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

Select Aerial Imaging Projects