Harbour Rd Bridge
Data Capture
1,119
4k images
Used to generate a high-quality, photogrammetric model to document the asset condition.
30 min
Flight time
Needed to collect all required visual data.
1.6m
Clearance
Only 1.6m between water and underside of bridge
6 hrs
Processing
From drone data to full model in 6 hours.
NQBP Pilot Project
Insite was engaged by North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP) to conduct a pilot trial for drone-based data capture and digital twin modelling.
A small bridge on Harbour Rd in Mackay was the asset selected for this project. The bridge presented several challenges including:
-
Tidal changes - distance between the water and top of the bridge at low tide was only 1.6m. Increasing risk to the drone and making capture of the underside of the bridge difficult.
-
Active traffic - this bridge is on the busy port access road, meaning additional controls were implemented to maintain safe operations and CASA compliance.
Despite the challenges, Insite took great pleasure in applying our state-of-the-art inspection process to capture the condition of this NQBP asset.
Key Lessons
Insite successfully captured the full condition of the Harbour Rd Bridge in Mackay, but it wasn't without our fair share of struggle. Here's what we learnt:
GPS Precision
Inaccuracies in the GPS locations of the initial data capture resulted in processing challenges. The data was recaptured with Real Time Kinematics (RTK) functioning correctly, resulting in improved data and streamlined processing.
Processing Optimisation
This project was the first time Insite adopted the ArcGIS Drone2Map software for processing and ESRI integration. After trials and tweaks, Insite was able to minimise processing time and maximise output quality.
Image Overlap Ratio
Drone2Map requires at least 90% overlap ratio to generate high quality gaussian splat products. Road-level data was catpured at the standard 70%, resulting in suboptimal quality on the road surface and guarding.
Our Advantage
Insite was able to capture all structural data in just 30mins. No working above water or risk to personnel.
30 minutes - full capture
No access equipment required
Data processed in 6 hrs
Safer
Better quality visuals & insights
Inspected by engineers