Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for the assessment of existing structures

Abstract

<p>Conventional inspections of structures are mainly based on visual investigation methods. Large structures such as bridges, chimneys, towers, dams, industrial power plants or historical buildings and monuments structural are often hard to access for a detailed inspection. In most cases inspections of structures are technically complex. The inspection of critical structural members and components which are hard to reach is mostly done with special equipment such as large underbridge units and elevating platforms and social personnel like industrial climbers. </p><p>The rapid technical development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the last years suggests the use of UAVs in inspection and monitoring of structures, which can make a contribution to its improvement of quality and efficiency. This paper discusses the application of remotely controlled UAVs, equipped with high definition photo and video cameras for visual inspection of structures. The usability of this non-destructive method of damage detection is shown in two practical examples.</p>