Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Transport Pavement Inspection

Technological evolution has allowed the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in an easier and more diversified way, creating opportunities for its application in various fields of engineering, namely in the inspection of transport infrastructures. The present study begins with the analysis of the main practices that resort to the use of UAVs, in order to frame its application in the field of transport pavement inspection. A review of studies and other available literature served as a starting point to define the methodology adopted for the development of the case study presented. The methodology includes the collection of images of a flexible road pavement section, its processing, and the creation of an orthoimage and a 3D model from which it was possible to identify and characterize the distresses present on the pavement surface. The main results obtained point to planimetric and altimetric deviations of less than 2 and 10 mm, respectively, for the images collected by the Mavic 2 Pro drone at 3 and 20 m high. With the collected data, it was also possible to calculate the global quality index PCI for the inspected pavement section. Under these conditions, it is possible to conclude that the accuracy is very good and suitable for the intended purpose, allowing fast data collection at low cost. This new technological approach supports infrastructure managers in the design of maintenance programs and in the scheduling of interventions, thus contributing to the increase of the durability and safety levels of the inspected pavements.