolve disputes before they escalate. Matt Daly, CMO for , an AGC of California and TEXO member, has hundreds of stories from contractors who have saved money because of their drone programs.

“Giving contractors one source of truth for what is happening on site is massively useful,” said Daly. “One contractor avoided a $250,000 delay claim by using drone imagery to prove materials were on site when claimed, invalidating allegations. Another contractor had a $45,000 backcharge withdrawn because aerial overlays proved that a driveway slab matched the plan.”

By providing high-frequency, sitewide visibility, drones enable remote owners, engineers, and inspectors to verify progress, assess conditions, and make faster decisions. This reduces information delays. In addition, consistent aerial data can help teams identify issues before they become costly problems.

FAA Regulations and Airspace

Construction drone operations are governed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and compliance is a critical component of risk management. At a minimum, commercial drone operators must hold a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate by passing an FAA knowledge exam and staying current with ongoing training.

Airspace considerations can also add some complexity. Projects located near airports or in controlled airspace require
advance authorization through systems like LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability). However, many drone platforms include built-in airspace awareness tools that alert operators to restrictions and facilitate authorization requests.

The regulatory landscape continues to evolve, especially with the FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule on beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. The proposed framework, outlined in a 2025 Federal Register notice, aims to normalize routine BVLOS flights by establishing requirements for detect-and-avoid systems, airspace coordination, and operational oversight. For construction, BVLOS restrictions are one of the biggest barriers to drone operations, so easing limitations could allow drones to cover larger sites more efficiently and enable automated, scheduled data capture.

“The FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule is a big deal because it would move drone flights beyond one-off approvals and into a clear, nationwide set of rules that allows companies to fly drones BVLOS on a regular basis,” said Logan Decker, ��ý’s drone operator. “Instead of needing special waivers each time, operators would have a consistent path to run larger, more efficient drone programs that can cover much bigger geographic areas per flight. This shift would reduce time and labor costs and unlock high-value use cases.”

Insurance: Coverage, Requirements, and Opportunities

While drone insurance is not mandated by the FAA, it is not optional in practice. Many project owners require contractors to carry specific liability coverage for drone operations, often through preauthorization requirements. Coverage structures can vary with some policies tied to individual operators and others that cover broader organizational use.

On the upside, drones can offer a path to reduced insurance costs over time. By improving documentation, reducing accidents, and enabling early issue detection, drones can lower the frequency and severity of claims.

Data Ownership and Security

As drones generate more sophisticated data, questions around ownership and control are becoming more prominent. In most cases, data ownership is defined by contract. Owners may require access to all documentation, while contractors may retain rights to use the data for internal purposes. Third-party providers may use anonymous data to improve their services, but they typically do not claim ownership or share project data externally without permission.

Security is equally critical. With sensitive project information at stake, providers are investing in certifications, access controls, and data governance protocols to ensure that only authorized users can access information.

Policy, Procurement, and Geopolitical Risk

Beyond project-level considerations, broader policy shifts also shape the drone landscape. Federal scrutiny of foreign-made drones, for example, has introduced new considerations around procurement and cybersecurity. In December, President Trump banned the sale of new foreign-manufactured drones amid growing concerns surrounding data security and supply chain integrity. However, the FCC recently exempted some of those models. For contractors, it is important to stay up to date with changing policies to ensure they maintain compliance since these policies can influence equipment selection and vendor relationships.

Less Adoption Challenges

Some contractors remain hesitant to adopt drone technology because of perceived complexity, regulatory hurdles, and safety risks. However, many of these barriers are diminishing. Contractors can choose to build in-house drone programs or use third-party providers who handle compliance, data capture, and processing. Training resources are widely available, and the technology itself has become more reliable and user-friendly.

“The biggest challenge with launching a drone program is getting employees to adjust to conducting safety inspections and other protocols in a new way,” said Decker. “Forming new habits takes time. Once our team experienced the advantages of the drone program, flight requests dramatically increased.”

