Volumetric intelligence
Stockpile Volume Measurement & Inventory Intelligence
Pay for the right number once.
Project-specific stockpile measurement and recurring inventory intelligence for operations that need more than a rough estimate.
Elev8 combines precision RPAS acquisition, controlled reality capture, rigorous QA and clear reporting to produce repeatable volumetric data your team can actually use.
One site. Multiple sites. One-time capture. Monthly, quarterly or custom programs.
Stockpile measurement output
Independent discrepancy review
Volumes don’t add up? Request independent validation.
Compare the measurements, methods and inventory assumptions before deciding what needs to change.
A drone flight is easy.
Trusting the number is harder.
Volumetric measurement involves far more than taking aerial photographs. A drone can collect the pictures. The workflow determines whether you can trust the number.
Basic capture
- 01Fly site
- 02Process imagery
- 03Draw around piles
- 04Export a number
Elev8 volumetric workflow
- 01Mission planning
- 02Precision positioning
- 03Appropriate ground sampling distance
- 04Site control where required
- 05Complete surface coverage
- 06Quality assurance
- 07Surface reconstruction
- 08Pile delineation
- 09Base / toe interpretation
- 10Material classification
- 11Volume calculation
- 12Reporting
- 13Historical comparison
- 14Repeatable methodology
The difference rarely matters when everything goes perfectly. It matters when someone questions the number.
The expensive part isn’t the scan.
It’s making a business decision from the wrong number.
Inventory reconciliation
Physical inventory doesn’t match the books.
Material purchasing
Teams order material they already have — or discover too late that they’re short.
Contractor disputes
Different parties are working from different quantities.
Month-end reporting
Operations and finance spend hours explaining discrepancies.
Production planning
Decisions are based on estimates rather than current conditions.
Rework
The site ultimately needs to be measured again.
Measure twice. Pay twice.
Or build the right measurement system from the beginning.
Scenario model
Scenario only · not a loss forecast
Inventory value at different assumed discrepancy rates
Formula: inventory value (CAD) × assumed discrepancy rate ÷ 100
A geometric volume difference, an inventory variance and a financial loss are different things. This only shows how much inventory value a given percentage represents.
- 1% assumed discrepancy$20,000
- 3% assumed discrepancy$60,000
- 5% assumed discrepancy$100,000
Scenario only. Not a guarantee, a loss forecast, a savings estimate or a claim about the error of any particular method or provider.
Build my measurement plan →Numbers you can do something with.
Pile-by-pile volumes
Clear identification and measurement of individual material stockpiles.
Site-wide inventory
Understand material quantities across an entire operation.
Visual documentation
High-resolution aerial records of site conditions at the time of measurement.
3D site models
Interactive or exportable models that make site conditions easier to understand.
Change tracking
Compare recurring captures to understand material movement over time.
Management reporting
Clean, understandable reporting designed for operational decision-making.
Digital data
Project-specific geospatial deliverables where required.
Need something different?
Elev8 can structure the acquisition, processing and outputs around the information your team actually needs.
“How accurate is it?”
As accurate as the decision requires.
Not every site needs the same acquisition methodology. Accuracy can be influenced by many project variables:
- Flight altitude
- Image resolution
- RTK / PPK positioning
- Ground control
- Site geometry
- Material texture
- Vegetation
- Pile accessibility
- Base-surface definition
- Capture methodology
- Processing and QA procedures
Elev8 designs the workflow around the actual project requirements instead of blindly applying the same specification to every site. Where project conditions, methodology and control support it, Elev8 can deliver high-accuracy geospatial datasets against acceptance requirements agreed before capture: horizontal CRS, orthometric height datum and geoid model, GCP/RTK/PPK control provenance, independent check points, the base surface, stockpile boundaries and — if tonnes are needed — a supplied density. Geometric volume differences, inventory variance and financial loss are separate questions; no workflow guarantees a zero-difference result.
High-accuracy reality capture and measurement is not the same thing as cadastral or legal land surveying. Elev8 is not an Ontario Land Surveyor and does not provide legal boundary determination or regulated survey products. Where a licensed surveyor is legally required, that professional remains responsible.
More accuracy isn’t always better.
The right accuracy is.
One scan gives you a number.
A program gives you control.
With repeated captures, your team can build a consistent record of inventory, material movement, production, consumption, site changes, seasonal fluctuation and historical conditions.
Recurring capture · illustrative
Same method · different date
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
Illustrative diagram of stockpile change across recurring captures. Not project data.
Same methodology. Same reference framework. Same reporting structure. Different date.
Instead of asking “How much do we think we have?”, your team starts asking “What changed since the last capture?”
When periodic capture isn't enough
Need quantities more than twice a week?
At some point, sending a crew every time stops making sense.
For occasional inventory counts, a scheduled Elev8 field capture may be the most efficient solution.
But when a site needs measurements multiple times per week — or when the location is remote, difficult to access, or expensive to mobilize to — the economics can change quickly. That is where Elev8's autonomous RPAS solutions can become significantly more valuable.
