Drone Technology as a Workforce Multiplier for Building Envelope Inspections

We talk with our guest, Allen Cortez, VP of Safety Administration at Hanover Company, a nationwide developer of high-end apartment projects in major metropolitan areas. We explored the positive impact drones and related technologies are making for conducting commercial building envelope inspections.

Allen’s team manages the safety program for construction sites, the quality control program, operations scheduling and IT initiatives. He shared examples of how drone technology has advanced substantially each year, creating powerful new tools for both quality assurance as well as safety procedures. We also talked about the challenges and opportunities of effectively dealing with the large number of drone deliverables at scale.

In this episode, we covered a range of topics, including AI, cloud-based asset management, facade inspection, the pros and cons of an in-house drone team versus outsourced, and what might be possible with drone technology in the near future.

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Allen Cortez manages the Hanover Company Construction Division safety and quality assurance programs and project control systems. His responsibilities include project management, planning, scheduling, mobile technology solutions, and administrative support staff throughout Hanover Company’s entire portfolio. Allen also manages Hanover’s IT systems including, outsourced IT services, and hardware and software selection and implementation. Before joining Hanover Company, Allen was Vice President of Operations for Tribble & Stephens Co., a private commercial general contractor providing nationwide construction services. Allen graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management.