Land reclamation is a high-profile endeavour that seeks to improve land development and usage. Little wonder the bureau of land reclamation has integrated it as a must-do practice for companies, especially the energy, oil, and gas industry.
Land reclamation entails complex and sophisticated operations to restore the land to a much-improved state that includes planning, decommissioning, remediation, reclamation, and inspection or audit.
For decades, even centuries, land reclamation has been performed in a number of ways by a number of industries, nations and generations. Most recently, we’ve seen a trend towards RPAAS drones as a means of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of land reclamation efforts.
How it Is Done- Traditional Method Vs. Drone Technology
For better clarity, we will break the land reclamation process down into pre-reclamation, reclamation, and post reclamation. Each section has its unique processes, and we will feature the positive and negative influence of traditional methods and drone technology for each.
Pre-Reclamation
Pre-reclamation processes help determine the appropriate reclamation measure that will take place on the land. It includes:
- Survey and mapping for subsurface analysis
- Environmental impact assessment
- Gathering of relevant GIS information
How Traditional Methods Handle Pre-reclamation
Using the traditional method, survey, mapping, and other data gathering exercises were carried out by on-field specialists. They had to manually draw and map out survey stations and locations. For each marked point, coordinates and necessary data are taken with appropriate equipment until the entire field is covered.
The acquired data are interpreted to create the reclamation plan or design.
How Drones Handle Pre-reclamation
For each of the operations, drones substitute for the on-field specialists. Drones are well sophisticated with sensors, cameras, and LiDAR to pick coordinates and subsurface data faster and better. The drones are controlled from a remote station; acquiring and analyzing the field's data simultaneously, often in real-time . This data is processed digitally and interpreted to develop the reclamation plan.
During Reclamation
The actions here are determined in the planning stage. Reclamation could be any of the following or could entail all the following.
- Landscape re-contouring
- Revegetation
- Soil/land refilling
- Soil/water quality test
- Drainage
How Traditional Methods Handle Reclamation
- Revegetation- human labor is employed in this case. They will use required equipment to manually replant the lost vegetation. The plants are planted till the prepared spots are exhausted
- Landfilling- this is putting back soil that’s been excavated. Heavy duty trucks are driven by human drivers .The driver picks the soil with the truck and then fills it at the determined position.
- Soil/water quality test- Specialists go on-field and take soil samples or water source samples. This is then taken (driven) to the laboratory for quality testing.
How Drones Handle Reclamation
Drones effectively replace human activity on the site. Drones will plant the seeds in the case of revegetation, drones will also refill the land with soil, and drones will take soil and water samples quickly for quality tests.
Post-reclamation
Inspection and audit of the reclamation work involves checking if the reclamation design has been duly followed and the land has been improved without negative side effects to the environment and its inhabitants.
How Traditional Methods Handle Post- reclamation
The regulatory bodies and their delegates walk and drive though the expanse of the site to check and audit the work.
How Drones Handle Post-reclamation
The inspectors need not walk through the entire expanse of the site since drones will take aerial photographs and relevant data. Regulatory bodies can even take a real-time video recording of the site to examine the work quality.
Conclusion:
Aerial drone solution makes land reclamation services more efficient. Drone technology provides more compared to the traditional method. Drones provide
- Improve efficiency
- Safer environment and human safety
- Accessibility
- Speed
- Cost-effectiveness
Interested in what drones can do for your land reclamation needs? Schedule a meeting with us and you’ll see why we are the most reliable and successful land reclamation company in the industry. Contact us today!