What we do:
Working with partner firms, we collect and analyze infrared thermography (IR) and visual imaging data using fixed-wing and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, e.g., drones) aircrafts. Collecting infrared and visual imagery from above the decks offers several advantages, including:
- safer data collection with absolutely no disruption to traffic or need for closures
- more efficient data collection so that more decks can be collected in a single day, or more passes can be collected at varying times of the day for highly detailed analyses
- total coverage of bridge deck, including portions not accessible by vehicle (for example, difficult or dangerous merge areas, shoulders, or sidewalks)
- better field of view for infrared thermography, requiring less manipulation for analysis
- use as a high-level screening tool to target bridges for more detailed inspection
What you get:
Deliverables are similar to those of the high-speed vehicle-based surveys – a comprehensive NDE inspection report, with deck conditions mapped and quantified. Results include:
- plan-view condition maps showing subsurface and surface defects
- CADD-compatible versions of condition maps
- quantities provided by span, lane, or both
