Detection of corrosion in the Pulunan steel bridge with the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle as a tool for structural inspection

• Main Authors: Chua Ching, Daniel Raphel A., Gonzalez, Juan Xavier B., Manzano, Jordan Jaime C., Sua, Glyzel Grace N.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Iron and steel bridges; Bridges
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/8054
• Institution: De La Salle University

Steel is a common material used in construction. The structural material is known to undergo the process of corrosion whenever it is exposed to environmental elements. This phenomenon is one of the many causes of the gradual degradation of steel's high strength property. Structures such as bridges accommodate the need for transportation of humans and are often built with steel therefore the early detection of its damages could easily pave way for necessary repair rendering the structure safe to use. The current inspection method performed for steel bridges is the traditional visual inspection, which used a checklist in determining the areas with damages. The objective of the study is to present a tool to assist in the inspection method by using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) complemented with image processing. The aim of the study is to lessen the need for large equipment in inspecting inaccessiblle areas at the same time reduce the inspector's exposure to danger. The UAV's ability to survey an area shall be optimized by taking footages of the bridge, which shall be assessed frame by frame. The frames acquired from the footages are analyzed using a coded image processing program in MATLAB that will determine areas with existing corrosion on the bridge. The proposed supplementary method for inspecting steel structures with the use of a UAV integrates modern technology to bridge inspection. Based on the results of the study, the areas of the bridge with existing corrosion were detected which can prove the integration of the UAV as an inspection tool for the traditional visual inspection to be beneficial for agencies that provide inspection services.