Flying over ACCIONA

The use of drones in civil engineering is becoming increasingly important and will be more common in the medium term. Drones are forecast to become one of the main support tools for the engineering, development, control and monitoring of works, due to multiple advantages compared to conventional techniques. They are highly flexible in acquiring aerial data, taking high-res photos from afar, reduce costs and contribute to occupational safety in high-risk areas. ACCIONA’s Innovation Department has been exploring the possible applications of drone technology, carrying out initiatives to demonstrate their usefulness and how they can be adapted to perform diverse activities.

Civil engineering

The first experimental flight with fixed-wing drones was made in May 2015 to survey the B-40, the Barcelona Orbital motorway (Olesa de Montserrat-Viladecavalls section), for Spain’s Ministry of Public Works. This is a project consisting of a 6 km, six-lane motorway, 1.3 km of which is in tunnel. The data was recorded in a very short time and the images processed gave a cloud of 3D points from which a metric-precision vector-based GIS map could be reproduced. Once the data are recorded, the processing can be done in just three days and then the work continues using digital cartography.

Using the drones allows 60-70 hectares to be covered within an hour, compared to the 2-3 ha/day possible using traditional methods.

There are two areas of use for drone mapping in civil engineering: 
• Creation of digital models of the ground: thanks to geo-tracking and periodic data gathering, measurements can be taken, modifications recorded and a history compiled of the progress of the works from start to finish.
• Project development carried out at the engineering level by making use of resolution power down to 4 cm.

This technology allows 60-70 hectares to be covered in an hour compared to the 2-3 ha/day possible before.

Plant maintenance

ACCIONA Energy began a pilot project in 2014 on the use of drones with RGB (Red, Green, Blue) and thermal-imaging cameras in the control and maintenance of plants. By employing this technology, ACCIONA reaffirms its belief in innovation to increase the efficiency of inspection and maintenance processes, saving on costs and time compared to traditional plant monitoring and control techniques.

VISUALIZE THIS PROJECT WITH AUGMENTED REALITY

• Download the application ‘Visuartech Augmented Reality’ into your smartphone or tablet through App Store or Google Play.
• Open the application and introduce the username ‘acciona’. Then select the section ‘B-40’ in the lower blue drop-down menu.
• Click on the button ‘Ver RA’ and download the model. Place the tablet or smartphone over this photo and visualize the virtual reproduction of the road.