Drones and High-Resolution Tools in Bridge Evaluation and Condition Assessment

Sunday, November 3, 2024  3:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Grand BR Salon B

The objectives of this session if to explore and learn more about how advanced tools such as drones may be used to aid in bridge inspection, forensic investigations, and other site activities including construction. Inspection drones are transforming manual inspection processes, allowing inspectors to speed up their collection of inspection data while removing slower manual steps that place them in danger. Currently drones have been used for internal inspection, external inspections, roof inspections and tower inspections.

Learning Objectives:
(1) Learn about the history and development of drone technology and uses;
(2) Learn about the necessary steps for drone licensure;
(3) Understand how drone technology can be used for infrastructure and bridge inspections;
(4) Understand the benefits and limitations of drone technology for use in building, infrastructure, and bridge inspections.

An Overview: A Historic Perspective on the History and Role of Drones in Forensic Investigations

Presented By: John Myers
Affiliation: Missouri S & T
Description: This introductory session presentation will provide a historic overview on the development of unmanned aircraft. The role and tools that are presently available on drones for forensic investigation will be presented. The advantages and current limitations will be discussed. This kickoff session presentation is geared to set the table for the remaining presentations in the session.

Drone Licensure: What Are the Steps

Presented By: William Shekarchi
Affiliation: CDM Smith
Description: Operating drones in the vicinity of structures may require licensure from the FAA. Knowing when an individual should be licensed and how to get licensed is fundamental to safe and lawful drone operations. Navigating the procedures to be a drone pilot may seem like a complex and timely endeavor, but knowing the path can speed up the process.

Automated Concrete Dam Inspection using Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence

Presented By: Vahidreza Gharehbaghi
Affiliation:
Description: Concrete dams are critical civil infrastructure as sources of electric power generation and facilitating agricultural irrigation. However, they are susceptible to damage such as cracking, spalling, abrasion, erosion, and cavitation. Regular inspection, maintenance, and repair are crucial to mitigating such vulnerabilities and extending the lifespan of these critical infrastructure. Nevertheless, inspection of dams poses significant challenges and requires substantial labor and resources. Moreover, dangers inherent to human inspection place highly skilled workers at risk. To address these challenges, we investigate automation of this process using UAVs to capture high-quality digital images, processed using machine learning algorithms to detect and segment damage states in concrete dams. Multi-modal data captured by UAVs are further processed for 3D modeling, point-cloud generation, and digital mapping of damages. Our research focuses on leveraging these techniques to improve the efficiency and accuracy in damage detection and segmentation using various deep learning methods. By adopting this automated approach, we aim to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of dam inspections, ultimately contributing to the prolonged lifespan of these critical structures.

Drone Use for NBIS Bridge Inspections

Presented By: Timothy Harrington
Affiliation:
Description: Unmanned Aircraft Systems – better known as UAS or drones – have become a powerful tool for many engineering applications, including bridge inspections. This presentation details recent case studies where drones were effectively deployed to perform NBIS Bridge Inspections on major bridges with concrete components like the Goethals Bridge between New York and New Jersey and the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge between New Hampshire and Maine. The drone inspection planning, procedures, benefits, drawbacks, and best practices will be discussed.

Drone Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Cooling Tower

Presented By: Jeremiah Fasl
Affiliation: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Description: Differential settlement was observed in bypass piping adjacent to a 500-foot tall, counterflow natural draft hyperbolic concrete shell structure. Drones were used to identify concrete cracking and spalling along the interior and exterior surfaces of the shell, which were compared to predicted crack locations from a nonlinear structural model. The drone assessment was used to help validate the structural model, which was used to determine the impact of the induced settlement and confirm the structural adequacy.