Automation and AI

Looking ahead, the next phase of drone-enabled risk management is already taking shape.

Automated “drone-in-a-box” systems can capture data on a schedule without human intervention, ensuring consistent documentation throughout the project. At the same time, artificial intelligence is transforming how that data is analyzed. AI-powered tools can now identify safety hazards, track progress, and compare conditions against schedules and design models in real time.

“We’ve only just begun integrating drones’ asset capture with AI’s safety monitoring,” said Wilson. “It is possible someday AI will use drone imagery to predict and prevent accidents from occurring.”

A New Standard of Care

As regulatory frameworks evolve, technologies mature, and usage expands, drones are becoming more than a competitive advantage — they are becoming a standard of care.

Having eyes in the sky may be one of the most effective ways to keep risk under control.

“Construction firms that haven’t adopted drones should explore the technology. The potential is significant: safer jobsites, stronger quality control, more accurate estimating, and smoother operations that can drive savings and set them apart competitively,” said Wilson.

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��ý Construction Wins SLC3’s Outstanding Project of the Year

nisaschmitz — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:47:28 +0000

��ý Construction won the Outstanding Project of the Year in the Under $20 million category for its construction of SUL4R-PLUS. This project sets a new benchmark for industrial construction by pairing a bold vertical manufacturing design with advanced digital tools, strong safety leadership, creative problem-solving, and sustainable solutions.

��ý Construction partnered with SUL4R-PLUS as General Contractor to bring a full-service fertilizer manufacturing facility to Marissa, Illinois, helping the company meet growing sales demand. This project represents only the second facility of its kind, constructed around a patented manufacturing process yet to be implemented at this scale or configuration.

“��ý Construction was an outstanding partner throughout the development of our Marissa facility, and their professionalism was evident at every stage of the project,” said Charles W. Price, Executive Vice President of SUL4R-PLUS. “From early planning through execution, their team demonstrated exceptional communication, coordination, and attention to detail, ensuring the project stayed on track while meeting our high standards. ��ý approached this complex, large-scale facility with a collaborative mindset and a clear commitment to safety, quality, and schedule. Their ability to align seamlessly with our internal teams and engineering partners made them a trusted extension of our organization. We are proud of what we accomplished together and would strongly recommend ��ý Construction to anyone seeking a reliable and capable construction partner.”

Innovation

��ý used cutting-edge digital tools to solve complex, real-time challenges. To manage evolving equipment requirements, ��ý leveraged advanced 3D scanning and modeling technology to digitally capture existing conditions and collaborate with its mechanical partner to fabricate complex systems, including more than 20 custom chutes with varying geometries and angles, achieving millimeter-level accuracy, thus eliminating costly field modifications and keeping the project on schedule.

Safety

��ý combined site-specific planning, technology-enabled hazard discovery, and stakeholder alignment to produce measurable risk management gains. From day one, the team recognized that working within an existing structure introduced dynamic variables, including access routes and designated storm shelter locations. ��ý instituted a living planning process: As conditions changed, so did the plan. These updates were communicated in real time through weekly safety meetings that included both ��ý personnel and SUL4R-PLUS employees, ensuring the owner’s team received the same information and expectations as the construction workforce.

Equally important, ��ý’s safety culture extended beyond the jobsite. The SUL4R-PLUS management team has since adopted ��ý’s safety program, with ��ý delivering site-specific onboarding and safety orientation for SUL4R-PLUS employees beyond the contractual scope.

Sustainability

The project integrated an existing on-site solar field installed by the previous owner just a few years prior, allowing the team to avoid the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing, transporting, and installing new solar panels. The project team worked with utility providers and electrical engineers to bring the array back into service and integrate it into the client’s new electrical infrastructure. The solar array generates approximately 62–75 kW of renewable energy, thereby requiring less than 3 months to recuperate the investment of reactivating the system.

Through innovation, collaboration, and adaptability, ��ý Construction delivered a high-performance facility that creates lasting value for the client, community, and environment.

