Drone surveying for earthworks sites
Get survey data in time for key earthworks decisions
Wingtra is a drone-based survey solution that helps teams survey earthworks sites in way less field time than ground-based methods or other drones.
(RMS x, y, z) 1
Get frequent survey data to support every bid, progress check and payment review
Plan and price
Capture existing ground before every bid
Use Wingtra drones to capture current sites more cost-effectively than traditional workflows, so you cut the risk of pricing or planning from old or unverified topo data.
Capture repeat surfaces so discrepancies are easier to spot earlier
Wingtra reduces field time for each capture, making frequent surveys practical on fast-moving sites. So you can catch gaps against design while there is still time to adjust.
Support volume checks before invoices are paid
Frequent, validated survey data helps you check quantities before billing cycles close, so you can resolve disputes with current data and avoid paying for unverified work.
“This drone has been a game-changer for our daily operations. The speed and accuracy of tracking the movement of earth and inspecting the installation of infrastructure improvements is unmatched.”
Senior Vice President of Community Development, Rancho Mission Viejo
See how to track daily earthworks quantities with WingtraHow Wingtra makes frequent earthworks surveys practical
Less field time per survey
Cover up to 100 ha (250 ac) in 10 minutes, and collect dense aerial data without days of walking points, repeated scanner setups or many small drone captures.
Fewer ground points to set
SURVEY61 and post-processed kinematic (PPK) create clean, accurately-positioned image data from the start, so you can set fewer ground control points (GCPs) when conditions allow. 2
Same workflow every time
Use the guided Wingtra workflow to plan, capture and process data, so surveys can be repeated weekly or even daily across crews, sites, dates and project stages.
“To get a complete data set of a typical gravel pit using terrestrial scanning, it would take a full day. With Wingtra it took about an hour with field setup included.”
Engineering and Geomatics Lead, Lerche Weber AG
See technical comparison with a terrestrial scannerValidate earthworks survey data to 3 cm (0.1 ft) accuracy
Backed by repeat accuracy testing
Verify the result with checkpoints
Keep volume comparisons consistent
Repeat the same flight and accuracy workflow each time, so changes in cut/fill or stockpile volumes are less likely to come from inconsistent data capture.
Certified Drone Operator, Brent Scarbrough and Co
Surveying three sites in a dayA guided workflow that helps teams repeat surveys across sites and crews
- Set up the site, coordinate system and flight area before crews go to the field
- Share the plan for review, reduce setup mistakes and keep survey standards consistent
Capture
- Fly WingtraRAY to collect dense aerial data across the site
- Capture checkpoints with WingtraGROUND or your team’s existing GNSS workflow to support validation
Process
- Correct image geotags with PPK to support 3 cm (0.1 ft) accuracy 1
- Process in Wingtra software or export geotagged images into your team’s existing tools
Use the data
- Use the results for topo, progress checks, cut and fill analysis, stockpile measurement, volume verification or payment review in your downstream workflow
One drone platform, flexible setups for different earthworks needs
Base setup
Add based on your workflow
For exposed ground, stockpiles, cut and fill, grading and frequent progress surveys, with reduced GCP workflow.
Go deeper on earthworks drone surveying with Wingtra
Data sets
Webinar
Watch how HDR pressure-tested WingtraRAY and SURVEY61 before bringing them onto active infrastructure work
Carlos Femmer, Director of geomatics and remote sensing at HDR shares how his team tested WingtraRAY and the new SURVEY61 payload in the lab and on a earthworks project updating I-26/I-95 in North Carolina.
Learn how he evaluated accuracy, repeatability, field efficiency, and operations over people compliance and what gave him confidence in a GCP-free workflow.
Accuracy and Ground Control Points (GCPs)
1 Achievable with WingtraRAY and built-in GNSS antenna (PPK enabled), the SURVEY61 sensor, WingtraGROUND or a survey-grade base station within 10 km (6 mi), and Wingtra processing software with PPK corrections. Validate final accuracy with at least 3 independent checkpoints that are not used as ground control points (GCPs) in processing.
2 Ground control points are traditionally used during processing to constrain the photogrammetric solution and correct for errors in image georeferencing, camera geometry and lens distortion. With SURVEY61, several of these dominant error sources are reduced directly at capture. As a result, many survey workflows can replace dense ground control with precise positioning and independent checkpoint verification while maintaining survey-grade accuracy. Read the white paper to see which workflows allow you to reduce GCPs and which still require them.