The Tivoli project was completed in 2023 on the site of the former Tivoli Church in Eindhoven. This site has made way for 17 apartments and 36 ground-level homes. The architect of the construction project has done his best to seamlessly connect the design to the architecture of the old buildings on the site. The decision was made to shape the design in such a way that a lot of greenery appears.
Just before delivery, we were asked to create a delivery file using a drone. We then went to the construction site to make this recording.
How did we carry out the drone roof inspection?
Before we carry out the drone operation, we will first create a safety plan. Because Eindhoven has an airport, this entire city (and surroundings) is designated as a no-fly zone. It is therefore necessary to write a plan that explains how safety is handled and how we proceed during the operation. This is an important item. This item will always be of paramount importance to Droneprops & Media. This safety plan together with the flight plan is shared with Eindhoven air traffic control. After approval, we may submit a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). Once this is also approved, we are ready to continue the operation.
Just before the flight we contact air traffic control again. They can have the last word; it's a go or a no-go. If we get the green light, we will check off the last items in the checklist and then we can fly!
“Air traffic control always has the last word”
We had two use cases for this operation, namely drone inspection of the roof with solar panels and inspecting the gutter. Below we explain further how we went about it.
Use case 1: drone roof inspection with solar panels
The VVE has asked to provide a photo report before the delivery moment. Normally photos would be taken by reaching the roof via the roof hatch. One problem, there is no roof hatch! There is also no longer any scaffolding or telehandlers at the construction site. The choice to make recordings using the drone became obvious.
After reaching a height of 35 meters, we started flying a straight pattern over the building. We turned the camera downwards at 90 degrees and started taking pictures. We were able to take approximately 100 high-quality photos for this assignment. These photos are of such quality that one can even see a nail or even a stain from a distance.
Only when we have recorded everything can we land and inform air traffic control. We are now done with the operation.
We can get a lot of information from the photos that we could not have seen beforehand. In large and complex construction projects, it is sometimes not convenient to view and inspect hundreds of photos one by one. That is why we also have the option to convert this to a 3D model. This was also the case for the Tivoli project. We were able to create a beautiful 3D model from the 100 photos. Conclusion? It turned out that there was a sealant gun in the gutter. Furthermore, the solar panels looked good! Great performance by the contractor!
Use case 2: leaves in the gutter
A few weeks after the first operation, we were called to quickly inspect the roof of the ground-level homes. The problem was that rainwater dripped from the roof onto the facade. This was not the intention. The contractor suspected that the gutter was clogged. Culprit? Probably the (autumn) leaves. To be sure what the cause was, we started investigating. After following the flight procedures, we took to the air. And what did we see? Leaves between the two sloping roofs! And a lot too! It appears once again that it is important to take this into account during the design phase. A learning point for the architect.
Want to know more?
We would like to appeal to all companies, homeowners' associations and authorities; Do you also have a case where the roof needs to be inspected? Then don't wait any longer and contact us! We can look at the possibilities together.