The use of UAVs in supporting the preservation of the industrial and mining heritage in the Ruhr area

Abstract

Over the last decades, all hard coal mines (the last one in 2018) and many industrial facilities (e.g. coking plants, steel mills) have been closed in the Ruhr region as part of an ongoing, long-term transition process. The centuries-old mining tradition is nevertheless very much embedded in the population. For this reason, the monuments of the industrial age are regarded as defining, identity-forming landmarks that must be preserved as original as possible in the future - not only in the Ruhr region, but also in many comparable regions in Germany (e.g. Saarland, Ibbenbüren or the Aachen area) and worldwide. Extreme weather conditions caused by the fast progressing climate change are affecting these structures of disused steel mills or coking plants. Cracks, paint spalling and other material damage develop, making expensive refurbishment or, in the worst case, demolition necessary. Climate change also affects the subsoil and thus the stability of the facilities by negative environmental influences such as drought or moisture. As part of a feasibility study, the Research Center of Post-Mining is developing an innovative method for non-destructively assessing the condition of monuments of industrial and mining heritage. UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) equipped with optical, thermal and multispectral sensors are being used for the first time for this purpose. They collect high precision and high-resolution data, which is viewed and fused together, making it possible to model the complex buildings comprehensively in 3D (+ time) and to examine them for possible damage. In the long term, the highly accurate 3D-models with all their information will be integrated into the spatial data infrastructure of the Ruhr Regional Association (RVR) and thus made available to a broad public and experts from the fields of history, architecture or monument preservation.