Drone-Assisted Structural Assessment of Medieval Masonry Arch Bridges: Innovative Methodologies for Heritage Conservation and Damage Diagnostics | Chapter 9 | Science and Technology: Developments and Applications Vol. 8

This research investigates the applicability and efficiency of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in conducting detailed structural inspections of medieval masonry arch bridges, evaluating their capacity to supplant conventional assessment methods. Through case studies on two historically significant pedestrian bridges—Grajal Bridge (monoarch) and Brandomil Bridge (multiarch)—located in Spain, visual inspections were executed via multirotor drones equipped with high-resolution imaging systems. The drones enabled comprehensive diagnostic analyses of structural pathologies, including efflorescence, biological colonization, black crust formation, and material alveolization, particularly in otherwise inaccessible intrados and foundation elements. Results validate the deployment of RPAS as a sustainable, safe, and cost-efficient tool, mitigating occupational hazards and minimizing intervention invasiveness while preserving the architectural integrity of heritage assets. This work demonstrates the transformative potential of drone technology in preventive conservation protocols, structural health monitoring, and longitudinal documentation of vulnerable historic infrastructures.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Rubén Rodríguez Elizalde
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/stda/v8/4836

A Novel Approach for Tracking of Construction Machinery Used in Asphalt Paving Process| Chapter 2 | Recent Progress in Science and Technology Vol. 2

 Application of rigorous construction procedures is fundamental when it comes to road construction in order to guarantee high quality international standards. Today, and in particular in Chile, tradition, craftsmanship and other implicit, experience-based methods employed during road construction play a fundamental role in the asphalt paving construction process. This indicates that the many phases of the building process, including the paving of the road, are not managed on time as they should, which results in the end product lacking the optimum qualities for which the construction materials were initially designed and made. As an approach, we propose the use of tools and methodologies, based on Geomatics, which allow monitoring each of the stages of a modern construction process in almost real-time. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) during the asphalt pavement construction process by capturing images and videos during the placement of the asphalt mixture and the movement of the compaction machinery (pneumatic roller and drum roller) typically used at the construction site. The weather and wind conditions, which play a fundamental role in the feasibility of using the RPAS, also are an important aspect.  The observations are digitally processed primarily through image binarization and thresholding. This allowed for the estimation of the asphalt's overall texture and the visualization of the compaction rollers' trajectory. In conclusion, our findings show that the performance and functionality of the compaction machinery correlate to the primary component that affects the condition of the roads, and that the application of RPAS can be beneficial.

Author(s) Details:

G. Staub,
Department for Geodetic Sciences and Geomatics, University of Concepción, Chile.

H. Montecino,
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Concepción, Chile.

J. E. Diaz,
Department for Geodetic Sciences and Geomatics, University of Concepción, Chile.

M. Pradena,
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Concepción, Chile.

S. Miller,
Construction Management & Engineering Group, University of Twente, Netherlands.

M. Diaz,
Department of Construction Sciences, Metropolitan University of Technology, Chile.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RPST-V2/article/view/9233