MnDOT uses Drones to Assist in Bridge Inspections

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It’s no surprise the way of the future is utilizing technology and the latest fad: drones.

Now, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is on the cutting-edge using them for a research project on bridge inspections.

This week they’re using the drone to take a look at the Blatnik Bridge.

Drones are enhancing Mn-DOTS inspections and its ability to get necessary data and access to those hard to reach places.

“It’s easy to fly and that is kind of the main goal to make it easy and convenient to collect this specialized type of data,” said Adam Zylka a Technical Engineer with SenseFly.

Phase One of the drone research project kicked off in May.

Now, MnDOT is back at it using a newly manufactured machine.

“It’s the SenseFly eXon and it is a quad–copter so you can see the four rotors, it’s really light, under three and a half pounds,” said Zylka.

MnDOT assured us people will always plays a pivotal role in bridge inspection, but drones allow for greater productivity and safety.

“Looking at using drones for routine inspections where you don’t have to get up close it will save a lot of time with equipment costs and traffic control that may not be needed all the time,” said MnDOT’s Bridge Inspection Engineer Jennifer Zink.

In fact, Zink said a cost analysis revealed significant savings using drones.

“MnDOT is not looking to buy drones the technology at this time is just changing to rapidly,” said Zink.

Instead the state would contract out a company every few years for inspections.

“For anything routine like this it would definitely save a lot of time and we get just as good of footage if we are up close and getting it with just a regular camera,” explained Zink.

The results of the research thus far have shown spot-on sophistication.

“The first part of phase one we did do a comparison of the bridge inspection reports that we looked at on certain bridges we looked at and compared it to with what the drone was seeing and it was spot on with the inspection reports,” said Zink.

A few years back California did some drone research but it quickly fell by the wayside.

Zink said Minnesota’s plan of action is being considered by other places like Alabama, Wisconsin and even England.

As for the rules and regulations to fly the drone, they’re tight.

“The aircraft has to be registered. The people that fly it have to be under the direction of a commercial airline pilot that has a license,” said Zink.

She said she expects the FAA to loosen its reins in the foreseeable future.

“This is becoming a lot more useful commercially for a lot of businesses and we will probably see a lot of the restrictions lessened over the next few years by the FAA,” said Zink.

This spring the state will use the drones to inspect more bridges.

Out of Phase Two of the project will come a ‘Best Practices Document’ that will be part of the bridge inspection manual when considering drone use versus other methods to collect data.

Next year they’ll also use drones to take a closer look at confined spaces such as culverts using infra-red technology.