Challenges of 360° Inspection of Bridge Infrastructure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Publication: International Conference on Transportation and Development 2022
ABSTRACT
Bridge asset management is key as it connects the transportation network spanning across the United States. According to the recent 2021 ASCE Infrastructure Report Card, 42% of 617,000 bridges in the US are over 50 years old and 7.5% of the total bridges are considered structurally deficient. A structurally deficient bridge means that it requires monitoring, inspection, and maintenance rather than it being unsafe to travel. FHWA and the state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have coordinated frequent inspections to keep the number of structurally deficient bridges to a minimum. Traditional inspections are sometimes limited by access, cost, and safety. Recently, many DOTs have adopted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to access hard-to-reach areas and quickly monitor the conditions of the bridges. Not many studies have reported about 360° inspection of bridges using three-dimensional (3D) models generated from aerial imagery. This study demonstrated the application of UAVs for conducting 360° inspection of bridge infrastructure assets. Three-dimensional models of the bridge deck and under-span elements were developed to provide an immersive navigation experience to the bridge inspector. Several key observations were made based on the data collection and processing of models for a 360° bridge inspection. This study helped understand the limitations and best practices of the application of UAVs for conducting a 360° bridge inspection.
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International Conference on Transportation and Development 2022
Pages: 96 - 108
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Published online: Aug 31, 2022
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