Exploring Inspection Technologies for Highway Infrastructure During Construction and Asset Management

Abstract

State departments of transportation (DOTs) historically employed onsite inspectors to perform hands-on and in-person infrastructure inspections. However, with the latest technological advancements, state DOTs increasingly use technologies to complement their inspection of highway infrastructure. This study investigates common technologies used by state DOTs to inspect highway infrastructure during the construction and maintenance of highway assets. A list of 19 technologies was developed from the literature review. A national survey of 50 state DOTs was conducted to determine the most common technologies used for the inspection of highway infrastructure. The top technologies used by state DOTs to inspect highway infrastructure during construction are tablet/smart mobile devices; global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)/global positioning systems (GPS); remote sensors such as accelerometers, maturity meter sensors, or strain gauges; e-ticketing; remote cameras; and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The top technologies used by state DOTs to inspect highway infrastructure during maintenance of assets are geographic information systems applications, light detection and ranging/3D laser scanners, tablet/smart mobile devices, GNSS/GPS, and UAS. Six case studies with Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, and Oregon state DOTs were then conducted to verify the results from the survey questionnaire. The main inspection activities and challenges of using these technologies during construction and asset management were discussed. The findings from this study provide valuable information for state DOTs to understand how better to implement technologies for the inspection of highway infrastructure.