DRONE TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL FOR EFFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION MONITORING FOR STANDARDS COMPLIANCE IN NIGERIA

Abstract Constructions all over the world are capital intensive and contribute about $8.5 trillion dollars yearly to the world economy. However, the ineffectiveness in monitoring the material procurement process and production management causes delay and double the overall construction budget amount and subsequent abandonment of several construction projects in Nigeria. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibilities and benefits of using drone as a digital technology in the monitoring of building construction process instead of the present norms of site residency and periodic visitation by professional’s and control officials. Primary data were gathered for the traditional approach from different building construction site visitation in Ikole-Ekiti, Port-Harcourt, Lokoja Kogi State, and Abuja to check for compliance with building permit approval standards for foundation depth, foundation footing, block quality, thickness of over-site concrete, floor heights, ceiling level, headroom, setbacks, minimum door/lintel height, sizes of reinforcement, professional engagement in design and construction and the secondary data were gathered through literatures and other archival sources to draw conclusions on drone monitoring approach from developing countries. Using permit compliance standard value table against a site measured value for analysis. It was observed that the drone technology have possess higher benefits and opportunities than the present norms of site visitation to monitor construction compliance and the technology can enable better construction site monitoring, give accurate volume and material types inventory as required, provide both the length, width and elevation for building construction, roads and other infrastructures on site, provide annotating images and maps for easier communication to both client and professionals. From this finding this study urge the development control officials and policy makers to give the drone technology the necessary attention and chances to take an essential place in the monitoring of building construction process in Nigeria.