Drone volumetric and stockpile surveys you can reconcile against

For well-defined piles on a clearly known base, drone volumetric surveys are typically within ±1–2% of the true volume. The main uncertainty is usually the base rather than the surface: piles on uneven ground, against walls or on top of older material need an agreed base method. Small piles carry a higher percentage uncertainty, because the same surface error is a larger share of their volume.

We apply bulk density factors to the measured volumes, product by product. Densities are best supplied by you from weighbridge reconciliations or laboratory tests, because they vary with material, grading, moisture and compaction. Every report states the densities used, so tonnages can be traced and adjusted.

Most quarries and bulk-material sites survey monthly or quarterly for management accounts, with an annual survey for the year-end valuation. High-throughput sites, or sites with reconciliation problems, sometimes move to fortnightly surveys. Because we use a permanent control network and repeat flight plans, frequent surveys are quick and directly comparable.

Yes, with proper planning. We complete your site induction, schedule flights around blasting and plant movements, and brief the site team on where the aircraft will be. No one needs to climb or walk a stockpile face, which removes one of the more hazardous routine tasks on a quarry.

Cost depends on the number of piles, the size of the site, the level of reporting detail and how often you survey. A regular programme costs less per survey than a one-off, because the control, flight plans and report templates are already in place. We offer fixed per-survey pricing for scheduled programmes.

Yes. The same method works in reverse: we compare the measured surface with original ground, a previous survey or a design model to calculate volume excavated, fill placed or void remaining. Contractors use it for earthworks valuations and final account quantities, and landfill operators for capacity planning.

If the base method, pile boundaries and control are the same, results should agree closely. Differences between surveyors usually come from those definitions rather than from the measurement itself. When we take over a programme we can run a parallel survey and reconcile our method with the previous one, so your stock history remains continuous.

Dark, wet or very uniform materials such as coal fines or fresh sand are harder for photogrammetry to match, and deep winter shadow in a pit has the same effect. We deal with this through flight timing, exposure settings and extra overlap, or switch to LiDAR where conditions call for it. Any area of reduced confidence is marked in the report.

Each report records the date and time of capture, the control used, base methods, densities, volumes and accuracy checks, and the underlying surfaces are archived so volumes can be recalculated. Finance teams and external auditors look for that audit trail when stock values are material to the accounts.