Modeling and Management of Bridge Structures Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in Korea

All facilities become obsolete over time and require continuous maintenance and monitoring for safety. Bridges should be maintained to preserve their function during their life time and regularly inspected and repaired to maintain the convenience and safety of users, and their damaged parts should be restored or improved. All these activities are necessary for reinforcement. To maintain bridges, it takes a long time to accumulate geospatial information data because the drawing of the site surveyed using manpower and the creation of a management register depend on manual operation. In this study, 3D modeling of a bridge using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV; hereafter, UAV modeling) was performed to generate data for bridge maintenance, and the accuracy and usability of UAV modeling results were evaluated by comparing them with those of terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) results. The UAV modeling results showed an accuracy of less than 0.12 m, which suggests the usefulness of UAV modeling for bridge maintenance. The UAV modeling results can also be used for the maintenance of bridges by providing image information to determine the condition of the bridge surface. If the facilities are maintained using the UAV, the efficiency of work related to the management of road facilities is expected to improve.