Abstract
Deterioration of bridge infrastructure is a serious concern to transport and government agencies as it declines serviceability and reliability of bridges and jeopardizes public safety. Maintenance and rehabilitation needs of bridge infrastructure are periodically monitored and assessed, typically every two years. Existing inspection techniques, such as visual inspection, are time-consuming, subjective, and often incomplete. Non-destructive testing (NDT) using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been gaining momentum for bridge monitoring in the recent years, particularly due to enhanced accessibility and cost efficiency, deterrence of traffic closure, and improved safety during inspection. The primary objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive review of the application of UAVs in bridge condition monitoring, used in conjunction with remote sensing technologies. Remote sensing technologies such as visual imagery, infrared thermography, LiDAR, and other sensors, integrated with UAVs for data acquisition are analyzed in depth. This study compiled sixty-five journal and conference papers published in the last two decades scrutinizing NDT-based UAV systems. In addition to comparison of stand-alone and integrated NDT-UAV methods, the facilitation of bridge inspection using UAVs is thoroughly discussed in the present article in terms of ease of use, accuracy, cost-efficiency, employed data collection tools, and simulation platforms. Additionally, challenges and future perspectives of the reviewed UAV-NDT technologies are highlighted.
Highlights
Highway transportation system is a vital element of civil infrastructure, and widely regarded as a key component of the built environment in modern society
The results indicated that hammer sounding was approximately 9% more accurate in delamination detection compared to infrared thermography (IRT)-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
The present review analyzed novel research studies dedicated to the application of UAVs in the realm of bridge condition monitoring, with focus on the possibility of utilizing non-destructive technologies with the UAV data collection process
Summary
Highway transportation system is a vital element of civil infrastructure, and widely regarded as a key component of the built environment in modern society. In addition to serving the crucial function of connecting highways, is the most vulnerable constituent of the transportation system. This is often attributed to their exposure to harsh environmental settings as well as heavy loads and traffic volumes that bridges need to sustain. Departments of Transportation are required to manage bridges under time and budget constraints [1]. Studies conducted by the U.S Department of Transportation indicate that out of the 607,380 bridges, nearly 67,000 are classified as structurally deficient whereas approximately 85,000 are considered functionally obsolete [2]. The development of low cost, fast, and non-disruptive solutions for bridge monitoring is a vital issue for several transportation agencies
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