Abstract
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) provide two main functions with regards to bridge inspections: (1) high-quality digital imaging to detect element defects; (2) spatial point cloud data for the reconstruction of 3D asset models. With UAS being a relatively new inspection method, there is little in the way of existing framework for storing, processing and managing the resulting inspection data. This study has proposed a novel methodology for a digital information model covering data acquisition through to a 3D GIS visualisation environment, also capable of integrating within a bridge management system (BMS). Previous efforts focusing on visualisation functionality have focused on BIM and GIS as separate entities, which has a number of problems associated with it. This methodology has a core focus on the integration of BIM and GIS, providing an effective and efficient information model, which provides vital visual context to inspectors and users of the BMS. Three-dimensional GIS visualisation allows the user to navigate through a fully interactive environment, where element level inspection information can be obtained through point-and-click operations on the 3D structural model. Two visualisation environments were created: a web-based GIS application and a desktop solution. Both environments develop a fully interactive, user-friendly model which have fulfilled the aims of coordinating and streamlining the BMS process.
Highlights
Authorities, states and organisations have managed bridge facilities via manual inspection
There exists a number of problems with the current inspection process and data management policies: (i) the scarcity of qualified inspectors and resources may create a backlog of maintenance activities; (ii) inspectors are exposed to significant safety risks when operating in areas of limited accessibility and any equipment needed may pose a serious disruption to traffic flow; (iii) current bridge management system (BMS) are laborious and inefficient, consuming both time and resources [3]
This paper proposed a novel methodology for a digital information model covering data acquisition through to a 3D Geographic Information Systems (GIS) visualisation environment, capable of integrating within a bridge management system (BMS)
Summary
Authorities, states and organisations have managed bridge facilities via manual inspection. Producing such a system is the main focus of this paper, and modelling efforts and developments will be discussed in the preceding sections In this case, the model must be proficient in storing and integrating 3D modelling, digital imaging and asset records; The decision support system allows engineers and bridge managers to analyse data contained in the information model from a holistic viewpoint and generate a systematic response to the assets safety condition and any maintenance strategies. Field data was collected during manual bridge inspections and included key information such as missing fasteners, cracks and misalignment of structural members This was integrated with a parametric model by storing the inspection data in the user-defined attributes (UDA) of the BIM software. The hierarchical tree of an IFC2 × 3 schema is shown in Figure 1 for visualisation purposes
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