Periodic capture
Best suited for
- Monthly inventory
- Quarterly inventory
- Seasonal measurements
- Occasional project verification
- Sites with easy access
- One-time measurements
Autonomous site intelligence
Consider when
- Measurements required more than twice per week
- Remote sites
- Significant mobilization costs
- Rapidly changing conditions
- Valuable frequent progress documentation
- Multiple teams need current site information
- Manual site visits are difficult or disruptive
The more often you need the data, the less sense it makes to keep sending people to collect it.
Traditional drone programs typically involve travel, mobilization, site access, setup, capture and demobilization — and then doing it all again the next time quantities are required.
For high-frequency sites, Elev8 can evaluate whether a permanently deployed or autonomous RPAS system could reduce repeated mobilization while increasing the frequency of site intelligence.
From “Let's schedule another inventory flight” to “Let's check the latest site data.”
What autonomous capture can enable
Higher-frequency volumetrics
Capture site conditions on a schedule that would be impractical with repeated manual mobilizations.
Remote site visibility
Reduce the need to repeatedly send personnel to distant or difficult-to-access sites solely for data acquisition.
Consistent capture
Repeat missions using standardized acquisition parameters to improve comparability between datasets.
Change detection
Build a much clearer picture of how material quantities and site conditions evolve.
Progress documentation
Create a recurring visual and geospatial record of operations.
Event-driven intelligence
Where technically and operationally appropriate, capture can potentially be aligned with specific operational requirements rather than relying solely on periodic site visits.
Capture frequency · operating model
Annual
Managed capture program
Quarterly
Managed capture program
Monthly
Managed capture program
Weekly
Evaluate either model
Multiple times/week
Evaluate autonomous deployment
High-frequency
Evaluate autonomous deployment
There is a point where autonomy becomes cheaper than mobilization.
That point depends on:
- Required capture frequency
- Travel distance
- Site accessibility
- Operating environment
- Airspace
- Communications infrastructure
- Desired outputs
- Regulatory requirements
- Level of automation
Elev8 can evaluate both approaches and recommend the operating model that makes the most sense.
From site to answer.
- STEP 1
Define
What are you measuring? What decision will the number support? What accuracy is actually required?
- STEP 2
Capture
Elev8 acquires the site using a mission designed around the required output.
- STEP 3
Verify
Positioning, imagery, geometry and project data are reviewed for quality.
- STEP 4
Measure
Surfaces and stockpiles are reconstructed, classified and measured.
- STEP 5
Deliver
Your team receives clear results and supporting site intelligence.
- STEP 6
Repeat
For recurring programs: capture again using a consistent methodology and track change.
Volume or tonnage?
Elev8 directly measures volume. Where clients provide an appropriate material density, volume can also be used to calculate an estimated tonnage.
Density varies by material, moisture, compaction and other site conditions. Aerial measurement determines volume — it does not directly determine density or actual mass unless supporting field data is available.
Before you request a measurement
What to send.
- Site location and area of interest (address, coordinates or a KML/KMZ boundary).
- Approximate number of piles and material types.
- Any existing base surface, survey control or earlier reference you want matched.
- One-time measurement or a recurring schedule (and how often).
- Units and report format needed (m³, estimated tonnes, per-pile table, change summary).
- Site access: hours, escorts, safety orientation and any airspace or aerodrome nearby.
Partial answers are fine — missing items are clarified before any capture is planned.
Method boundaries
What the numbers can and can’t tell you.
- Aerial capture measures volume in m³. Estimated tonnes require a material density supplied by the client or established for the project.
- A surface model shows the top of the pile — it cannot reveal the original ground beneath it.
- How the base surface is defined changes the total. The base strategy is agreed before capture and kept consistent for repeat measurements.
- Achievable accuracy depends on the site, control and surface conditions; it is set per project, not promised in advance.
Already measured before? Request a repeat measurement and tell us which earlier reference or base surface should be matched.
Questions worth asking.
- Can someone do this cheaper?
- Probably. If the only purchasing criterion is flight price, Elev8 may not always be the lowest quote. Our focus is producing a measurement your team can confidently use. We can also adjust capture frequency, scope, accuracy requirements and bundling to build a program around your budget.
- How accurate are the volumes?
- Accuracy depends on the site, acquisition methodology, control, imagery, surface conditions and how pile bases are defined. Elev8 establishes the required accuracy before designing the capture.
- Can you measure multiple sites?
- Yes. Multi-site programs can often create significant operational efficiencies and provide consistent reporting across an organization.
- Can this be done recurringly?
- Yes. Monthly, quarterly, seasonal, annual and custom capture schedules can be developed.
- Can you provide tonnage?
- Elev8 measures volume. Estimated tonnage can be calculated when an appropriate material density is supplied or established for the project.
- What if we only need a few piles?
- That’s fine. The acquisition can be scoped around the information you actually need.
- Do we need ground control?
- Not necessarily. Control requirements depend on the required accuracy, site conditions and intended use of the dataset. Elev8 will recommend an appropriate methodology.
You can always buy the cheaper scan first.
Or make the first choice the right choice.
Tell us what you’re measuring, how often you need it and what decisions the data needs to support. We’ll recommend an acquisition plan designed around your accuracy, operational requirements and budget.
Related services
Other ways Elev8 is engaged
Evidence & briefings