Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa Real Estate Investor Magazine - November 2017 | Page 36

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Take To
The Sky
Piloting drones into the FM industry
BY NIRVANI SINGH
T
he use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones
has burst onto consumer and business platforms,
bringing this sci-fi type technology to reality. Several
industries have started using drones for a variety of essential
purposes, from crop inventory and monitoring in agriculture
to eye-in-the-sky coverage in the media industry.
The profound effect of watching the drone video footage of
the devastation caused by the recent wildfires in Knysna and
the Garden Route can only be described as ground-breaking.
The European construction industry in Europe is already us-
ing drones for aerial surveying on large projects and this is
becoming an essential tool in the industry.
The commercial application of drones is also increasing in
South Africa and the Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Asso-
ciation of Southern Africa (CUAASA) predicts a turnover of
R6.5 billion in 2017.
What it means for FM
As new commercial drone applications increase daily, thus
revolutionising other industries, should facilities managers be
looking at incorporating ‘drone pilot’ into their ever-increasing
skillsets? Would drones do a better job of inspecting larger roof
square areas, or searching for exterior leaks and deterioration,
or monitoring that widening crack on the inaccessible ring
beam? Most facilities managers have experienced these types
of issues, especially in areas where the building infrastructure
shows signs of major maintenance problems in hard to access
areas or where no proper inspections have been done due to
the enormous building size and labour intensity of the task.
Get that license
Just as thermal imaging technology changed the way facili-
ties managers monitor and diagnose the condition of electrical
and mechanical installations, so will drones empower facilities
managers with endless FM-related applications, especially
since the benefits of using a drone include easy cost-effective
access and recording capability.
A drone can, for example, be used to inspect a building fa-
cade – it is quicker and easier to fly a drone with a good quality
camera around the facade than it is to build scaffolding around
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NOVEMBER 2017 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
the facade and then hire an appropriate team (with the accom-
panying health and safety requirements) to do a physical in-
spection. And the use of drones is not restricted to exterior ap-
plications, as they can also be used inside for applications such
as lift shaft inspections. Those in the know believe that the use
of drones will enable facilities managers to do a full analysis
of a problem without having to physically see it themselves.
Back to the future
Drones will, eventually, transform the way facilities manag-
ers operate as this technology will ease inspections of areas,
especially where access is difficult and risky, saving time and
removing the risk of injury to staff. At present, the inspection
of rooftops, building facades and other hard-to-reach areas re-
quire access equipment, such as scaffolding or lifts, which is
expensive and time consuming to assemble and then remove
after the inspection. Indirect cost savings can also be realised
through the speed of data collection, man-hour and time sav-
ing in getting faulty hard-to-reach equipment diagnosed and
back online faster. Another benefit is the capability of record-
ing and storing the drone video. FM managers who are dealing
with disaster situations can rely on drones to provide real-time
critical information: from locating survivors, to identifying
high risk areas. Security management is also a key deliverable
in facilities management.
An extensive range of security systems such as CCTV cam-
eras, motion sensors, biometric accesses and so on have evolved
to support security staff in protecting the facilities. Unfortu-
nately, many of these systems are static, can be easily spotted,
and do not cover the entire facility. Drones can play a cru-
cial role in security surveillance, especially where facilities are
situated in remote areas or cover vast expanses. Furthermore,
drones enable infrared scans.
The drone is likely to become the facilities manager’s in-
dispensable sidekick, so even if you aren’t already studying for
that pilot’s license, we’d suggest at least doing your homework
on available models and FM-related applications, asap!
Nirvani Singh is a member of The South African Facili-
ties Management Association (SAFMA)