13 January 2016
“Drones will definitely not replace specialists and experts in the future”, Norman Hallermann says, “but they can significantly facilitate their work.” The civil engineer and scientist from the Bauhaus University in Weimar has been dealing with flying mini robots and their possible applications for some years now. Together with a manufacturer and developer of professional unmanned aircrafts he has developed a drone especially for the inspection of building, roofs and facades in a research project. It is not about replacing present work processes or saving labour but about integrating new high-tech-solutions in daily workflows, he stresses. “Nothing entirely replaces the human eye and the experience of roofers and carpenters.” The goal is to show new technical possibilities and practical solutions for the industry.
Special exhibition in Hall 1
At the DACH+HOLZ International at the Stuttgart Exhibition Center, trade visitors can experience what the use of drones means from 2 to 5 February. The Weimar scientist will present many of these possibilities in a special exhibition at the gallery in Hall 1. After all, the advantages of working with drones are supposed to be manifold according to Hallermann who tested the use of the flying helpers at the Halberstadt Cathedral amongst others places. “The architects of the cathedral regularly checked the roofs and facades with binoculars and were convinced that everything was in good condition”, he says. However, the drone showed a very different picture, displaying images of numerous damages. At the end, it turned out that both towers needed new roofs.
Detailed images of roofs and facades
“Many buildings are hard to access. Drones facilitate inspections and considerably reduce costs”, the scientist reports. Scaffolding and barriers which can easily cost tens of thousands of Euros before there is any reconstruction work no longer have to be used. Instead, first inspections can be made with the help of drones since they offer detailed images of roofs and facades with high-resolution photos, videos or infrared cameras. “The building is recorded from all sides and the images are geo-referenced and therefore there are real measurement data”, Hallermann explains. “That way, damages can be precisely located without someone having to climb up onto the roof”. Even the smallest damages, such as cracks or spalling, or thermal bridges can be detected and documented. With the help of the drone technology, it is supposedly also possible to not only detect the current state but also the long-term changes through regularly recurring images.
More security and flexibility
“Digitalisation does not stop at the roofers: They are increasingly looking into the use of drones. When judging a roof, for creating an offer or within the scope of a maintenance contract, it is necessary to receive current data on the state of the roof”, says Karl-Heinz Schneider, President of the Zentralverband des Deutschen Dachdeckerhandwerks (Central Association of German Roofing). For a roofer, the technology means more about security, flexibility, a current data situation as well as saving time and costs. “The drone takes care of what used to easily take two to three days in two to three hours”, Schneider adds. Furthermore, the drone has long advanced from the “game platform”. “They are still able to rise in wind force 7 and can measure entire buildings.”
Besides the special exhibition, Norman Hallermann is also a guest at the DACH+HOLZ FORUM. During various talks, he will tell us about his research with drones and their applications in practice. By the way, these will also be to be seen at the exhibition, because several flight demonstrations of unmanned aircrafts are planned.
Flying helpers at the DACH+HOLZ 2016
Inspect roofs and facades with the help of highly efficient images, even when there is strong wind and no framework: If it would be up to Norman Hallermann, civil engineer and scientist from the Bauhaus University in Weimar, carpenters and roofers would use the support of unmanned aircrafts, such as drones, more frequently in the future. DACH+HOLZ International will present the possible applications of the flying helpers and the associated simplifications for building roofs and facades in their own special exhibition from 2 to 5 February 2016 in Stuttgart.
 Photo: Norman HallermannDACH+HOLZ International will present the possible applications of drones and the associated simplifications for building roofs and facades in their own special exhibition from 2 to 5 February 2016 in Stuttgart. |
Special exhibition in Hall 1
At the DACH+HOLZ International at the Stuttgart Exhibition Center, trade visitors can experience what the use of drones means from 2 to 5 February. The Weimar scientist will present many of these possibilities in a special exhibition at the gallery in Hall 1. After all, the advantages of working with drones are supposed to be manifold according to Hallermann who tested the use of the flying helpers at the Halberstadt Cathedral amongst others places. “The architects of the cathedral regularly checked the roofs and facades with binoculars and were convinced that everything was in good condition”, he says. However, the drone showed a very different picture, displaying images of numerous damages. At the end, it turned out that both towers needed new roofs.
Detailed images of roofs and facades
“Many buildings are hard to access. Drones facilitate inspections and considerably reduce costs”, the scientist reports. Scaffolding and barriers which can easily cost tens of thousands of Euros before there is any reconstruction work no longer have to be used. Instead, first inspections can be made with the help of drones since they offer detailed images of roofs and facades with high-resolution photos, videos or infrared cameras. “The building is recorded from all sides and the images are geo-referenced and therefore there are real measurement data”, Hallermann explains. “That way, damages can be precisely located without someone having to climb up onto the roof”. Even the smallest damages, such as cracks or spalling, or thermal bridges can be detected and documented. With the help of the drone technology, it is supposedly also possible to not only detect the current state but also the long-term changes through regularly recurring images.
More security and flexibility
“Digitalisation does not stop at the roofers: They are increasingly looking into the use of drones. When judging a roof, for creating an offer or within the scope of a maintenance contract, it is necessary to receive current data on the state of the roof”, says Karl-Heinz Schneider, President of the Zentralverband des Deutschen Dachdeckerhandwerks (Central Association of German Roofing). For a roofer, the technology means more about security, flexibility, a current data situation as well as saving time and costs. “The drone takes care of what used to easily take two to three days in two to three hours”, Schneider adds. Furthermore, the drone has long advanced from the “game platform”. “They are still able to rise in wind force 7 and can measure entire buildings.”
Besides the special exhibition, Norman Hallermann is also a guest at the DACH+HOLZ FORUM. During various talks, he will tell us about his research with drones and their applications in practice. By the way, these will also be to be seen at the exhibition, because several flight demonstrations of unmanned aircrafts are planned.
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