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��ý Completes 3 Riverport Trade Center Buildings in Maryland Heights

daniellebergmann — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:58:11 +0000

St. Louis CNR Magazine | Jan-Feb 2023

NorthPoint Development is making a $66 million warehouse distribution investment in Maryland Heights known as Riverport Trade Center.

With Breese, IL-based ��ý Construction as the general contractor, the three-warehouse, nearly 725,000-square-foot project is located on 50 acres at 13955 Riverport Place Drive, four minutes south of Interstate 70 in the heart of St. Louis’ industrial submarket.

Construction on the project began in October 2021. Northport Regional Vice President of the Midwest Region Mark Militzer says buildings one and two are finished. Building three is wrapping up in early 2023.

“This Class A, three-building warehouse distribution project was a first for us in this market,” Militzer said. “We built two buildings simultaneously in Hazelwood TradePort, but never three at the same time in the same industrial park. Riverport Trade Center is evidence of the record industrial warehouse and distribution space demand that was occurring post-pandemic. This project is in response to the record leasing activity in the St. Louis metro area. It definitely influenced our decision to construct all three facilities at once.”

Light industrial and distribution users are signing on as Riverport Trade Center tenants, according to Militzer. So far, the list of tenants includes a low-voltage electrical materials distributor, a countertop distributor, a tenant with conveyor belts, a casket manufacturer, a HEPA filter manufacturer and one food-grade tenant.

Large storefronts, wall bump-outs and a plethora of windows to welcome natural daylighting are stand-out features of the warehouse development’s design, Militzer says. Each of the three buildings feature 36-foot clear heights. In total, the buildings offer 79 dock positions and seven drive-in docks. Riverport Trade Center’s parking lot includes more than 640 car stalls and 160 trailer stalls.

��ý Construction Vice President of Project Management Walker Gusewelle and Project Manager Lucas Hemann have been leading the project team. Hemann says each of the three warehouse buildings varies in size: building one spans 249,500 square feet, build two totals 160,070 square feet and building three encompasses 312,000 square feet.

One of the site challenges was connected with the industrial park’s location just east of the Missouri River and the levee.

“There were specialty conditions,” said Hemann. “Soils were a concern. They were very silty, with a mix of sand, fines and thick, fatty clays. Due to those conditions, we installed aggregate piers – compacted stone columns – beneath all of our building foundations to help with the bearing pressure of the soil.”

Also due to these specialty conditions, ��ý utilized 24 inches of rock beneath building slabs and eight to 10 inches of rock beneath the concrete and asphalt paving– two to three times what would normally be required, Hemann said – to support the loads.

Riverport Trade Center’s location just 1.5 miles north of Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre necessitated construction of an emergency access road to carry concert goers to and from the entertainment venue throughout the project’s construction schedule, especially during the spring and summer of 2022. The road wound through the project site.

Sequencing proved to be another project-related challenge, as all three warehouse buildings were coming to fruition at the same time.

“We’d be working on the foundation for building three while pouring the slab on building two and performing tilt-up concrete panel work on building one,” Gusewelle said. “Concrete availability was also somewhat of a challenge.”

The mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection trades functioned in design-build mode on the Riverport Trade Center project, according to Hemann, as the building systems were specific to each building and tenant finish. MEP project members performed work in all three buildings simultaneously as well, providing the appropriate systems per each tenant’s requirements. “Modifying the building systems that were initially set up for the entire building into electrical, water, fire protection and security systems that meet specific needs of individual tenants adds to a project’s complexity,” he said.

Although this is ��ý Construction’s first project with NorthPoint Development in the St. Louis region, ��ý completed two warehouses projects and is constructing a third logistics complex for NorthPoint in Gastonia, North Carolina.

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��ý Breaks Ground on 946,348 SF Distribution Center

daniellebergmann — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 20:13:13 +0000

��ý Construction, an award-winning family-owned construction company, recently broke ground on Buildings 4 and 7 for the Gateway 85 development initiative in Gastonia, NC. selected ��ý Construction as the general contractor for Phase II of the project, which includes the construction of two distribution center and warehouse buildings totaling over 945,000 square feet.

