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The feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the Western Cape
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2021
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| _version_ | 1867614141243457536 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Neethling, Johannes Henoch |
| author2 | Jurgens, Christiaan Johannes |
| author_browse | Jurgens, Christiaan Johannes Neethling, Johannes Henoch |
| author_facet | Jurgens, Christiaan Johannes Neethling, Johannes Henoch |
| author_sort | Neethling, Johannes Henoch |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123910 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:47:19.123Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123910 The feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the Western Cape Neethling, Johannes Henoch Jurgens, Christiaan Johannes Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Civil Engineering. Network level inspections UCTD Remotely Piloted Aircraft Bridges -- Engineering inspection Reliability (Engineering) -- Inspection Virtual inspection Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) of the Western Cape is accountable for effectively managing its bridges on a network level. The role comprises routine principal and safety inspections in accordance with the Technical Methods for Highways (TMH) 19 and the Construction Regulation (CR) 2014. Although the TMH19 human-based inspection methods are effective in detecting defects and identifying complex failure modes, the approach is resource intensive, time consuming, costly, dangerous at times and may yield subjective results. In addition, the DTPW has been unable to meet the safety inspection requirements of the CR2014 due to limited resources, lack of official safety inspection guidelines, and the needed high frequency of inspections. Utilising Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for bridge inspections has been widely researched and promoted as a feasible alternative to conventional human-based inspection methods. RPA technology has the potential to increase the quality of data, decrease time spent on site and mitigate safety risks while fulfilling mandatory inspections and legal compliance. Using RPAs for bridge inspections has been successfully implemented in many countries. However, despite their potential RPAs are rarely used for bridge inspection activities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Alternative approaches are proposed to address shortcomings in the TMH19 human-based inspection practices and to meet the CR2014 safety inspection requirements. These approaches include leveraging off-the-shelf RPAs and photogrammetric technology to create photo-realistic 3D digital models for extracting inventory data more effectively and to perform virtual safety inspections. The feasibility of these approaches was demonstrated through RPA test flights at two bridge sites. The findings were validated against the 2019 Principal Bridge Inspections information. Utilising off-the-shelf RPAs and manually extracting data from photo-realistic digital 3D models eliminated the need to transfer data from on-site paper notes to a digital platform while also meeting all the TMH19 inventory requirements. An off-site, computer-based visual bridge safety inspection was performed to determine whether the structure was fit for its intended design purpose and safe for continued use as required in terms of CR2014. It was shown that the condition information could be manually evaluated with little effort, and that the extracted information was sufficient to be used for a high-level visual assessment. The virtual inspection eliminates the need for field notes, mitigates gross mistakes and makes it unlikely that any detail of importance is omitted. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Departement van Vervoer en Openbare Werke van die Wes-Kaap is verantwoordelik om hulle brûe op netwerkvlak effektief te bestuur. Die rol behels hoof- en veiligheidsinspeksies volgens die Tegniese Metodes vir Hoofweë 19 (TMH19) en die Konstruksieregulasies 2014 (CR2014) op ‘n roetine basis. Alhoewel die TMH19 inspeksiemetodes effektief is in die indentifisering van foute en ingewikkelde maniere van swigting, is dit steeds hulpbronintensief, tydrowend, duur, soms gevaarlik en kan subjektiewe resultate lewer. Saam met dit kon die Departement nie aan die veiligheidsinspeksie vereistes van die CR2014 voldoen nie weens beperkte hulpbronne, die gebrek aan amptelike veiligheidsinspeksieriglyne en die hoë inspeksie frekwensie wat nodig is. Die gebruik van afstandsbeheerde vliegtuie vir bruginspeksies is al baie ondersoek en aanbeveel as 'n haalbare alternatief vir konvensionele inspeksiemetodes wat fisies deur bruginspekteurs uitgevoer word. Afstandbeheerde vliegtuigtegnologie het die potensiaal om die kwaliteit van data te verbeter, die tyd wat op die terrein spandeer word asook die veiligheidsrisiko's te verminder, dit alles terwyl verpligte inspeksies en wetlike vereistes nagekom word. Die gebruik van afstandsbeheerde vliegtuie vir bruginspeksies is al in baie lande suksesvol geïmplementeer. Afstandsbeheerde vliegtuie word egter selde vir bruginspeksies in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie van Suid -Afrika gebruik, ondanks die potensiaal daarvan. Alternatiewe benaderings word voorgestel om die tekortkominge in die TMH19 inspeksiepraktyke aan te spreek en om aan die CR2014 veiligheidsinspeksie vereistes te voldoen. Hierdie benaderings sluit die gebruik van afstandsbeheerde vliegtuie wat van-die-rak-af beskikbaar is, asook fotogrammetriese tegnologie om foto-realistiese driedimensionele (3D) modelle te skep. Die modelle kan gebruik word om relevante data meer effektief te onttrek en om virtuele veiligheidsinspeksies uit te voer. Die haalbaarheid van hierdie benaderings is deur middel van toetsvlugte by twee brûe gedemonstreer. Die 2019 provinsiale hoofbruginspeksie data is gebruik om die resultate te evalueer en te kontroleer. Deur gebruik te maak van afstandsbeheerde vliegtuie en om fisies data van die foto-realistiese digitale 3D modelle te ontrek word die gebruik en oorskryf van papiernotas op 'n digitale platform oorbodig. Hierdie benadering voldoen ook aan al die TMH19 vereistes. ‘n 3D model was ook geskep en gebruik om ‘n rekenaarbaseerde visuele brugveiligheidsinspeksie uit te voer. Die doel was om vas te stel of die struktuur geskik en veilig vir gebruik is volgens CR2014, deur slegs gebruik te maak van die model. Die benadering was voldoende om die brug se kondisie met min moeite te evalueer. Die virtuele inspeksie elimineer die gebruik van handgeskrewe notas, verlaag moontlike foute asook die waarskynlikheid dat enige belangrike inligting weggelaat word. Masters 2021-11-08T09:32:24Z 2021-12-22T14:28:34Z 2021-11-08T09:32:24Z 2021-12-22T14:28:34Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123910 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 172 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Network level inspections UCTD Remotely Piloted Aircraft Bridges -- Engineering inspection Reliability (Engineering) -- Inspection Virtual inspection Neethling, Johannes Henoch The feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the Western Cape |
| title | The feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the Western Cape |
| title_full | The feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the Western Cape |
| title_fullStr | The feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the Western Cape |
| title_full_unstemmed | The feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the Western Cape |
| title_short | The feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the Western Cape |
| title_sort | feasibility of using commercially available remotely piloted aircraft for network level visual inspection activities on provincial structures in the western cape |
| topic | Network level inspections UCTD Remotely Piloted Aircraft Bridges -- Engineering inspection Reliability (Engineering) -- Inspection Virtual inspection |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123910 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT neethlingjohanneshenoch thefeasibilityofusingcommerciallyavailableremotelypilotedaircraftfornetworklevelvisualinspectionactivitiesonprovincialstructuresinthewesterncape AT neethlingjohanneshenoch feasibilityofusingcommerciallyavailableremotelypilotedaircraftfornetworklevelvisualinspectionactivitiesonprovincialstructuresinthewesterncape |