Bridge inspection: human performance, unmanned aerial systems and automation (original) (raw)
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Eyes in the Sky: Bridge Inspections with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
2018
Interest in the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in bridge inspection is rapidly growing within State transportation agencies, due to potential cost and time savings, as well as safety benefits. In particular, UAS may provide the capability to reduce use of bucket trucks, climbing, and lane closures in some inspections, by enabling high-resolution video and still imagery of bridge elements to be acquired from multiple viewing angles using onboard cameras. Additionally, imagery acquired with the UAS can be post-processed and further analyzed back in the office, facilitating detailed analysis and a possible shift of some tasks from the field to the office. However, in evaluating the use of UAS in bridge inspection, it is critical to understand both the capabilities and limitations of UAS, the aspects of an inspection that UAS can and cannot be used to satisfy, the regulatory aspects of UAS use, and the recommended operational procedures and workflows. Additionally, to assist ODOT and other transportation agencies in deciding whether to implement UAS-based inspection programs and procedures, costbenefit information is needed. This research project focused on addressing these needs. Because required inspections of communication towers pose similar safety and logistical concerns, this project also investigated the potential use of UAS in ODOT's tower inspection program. Following a literature review and a detailed analysis of UAS components and advantageous characteristic for structural inspections, six bridge inspections and three tower inspections were conducted. The results were used to compile recommended safety and operational procedures and to assess, item-by-item, the required reporting elements of an FHWA inspection report that can or cannot be aided by use of UAS. Finally, the project findings were used in conjunction with data provided by ODOT to perform a cost-benefit analysis for use of UAS in bridge inspection. The analysis yielded an estimated average cost savings of approximately $10,000 per bridge inspection and showed a benefit-cost ratio of 9 if a UAS bridge inspection program is implemented. 17.
Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Bridge Inspections
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2017
The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Collins Engineers have been researching the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) as a tool for bridge inspections. Phase 1 of an implementation study has been completed, and a Phase 2 study is nearing completion. Phase 3 of the research effort will start early in 2017. These research studies are looking at current FAA regulations and evaluating the advantages and challenges of using UASs for bridge inspections; the results are promising. The research has tested different types of UASs on eight bridges of varying configuration, size, location, and condition to determine the effectiveness of UASs as a tool to supplement bridge inspections.
A Practitioner’s Guide to Small Unmanned Aerial Systems for Bridge Inspection
Infrastructures
Small unmanned aerial system(s) (sUAS) are rapidly emerging as a practical means of performing bridge inspections. Under the right condition, sUAS assisted inspections can be safer, faster, and less costly than manned inspections. Many Departments of Transportation in the United States are in the early stages of adopting this emerging technology. However, definitive guidelines for the selection of equipment for various types of bridge inspections or for the possible challenges during sUAS assisted inspections are absent. Given the large investments of time and capital associated with deploying a sUAS assisted bridge inspection program, a synthesis of authors experiences will be useful for technology transfer between academics and practitioners. In this paper, the authors list the challenges associated with sUAS assisted bridge inspection, discuss equipment and technology options suitable for mitigating these challenges, and present case studies for the application of sUAS to several...
Streamlined bridge inspection system utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and machine learning
Measurement, 2020
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MATEC Web of Conferences
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), especially those allowing programmed flight paths, with stops and hovering, e.g. the quad and hex rotor drones, have gathered attention in recently for as their potential use in certain envisioned applications that may be difficult, expensive, or dangerous to do manually. One poignant use case important to the State of Louisiana is that of bridge inspection. In the Lafayette District of LADOTD alone, more than 1600 bridges require annual inspection. In this paper, considerations and criteria important UAV-based bridge inspection in Louisiana are researched and analyzed; experiments with actual UAVs are conducted, and findings provide insight into the problem and potential solutions. The conclusion recommends further research items.
Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Bridge Inspection: A Review
Dyna, 2021
This review describes the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for bridge inspection, with an emphasis on Multi-rotor UAS. It depicts the different levels of automation and autonomy during UAS operation and what levels are achieved during inspections. A description of the payload of UAS consisting of the equipment required to acquire data and images is included. It also contains a compendium of the techniques used to create models from images in order to detect failures and perform Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) through techniques, such as: 3D reconstruction, infrared thermography, Structure From Motion (SFM), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and others. The software required to apply the mentioned techniques is also mentioned. It subsequently explains the generation of mathematical models to characterize the multirotor and generate efficient trajectories. Finally, the review concludes by describing the operational limitations of UAS and future challenges.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Augmented Bridge Inspection Feasibility Study
2017
The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the information presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the University Transportation Centers (UTC) program, Rutgers, or any other entity. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program, in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof.
Bridge inspections using unmanned aerial vehicles–A case study in Sweden
Luleå University of Technology, 2021
The aim of the current project is to digitalize inspections and monitoring of structures’ health using drones in order to identify and allow for easier inspection of damages in transport infrastructure. The objectives set are to perform aerial photogrammetry to recreate the as-is condition to enable off-site inspection of difficult to reach areas in structures and identify damages–eg cracks, spalling, corrosion. The drone is controlled either autonomously or with the use of a remote control by a pilot from the ground. The drone can carry a wide range of imaging technologies including still, video and infrared sensors. The high flexibility and accessibility of drones in hard-to-reach or risk exposed areas makes the airborne photogrammetry a better alternative to the ground-based method. Given the potential of UAVs to help bridge inspectors performing inspections off-site, the Swedish Transport Administration developed a demonstration project to evaluate the effectiveness and future opportunities within inspection field. Five bridges of varying sizes and types were selected as demonstrators. Data collection including the 3D model creation has been performed by three different contractors while the model-based inspection for all bridges was performed by the same team. It has been shown that the 3D models could serve as a tool for bridge inspectors from which measurements could be extracted and certain damages identified. A full off-site inspection is currently not feasible as some areas of the bridges were difficult to capture. The models are only providing near-surface information, and therefore, in-depth inspection should not be overlooked. The difficulty of capturing local defects such as delaminations and narrow cracks also reduces versatility. The main conclusion from the study is that drones cannot be used independently to conduct inspections. Currently, they can only be used as a complement to traditional inspections. The added value of a 3D model derives from the possibility of using it as a tool to better plan large inspections in the field and/or future maintenance work.