Non-destructive evaluation is crucial during asset inspection, as many defects cannot be seen on the surface. However, getting high-quality data at critical locations is challenging for asset operators and inspection workers alike.
By using state-of-the-art methods and having full interaction capability, compromising on data quality due to limited access is a thing of the past. On our platform we can deploy common NDE payloads including ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and various types of ultrasonic tomography (UT).
The mission in short
On a highway bridge, GPR and UT data was collected at the same location. This combination simplified interpretation, as each method has unique advantages. On the Aithon drone, state-of-the-art sensor payloads were used to collect the highest possible data.
For ground-penetrating radar, area-scans were performed, giving 3D information on the location of objects up to a depth of 65 cm. Aithon allows for high-precision repeatability of passes until sufficient data quality is collected. The same goes for ultrasonic tomography, which can penetrate deeper and is ideal for the detection of cracks, inhomogeneties and delaminations.
As a result, the combination allows for the localization of wanted and unwanted features within infrastructure, either to investigate the asset condition or as a preparation step for further work.
Impressions
