Demonstrating the Use of Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (Drones) Capabilities and Data for Iowa Transportation and Infrastructure Work: Pilot Project No. 1 – Use of Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems for Hairline Crack Detection on Bridge Deck

Details

• Creators:
  Oguntoye, Kunle ; Sourav, Md Abdullah All ; Mitra, Rajrup ; Jenkins, Abby ; Ceylan, Halil ; Kim, Sunghwan ; Gulmezoglu, Berk ; Mo, Yunjeong (Leah) ; Brooks, Colin N.
• Corporate Creators:
  Iowa State University. Institute for Transportation ; Iowa State University. Program for Sustainable Pavement Engineering and Research (PROSPER)
• Corporate Contributors:
  Iowa. Department of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Aircraft Navigational Aids Best Practices Bridge Decks Crack Detection Cracking Data Collection Detection And Identification Systems Drone For Crack Detection Drones Evaluation And Assessment Flight Attitude Hairline Crack Detection Infrastructure Infrastructure Assessment Low-altitude Flight Pilot Studies Uncrewed (unmanned/Unpersonned) Aircraft Systems Unmanned Aircraft Systems

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  InTrans Project 24-904
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Iowa
• Edition:
  Task Report
• Corporate Publisher:
  Iowa State University. Institute for Transportation
• Abstract:
  The increasing use of small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS), also known as drones, significantly benefits transportation agencies through reduced costs, enhanced safety, and improved productivity. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) desires to use this technology in routine engineering practices, and this pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of hairline crack detection from high-resolution sUAS data collected at low altitudes. The research team collected, processed, and analyzed sUAS data on the newly constructed Northeast Mixmaster (NEMM) bridge in Des Moines, Iowa, and a one-year-old grooved-deck bridge in Humboldt County, Iowa. A DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced drone was used to collect data at 15 ft (4.6 m), 35 ft (10.7 m), and 40 ft (12.2 m) altitudes from the bridges, resulting in resolutions ranging from 0.026 in./pixel (0.66 mm/pixel) to 0.08 in./pixel (2.02 mm/pixel). The lessons learned were summarized, and recommendations for the Iowa DOT on the best practices for collecting high-resolution data from bridge decks at low altitudes were developed. The key lessons and recommendations are as follows: since manual flight takes a long time and is prone to inconsistent overlap, mid-flight altitude adjustment is required, a minimum three-person team is necessary, traffic control is crucial, and the use of portable-sized sUAS is recommended when high-resolution imagery from low-altitude flight is desired. Overall, the potential for sUAS to complement infrastructure monitoring was explored through the use of high-resolution imagery to detect structural distresses. The insights gained from this research offer valuable guidance for integrating sUAS technology into Iowa DOT practices in ways that will improve efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure safer, more effective inspections.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e6072d4e93b321688b1675a49db5f54a38ca6335449425a485306e80814a4de2b8d21d55873f9aa8c54aed6e615d9e099a66a110f2d0e35f81985e2aa89ea435
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/91880/dot_91880_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.44 MB ]