Advanced drone applications for efficiency and sustainability in construction safety

This paper examines advanced applications of drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), technology, in U.S. construction beyond traditional safety roles. The focus was on analyzing project cost optimization, logistics and workflow coordination, environmental monitoring, supply chain tracking, and subcontractor oversight. Drones are shown to enhance surveying, progress tracking, and reduce time and labor costs, improve site logistics and material deliveries, enable real-time inventory and asset tracking, and systematically document environmental compliance. A Technology Acceptance perspective suggests that perceived usefulness drives adoption, while Systems Theory highlights how drones integrate information flows across project subsystems. This paper proposed a simplified cost–benefit model, like labor-cost savings from drones compared to manual surveys, to illustrate quantitative gains. A summary table compares drone-enabled benefits across applications, and example calculations demonstrate potential savings. Findings indicate that drones, treated as strategic resources, significantly compress schedules and costs while supporting sustainability goals. The paper recommends different ways to improve the return on investment beyond five years while saving on costs by increasing drone fleets and using them for high-frequency tasks. This review contributes a comprehensive, theory-informed analysis of non‐safety UAV uses in construction operations.