STEVENSON CREEK BRIDGE INSPECTION AND STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING
Alta Vista is one of the first companies to integrate remote sensing into its bridge inspection and structural health monitoring (SHM) service offerings. On the Stevenson Creek Bridge, Alta Vista used this technology in place of manual assessment techniques to assess the bridge’s condition and develop a plan for rehabilitation. The California Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Solano and Yolo counties plan on retrofitting the existing bridge according to FHWA guidelines, intending to maintain the bridge’s historical architecture while extending its lifespan.
Instead of closing the bridge and using field personnel to climb and assess it, Alta Vista coordinated an assessment via remote sensor carried by an unmanned aerial system (UAS). Our team developed technical requirements, a flight plan for the UAS, and sensor and aerial vehicle requirements. We also coordinated the UAS services, processed images, analyzed the data, and generated a rehabilitation plan for the bridge. Compared to manual assessment, this remote sensing approach was able to decrease cost by half and minimize traffic disruption.
Since the successful completion of the Stevenson Bridge assessment, remote and direct sensors are regularly incorporated into our inspection, evaluation and SHM programs.