Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones
Photo Credit To DJI

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

HS2 is the largest infrastructure project in Europe. The £106Bn development will create high-speed rail links between London, The Midlands and the North of England.

Joint venture Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) is designing and building the largest section of HS2’s first phase – covering about 90km.

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

The Challenge

  • Conducting regular and efficient surveys for progress updates and monitoring earthworks
  • Staying on-budget and on-schedule, with Phase 1 due for completion between 2029 and 2033
  • Keeping on-site personnel safe
  • Traditional survey methods are potentially dangerous

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

The Approach

BBV has digitised the project – using drones to conduct faster, safer and more cost-effective surveys.

BBV has upgraded to the new Mavic 3 Enterprise – replacing the Phantom 4 RTK.

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

The Mavic 3E has cut drone surveying times by 50% thanks to its longer battery life, larger sensor, and more rapid interval shooting rate. heliguy™ has supported BBV’s adoption of the Mavic 3E, including survey-specific training.

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

The Results

He continues: “Drones allow us to cover large areas very efficiently and we can survey far more safely from a remote position, removing people from potentially dangerous areas. By deploying drones on the HS2 development, the cost-savings will be substantial.”

  • Estimated £5million cost-savings over five years by deploying drones.
  • 10-20 minutes to measure a stockpile with a drone, compared to at least half-a-day using traditional methods.
  • DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise halves drone surveying time compared to Phantom 4 RTK: Mapping 9.3km in a single 12-minute flight, compared to 29 minutes, over two flights, with the P4 RTK.
  • Mavic 3 Enterprise’s improved camera creates detailed, high-resolution digital assets.
  • 20-25mm survey-grade accuracy with Mavic 3 Enterprise, without GCPs.
  • 800 ‘working at risk days’ removed by deploying drones.
  • Number of site visits reduced, cutting carbon emissions.
  • Centralised data for remote monitoring, and improved collaboration/decision-making.

 

Balfour Beatty VINCI saves £5 million on HS2 development using DJI Drones

Post source : DJI

About The Author

Anthony brings a wealth of global experience to his role as Managing Editor of Highways.Today. With an extensive career spanning several decades in the construction industry, Anthony has worked on diverse projects across continents, gaining valuable insights and expertise in highway construction, infrastructure development, and innovative engineering solutions. His international experience equips him with a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the highways industry.

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