CAA is working with industry to enable
these developments for drones and
other new forms of aerial transportation.
The consultation is available on
the UK CAA’s website (caa.co.uk).
They also released the 13 February
2024 podcast “BVLOS within Atypical
Air Environments,” which discusses
how an atypical air environment
could work in practice (https://
caa-drone-safety.captivate.fm/episode/
bvlos-within-atypical-air-environments).
NMSU ENGINEERS
WORKING TO DEVELOP
ROBOTIC BRIDGE
INSPECTION SYSTEM
TO REVOLUTIONIZE
INFRASTRUCTURE
MAINTENANCE SYSTEM
A team of researchers led by New
Mexico State University Civil Engineering
Assistant Professor Qianyun (Gloria)
Zhang is working with the New Mexico
Department of Transportation on two
research projects to use fast-developing
digital robotic technologies to create a
comprehensive robotic-enabled bridge
inspection system.
“We are developing a comprehen-
sive robotic-enabled bridge inspection
system from data collection to data inter-
pretation,” said Zhang, who also serves as
co-director of NMSU’s Bridge Inspection
Program. “The ultimate objective is
to align robotic-enabled inspection
with national standards, facilitating the
integration of research into practical
implementation to boost the bridge
inspection practices in New Mexico.”
The Federal Highway Administration’s
2022 national bridge inventory reported
there are 4033 bridges in New Mexico,
4.9% of which are classified as struc-
turally deficient and 38.9% in need
of repairs at an estimated cost of
US$1.6 billion. Nationwide, the problem
is much larger.
The efforts involved in the inspec-
tion and maintenance of bridges are
challenged by a system lacking in suffi-
cient availability of workforce, time, and
funding. It can also be dangerous to
perform these tasks in traffic or from
heights. Addressing these challenges,
the team, which comprises Zhang and
two PhD students, is partnering with
the University of New Mexico and New
Mexico DOT District 2 for a two-phase,
two-year project initiated last October.
The first phase includes a pilot
program which involves the use of
uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and
advanced image analysis techniques
that can recognize objects more readily
than other methods. This will entail the
development of an advanced UAS plat-
form and training of pilots followed by
laboratory flight and field tests to eval-
uate and optimize the UAS platform. The
second phase, to begin in fall of 2024, will
be primarily focused on extensive data
collection, database establishment, meth-
odological exploration, and the develop-
ment of implementation software.
While the National Bridge Inspection
guidelines for condition rating inspec-
tion include safety data for a number
of bridge components, this project will
focus on the bridge deck, as this compo-
nent is the most directly impacted by
traffic loads. Accurate and current assess-
ment of the bridge deck condition is
critical for ensuring the safety and sound-
ness of the entire bridge structure.
The research team hopes to show that
UAS-based inspections provide a more
efficient solution to field data acquisition.
They hypothesize that these new auto-
mated methods will result in significantly
reduced costs due to lower labor needs,
shorter periods of traffic closures, and
costs for hard-to-access locations that
require scaffolding and cranes. They may
also improve worker safety by reducing
the need for inspectors to work at
heights or in traffic situations. The use of
automated objective data interpretation
is expected to enable more frequent and
timely bridge inspections.
One of the most important goals of
this project involves technology transfer
so that it may benefit the entire state’s
transportation system. This will include
a site demonstration and training of the
developed UAS platform software for
NMDOT personnel.
SCANNER
|
INDUSTRYNEWS
A drone inspecting a powerline.
A team of researchers in New Mexico are looking to use fast-developing digital robotic
technologies to create a comprehensive robotic-enabled bridge inspection system (pictured: the
Rio Grande Bridge in Taos, New Mexico).
10
M A T E R I A L S E V A L U A T I O N • J U L Y 2 0 2 4
COURTESY
UK
CAA

“NMDOT is currently grappling with
a shortage of skilled staff, posing a chal-
lenge. The outcomes of this project will
have a significant impact on improving
the operational efficiency of bridge
inspection. The technology transfer
workshop will provide the opportunity to
NMDOT personnel to undergo training
in advanced technologies, facilitating
their implementation across various
districts,” Zhang said.
“Integrating drones into infrastruc-
ture inspection processes will catalyze
rapid advancements in the inspection
practices of the state of New Mexico.
This initiative aims to address various
concerns such as cost, efficiency and
safety. In a long-term collaboration with
Dr. Zhang, we are dedicated to crafting
comprehensive UAV inspection systems
that will significantly elevate the stan-
dards of bridge inspection practices,”
said Jonathan Boyle, NMDOT District 2
Bridge supervisor.
Another yearlong project addresses
the challenges involved in underwater
inspection. The study, which began last
November, proposes to use underwater
robots for substructure inspection.
To ensure public safety and protect
overwater bridges, underwater structures
must be inspected for structural integrity.
In shallow water, such structures can be
inspected from above. In relatively deep
water, however, diving or other tech-
niques are required. Underwater inspec-
tions require highly skilled inspectors as
well as specialized equipment and docu-
mentation techniques.
“Even though we don’t have that
much water, the demand for under-
water inspection persists. Moreover,
the shortage of proficient divers poses
a challenge for conducting underwater
inspections. The implementation of an
advanced robot system provides a prom-
ising solution to perform low-cost and
efficient underwater inspections,” Boyle
said.
The team will compare remote-
operated robotic systems and various
high-resolution sensors and conduct
prototype field demonstrations to assess
performance. Advanced computer vision
algorithms will be developed to perform
automated data processing and inter-
pretation that will be programmed into
web-based software. The proposed
system is expected to deliver rapid data
collection, high-quality data, objective
data interpretation, cost efficiency, lower
safety concerns, lower labor cost and
easy repeatability. The same system
could also be applied to other under-
water inspection applications, like dam
inspections.
FLIGHT SAFETY
FOUNDATION ANNUAL
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
THREAT TO AVIATION
SAFETY FROM ERODING
SAFETY CULTURE
The international commercial airline
industry did not suffer any fatal jet airliner
accidents in 2023, according to the Flight
Safety Foundation’s 2023 Safety Report,
but a series of close calls last year and
two accidents so far in 2024 are clear
signals that the industry must guard
against complacency and the potential
for an erosion of safety culture to weaken
its safety margin.
“Despite last year being among the
safest in aviation history in terms of
accidents and fatalities, it’s crucial to
acknowledge and address the warning
signs that were present in events that
narrowly avoided disastrous outcomes,”
said Foundation President and CEO
Dr. Hassan Shahidi. “Complacency is a
stealthy threat that can erode safety and
quality unless it is actively countered with
a robust safety culture. Complacency can
lead to shortcuts, degradation of quality,
neglect of procedures, poor communi-
cation, and a delayed response to esca-
lating risks. Failing to rigorously reinforce
a strong safety culture can become the
weakest link in the safety chain.”
The report, issued mid March, is based
on an analysis of data drawn from the
www. .com
• 2000 ASME &RFT tubes in stock
-Same day shipping
• Custom calibration standards
• Mock-up exchangers /
tube testing bundles
• EDM notches, holes and flaws
• S
• Spiral notches &tube expansions
• Corrosion simulation
J U L Y 2 0 2 4 • M A T E R I A L S E V A L U A T I O N 11