Optimising construction sector performance: A study of the rapidly growing global drone industry using smart PLS approach

The construction sector is dealing with a multitude of obstacles that may impede the accomplishment of a project, such as issues related to quality assurance, public health and safety, sustainability and the economy, environmental conservation, privacy, and legal limitations. Drones powered by artificial intelligence (AI) have a lot of promise to improve construction projects' overall performance, safety, sustainability, and operational efficiency. Still, there are many barriers preventing this powerful technology from being widely adopted. This research employed a mixed methodology that included surveys, expert interviews, literature reviews, and modelling to identify main challenges that construction professionals experience while using automated drones. The findings indicated that the biggest obstacles are a lack of finance, manpower, and privacy-related laws. It will cost money to train employees, negotiate regulatory restrictions, and weigh the advantages of automated drones in terms of both cost and environmental impact. However, to fully understand the potential enormous effects automated drones may have on construction projects, the construction industry must give top priority to resolving the important problems outlined here. Construction organisations can achieve significant improvements in accountability, operational effectiveness, and overall performance by focusing on growing human resources, achieving profitability, and addressing legal and privacy problems.