{"id":16625,"date":"2026-10-14T12:41:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T12:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/?post_type=ips_case_studies&p=16625"},"modified":"2026-10-20T19:48:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T19:48:45","slug":"stockpile-calculations","status":"publish","type":"ips_case_studies","link":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/ips_case_studies\/stockpile-calculations\/","title":{"rendered":"Stockpile Calculations"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n Accuracy Within 1% of Test Piles<\/strong>
\n Reported on independently validated test stockpiles<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 3 sites surveyed, 9 datasets processed within 24hrs<\/strong>
\n Each site surveyed three times<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n DJI Matrice 4E + gNext Labs processing<\/strong>
\n Survey capture and stockpile processing<\/span>\n <\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n

The challenge<\/p>\n

The audit needed reliable figures without adding to the risk on site<\/h2>\n

The recycling centre\u2019s existing stockpile audits relied on staff taking manual measurements and estimating material density. This took time and brought people close to stockpiles and moving heavy plant machinery.<\/p>\n

The company wanted to assess whether drone surveys could measure loose and baled metal more accurately. The proof of concept needed to compare drone-derived figures with independently checked quantities, including test material with known volumes and densities.<\/p>\n

\n The question was whether drone data could provide a repeatable volume assessment that stood up to independent validation.
\n The proof of concept covered three sites and produced nine survey datasets.<\/small>\n <\/div><\/div>\n
\n

Case at a glance<\/p>\n

Testing a new way to audit stockpiles<\/h3>\n

Sector:<\/strong> Recycling<\/p>\n

Material:<\/strong> Loose and baled metal<\/p>\n

Platform:<\/strong> DJI Matrice 4E<\/p>\n

Processing:<\/strong> gNext Labs<\/p>\n

Purpose:<\/strong> Assess volume data against independent measurements<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

The approach<\/p>\n

Assess the site. Capture repeatable data. Check it independently.<\/h2>\n

Iprosurv completed risk assessments and established safe take-off and landing areas before collecting data. The team used a DJI Matrice 4E to survey stockpiles at three sites, then processed the data in gNext Labs to calculate volumes and produce stockpile reports.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
01<\/div>\n

Plan for the site<\/h3>\n

Assess site risks and establish suitable take-off and landing areas before surveying.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
02<\/div>\n

Survey each site<\/h3>\n

Capture three surveys at each of the three sites, creating nine datasets for comparison.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
03<\/div>\n

Process and validate<\/h3>\n

Calculate stockpile volumes in gNext Labs, then compare the results with independent measurements and weighing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n

The result<\/p>\n

A clearer way to assess stockpile volumes<\/h2>\n

The proof of concept produced nine datasets from three sites. After the surveys, stockpiles and bales were independently measured and weighed to check the drone-derived data.<\/p>\n

For the test stockpiles and bales with known volumes and densities, the reported drone-derived figures were within 1% of the independent validation. The case study compared this with previous accuracy margins of 15\u201320% using the earlier audit method.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

What the data supported<\/p>\n

More useful information for the people assessing stock and value<\/h3>\n
\n \u2713<\/span>
\n Repeat surveys across three sites<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n \u2713<\/span>
\n Volume calculations for loose and baled material<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n \u2713<\/span>
\n Independent checks against known test quantities<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n \u2713<\/span>
\n Evidence to assess the feasibility of future stockpile audits<\/span>\n <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

Stockpile decisions need figures that can be checked<\/h2>\n

When volume estimates inform processing and valuation, teams need a clear method for collecting and checking the data. A drone survey can help build a consistent record of stockpiles while reducing reliance on manual measurements around moving plant.<\/p>\n

The consultation also considered drone docks and remote operations. Those ideas remained separate from this proof of concept, which used staff-deployed surveys to test the data and workflow.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Start with the operation<\/p>\n

Need clearer stockpile volume data?<\/h2>\n

Tell us about your site, materials and current audit process. We\u2019ll help you assess whether drone surveying could support your operation.<\/p>\n

Talk to Iprosurv<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":16626,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","industries":[404,407,410,427],"case_study_categories":[],"class_list":["post-16625","ips_case_studies","type-ips_case_studies","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","industries-construction-and-built-environment","industries-infrastructure-and-utilities","industries-mining-quarrying-and-confined-space","industries-surveying-and-geospatial"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ips_case_studies\/16625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ips_case_studies"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ips_case_studies"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"industries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industries?post=16625"},{"taxonomy":"case_study_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isites-dev.co.uk\/iprosurv-refresh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case_study_categories?post=16625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}