Phase II of the campus includes Building 4, a 241,114 SF single rear load warehouse, and Building 7, a 705,234 square foot cross dock warehouse. Building 4, located on 15 acres at 3145 Aberdeen Blvd, will consist of 22 dock doors that can be expanded to 45. Building 7, located on 40 acres at 3301 Lineberger Rd, will feature 70 dock doors that can be expanded to 140. Both projects will be constructed with tilt-up panels and include ADA accessible parking.

“��ý is continuously expanding in the Southeast market and the Gateway Building 4 and 7 projects is a testament to our growth and expertise in the distribution and warehouse sectors,” said Keith ��ý, CEO of ��ý Construction Company. “We are excited to continue our partnership with NorthPoint Development and have the opportunity to support the region by delivering high-quality distribution and warehouse space to the Charlotte area.”

Preparation of the 55-acre development will entail the relocation of an existing road that goes through the site and reworking the intersection, as well as site clearing and grubbing, and hauling away excess dirt.

��ý is nearing the completion of a similar project for NorthPoint Development in Salisbury, NC. The 676,730 square foot concrete tilt-up I-85 Commerce Center Building 1 project includes a capacity for 150 dock doors.

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��ý Breaks Ground on 725,000 SF Riverport Trade Center

daniellebergmann — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:30:13 +0000

��ý Construction, an award-winning family-owned construction company, recently broke ground on Riverport Trade Center in Maryland Heights, Mo. contracted ��ý Construction for the project, which includes three distribution warehouse buildings totaling over 725,000 square-feet.

The Class A warehouse complex will consist of three rear-loaded buildings that are 249,500 square-feet, 160,000 square-feet and 312,000 square-feet. All three facilities will feature 40-foot-tall concrete tilt-up walls with a capacity of nearly 100 loading docks and will be tailored to fit the needs of today’s industrial users.

“Our distribution warehouse team is thrilled to collaborate with NorthPoint Development to deliver this new campus to the city of Maryland Heights,” said Ryan ��ý, President of ��ý Construction Company. “The partnerships we have with local trade contractors will ensure the project is built with the highest quality industrial standards.”

Preparation of the nearly 50-acre development will entail demolition, site clearing, stabilization and drying of existing soil, construction of special foundations on aggregate piers, sanitary lift stations and bio-retention systems.

Tilt-up concrete and steel will make up the frame for all three warehouses. The complex will consist of over 300 tilt-up panels.

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Construction Update: Continental Tire Plant Expansion, Mount Vernon

daniellebergmann — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 20:21:11 +0000

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Continental Tire Plant in Mount Vernon is investing more than $20 million in a new expansion project that is scheduled for completion in July. Construction began in November 2016.

The expansion is part of the company’s goal to increase its production capacity.

��ý Construction in Breese is the general contractor for the project and PCI Skanska in Evansville, Ind., is the design firm.

The 180,000-square-foot expansion at the plant’s production facility will help the company meet increased production demand for its passenger and light truck tires. Once construction is complete, Continental Tire can begin installing production equipment.

Project manager Walker Gusewelle said the site and utility work has been completed, in addition to the concrete foundations and structural steel building erection. Remaining work includes insulated metal wall panel installation, roofing and interior finishes.

In addition to managing the overall construction, ��ý Construction is self-performing the concrete footing and foundation work along with installation of the insulated metal wall panels, selective demolition and rough carpentry.

��ý Construction has partnered with Continental Tire on more than 26 projects since 2007. “We have a good working relationship with them,” said Gusewelle.

Founded in 1980, ��ý Construction is a second-generation family-owned and veteran-owned business that specializes in construction management, design/build and general contracting services with an emphasis to exceed the client’s expectations.

The company said it prides itself on building long-lasting relationships with clients, business partners and the communities in which it works.

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Industrial & Manufacturing Archives - ������ý Construction