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A Holistic Approach for Visualization of Transportation Infrastructure Assets Using UAV-CRP Technology

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Information Technology in Geo-Engineering (ICITG 2019)

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Geomechanics and Geoengineering ((SSGG))

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Abstract

Modern data analysis and visualization make it possible for engineers and practitioners to holistically perceive the details of sites and the performance of transportation infrastructures. Advancements in the field of unmanned vehicles, complemented by the development of portable sensors, have paved the way for unmanned aerial platforms mounted with sensors, such as visible range, thermal, and hyper-spectral cameras for collecting infrastructure performance data. A research study was performed to monitor various transportation infrastructure sites, using unmanned aerial vehicles close-range photogrammetry (UAV-CRP). Images were geotagged, using data from a highly accurate real-time kinematic global navigation satellite system (GNSS) to develop orthomosaics, dense point clouds, and three-dimensional mapping products. An aerial data collection provides safe access to areas that are usually inaccessible, such as under bridges, steep and unstable slopes, and others, and can be leveraged by three-dimensional printing technology to obtain the accurate size and shape of the structural elements that are needed for repair and rehabilitation of the infrastructure. The holistic approach provided in this paper will facilitate the development of infrastructure visualization models that will provide vital understanding of the condition of the transportation infrastructure.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge TxDOT project managers, Joe Adams and Chris Glancy, and the project members of TxDOT 0-6944 & TxDOT 05-6944-01 for providing funding support and assistance during the data collection tasks. They would also like to thank UTA team members Cody Lundberg, Ujwalkumar Patil, Ali Shafikhani, He Shi, and others for assisting with the data collection. The support and encouragement of the National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) program-funded ‘Center for the Integration of Composites into Infrastructure (CICI)’ site at UTA (NSF PD: Andre Marshall; Award # 1464489), USDOT’s University Transportation Centers (UTC), Transportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET) and Center for Transportation, Equity, Decisions and Dollars (CTEDD) is very much appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Texas at Arlington, 416 Yates Street, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA

    Anand J. Puppala & Surya Sarat Chandra Congress

Authors
  1. Anand J. Puppala
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  2. Surya Sarat Chandra Congress
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Correspondence to Anand J. Puppala .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering, ISISE, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    António Gomes Correia

  2. School of Engineering, ISISE, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    Joaquim Tinoco

  3. School of Engineering, ALGORITMI, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    Paulo Cortez

  4. Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Lisboa, Portugal

    Luís Lamas

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Puppala, A.J., Congress, S.S.C. (2020). A Holistic Approach for Visualization of Transportation Infrastructure Assets Using UAV-CRP Technology. In: Correia, A., Tinoco, J., Cortez, P., Lamas, L. (eds) Information Technology in Geo-Engineering. ICITG 2019. Springer Series in Geomechanics and Geoengineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32029-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32029-4_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-32028-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-32029-4

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