UAS to be Used Next Month for Ohio Bridge Inspection

Advertisement








Next month, an unmanned aircraft system will be used to inspect the Sandusky River Bridge in Sandusky County, Ohio. The use of UAS for inspections could provide several potential benefits, including not having to close any portion of a bridge that ordinarily would have to be closed if inspected by a person.




The use of an UAS will be a first for the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. According to an article from Cleveland.com, executive director of the turnpike Randy Cole was looking for a more efficient way of inspecting bridges, so when the opportunity to use unmanned systems arose, Cole jumped at the opportunity. When asked about using unmanned systems, Cole talked about his hopes for the new inspection tool.




“We hope to determine if the use of a drone may reduce the time and expense and increase safety when performing these types of inspections on the turnpike and on the ODOT system,” said Cole.




If the inspections go well, unmanned systems could be used for other purposes in the future, such as surveying accidents.




“In a large pileup that happens on any of our interstates in this country, getting a drone through the traffic to see what's happening at the point of impact is safer and faster than trying to get humans and trucks through,” added Cole.




To complete the inspection, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission will work with the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center, the Ohio Department of Transportation and a Switzerland-based UAS company called SenseFly, which manufactured the UAS being used for the inspection, which is called the Albris.




The inspection of the bridge using the UAS is expected to take place on either Sept. 13 or 14, depending on weather conditions. The results of the inspection will be compared with results from a traditional inspection that come from an engineering firm called AECOM.

<< Back to the News