Panoramic and oblique imagery are useful for more thorough visual inspection. Oblique files also provide accurate height measurements.
elevates overlays and design layers to clearly communicate project details to clients. For example, consider engineers who are tasked with designing a new bridge. A team from each discipline, such as structural, civil, and environmental engineering, creates a model of the bridge with up-to- date, aerial captures of the project site overlaid on other GIS layers. All of the bridge models are combined into one composite master model for the next step — BIM modeling clash detection. High-resolution imagery in conjunction with BIM software can detect where elements of separate models clash. Using aerial imagery, interferences are identified and corrected before construction — all from the comfort of the office. By fixing the model before the project begins, firms avoid delays, change orders, and extra costs. Aerial imagery is also transforming the public transit sector. Local transportation agencies such asOrangeCountyTransportationAuthority and the District Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., are using high-definition aerial base maps for project management oversight, planning, and site analysis and validating ongoing construction, including lane, roadway, and sidewalk updates. Access to imagery In the past, aerial imagery required time and resources to host and manage large amounts of data. Today, technologies such as Nearmap remove those obstacles by offering instant cloud-based access to imagery collections. For example, Nearmap’s MapBrowser is a web- based portal designed to help users quickly navigate its current and historic high-resolution aerial imagery. MapBrowser includes tools for measuring, analyzing, and annotating locations. More importantly, it has a simple, intuitive interface, enabling teams to make virtual site visits, compare changes over time, and identify important project details.
The right tool can elevate AEC
Aerial imagery is optimizing workflow, improving collaboration, and informing smart engineering. By Erin Jepperson
Engineers face several daunting, external obstacles in planning for the future. Issues range from designing communities that can accommodate growing population, addressing climate change, promoting green and sustainable practices, and combating the “D+” grade that the U.S. received on the American Society of Civil Engineers’ most recent Infrastructure Report Card. With external challenges come internal challenges — like producing deliverables more quickly and cost effectively and collaborating with partners. These challenges require informed decisionmaking and a close working relationship with all project team members. They also require the use and mastery of integrated technologies. Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms are utilizing high-resolution aerial imagery integrated with various design software to improve workflows and prioritize clear communication and smart design. Aerial imagery as a service AEC professionals can visualize, navigate, and measure sites using aerial imagery in both ortho and multi-perspective formats. High- resolution aerial maps integrated with GIS software save time, produce better estimates, mitigate risk, reduce site visits, lower costs, and improve initial planning. When accurately geolocated, the imagery
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