Pomerleau Uses Drones to Build Safer and Smarter Construction Sites
© Pomerleau.ca
Pomerleau, founded in 1964 by Raymond Pomerleau and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, is one of Canada’s leading construction firms. With over 4,000 employees, the company provides a comprehensive range of services, encompassing civil, commercial, institutional, and industrial construction projects across Canada. Pomerleau averages about 150 active work sites a year and has completed more than 2,000 projects. One of the keys to Pomerleau’s success over its six decades in the industry is its ability to embrace emerging technology, enabling the company to maintain a competitive edge while meeting the demands of a highly competitive field.
Around 2021, Pomerleau began integrating drone technology into its operations. It was a humble beginning with only two drones at their disposal. However, Pomerleau quickly learned that the integration of drones would be vital to their continued success. Drones enable the company to enhance safety protocols, lower operating costs, and expedite project timelines. The real-time view of construction progress that drones provide has become invaluable for guiding planning and decision-making.
The company employs 130 people who contribute to innovations such as integrating drones into daily tasks. Pomerleau’s Innovation Team, led by Jeremy Pelletier, has increased the fleet to a dozen drones of various models, supported by a dedicated team of up to 20 trained and licensed drone pilots. “Now, we’re completing around 100 flights a year and we aren’t slowing down,” Jeremy said. “We’re continuing to expand our fleet and remain ahead of demands. We’ll see our drones on a lot of our sites in the coming future.”
Pomerleau uses drones across a wide range of construction projects, including civil infrastructure, commercial developments, and institutional facilities. Their in-house pilots fly drones to capture high-resolution aerial imagery, which is then used to generate orthophotos, 3D models, and detailed progress reports. These visuals are integrated into Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) platforms to improve planning, coordination, and safety. Whether managing a major highway build, a university facility, or a high-rise tower, drones help Pomerleau document site conditions, monitor work in real time, and make more informed decisions at every stage of construction.
Francis Thériault, BIM/VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) Coordinator for Civil and Infrastructure Operations at Pomerleau, emphasized how drones reduce workplace hazards and improve overall efficiency. “Safety is always a top priority at Pomerleau. Drones eliminate the need for workers to climb ladders or scaffolding. Instead, we can capture high-quality images from a safe distance,” he explained. Francis also noted, “Using a drone is much more efficient and cost-effective than using a helicopter or other methods. Plus, the images captured by drones are of higher quality.”
Although the company has not publicly confirmed the exact drone models it uses, Pomerleau likely relies on professional-grade multirotor drones designed for surveying and mapping. As a rapidly growing industry, there are many drone options for construction companies like Pomerleau to choose from. One of the leading Canadian suppliers in this field is Aeryon Labs, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario. Now part of Teledyne FLIR, Aeryon is best known for the Skyranger series of drones, which are used extensively in construction, public safety, and infrastructure inspection.
The Aeryon Skyranger R70 is a common platform in Canadian commercial drone operations. It is a quadcopter with vertical takeoff and landing capability, which makes it ideal for use in dense or complex construction environments. The drone typically offers up to 45 minutes of flight time, can carry a range of imaging payloads including RGB, thermal, and LiDAR sensors, and has a communications range of approximately 2 kilometers. It is capable of flying at altitudes up to 2,500 meters, though construction mapping flights are usually conducted between 50 and 300 meters above ground level.
With this ecosystem of partners and tools, Pomerleau has been able to scale its drone operations while maintaining high levels of accuracy and safety. The benefits are clear. Drone use reduces the need for manual surveys, minimizes disruptions on active job sites, and generates high-quality data that helps project managers make faster and more informed decisions. Without drones, construction companies like Pomerleau risk fading into the past rather than progressing into the future. As Pomerleau proudly states on their website, “At the forefront of innovation, we work in a committed, collaborative and sustainable way to build the living environments of tomorrow.”
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