1J Drone Inspection and Autonomous Damage Classification of Municipal Bridges

Purpose

The overall aim of the project is to support and strengthen bridge management for small and medium-sized bridge owners, such as municipalities. More specifically, the project will connect the latest advances in drone technology and image processing with the challenges faced by bridge managers in maintaining safe and sustainable transport infrastructure.

Implementation

Modern technology for image acquisition using drones and autonomous classification of bridge damage will be developed and tested in collaboration with Trafikkontoret of the City of Stockholm. The project will deliver a digital three-dimensional model of an inspected bridge to Trafikkontoret, including documented damages and defects. This material will support their monitoring of the bridge and the planning of maintenance measures.

Objectives

The project has four sub-objectives:

1. Document one or two medium-sized concrete bridges in Stockholm’s bridge stock using drones.
2. Create digital three-dimensional models using photogrammetric imaging techniques for segmentation and presentation of results.
3. Detect and quantify damage using AI-based methods.
4. Develop an integrated decision-support model for maintenance actions tailored to Trafikkontoret’s bridge maintenance operations.