UK council trials drone technology for bridge inspections

West Sussex County Council in the UK, in partnership with Balfour Beatty Living Places, has begun trialling the use of drones to inspect bridges across the county. Trials have so far been carried out on two bridges, resulting, they say, in around US$10,000 (£8,000) of savings compared to traditional inspections. Routine inspections are carried out on all bridges every two years to ensure they are safe for public use. Traditionally, inspection work requires traffic management to allow inspectors to safely ca
May 12, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
West Sussex County Council in the UK, in partnership with 3902 Balfour Beatty Living Places, has begun trialling the use of drones to inspect bridges across the county. Trials have so far been carried out on two bridges, resulting, they say, in around US$10,000 (£8,000) of savings compared to traditional inspections.


Routine inspections are carried out on all bridges every two years to ensure they are safe for public use. Traditionally, inspection work requires traffic management to allow inspectors to safely carry out works at height and over water, causing disruption to the public and road users. The use of drones to review the condition of a bridge reduces potential health and safety risks, as well as dramatically reducing costs, disruption and inconvenience to members of the public by removing the need for traffic management.

Operated by one of Balfour Beatty’s six Civil Aviation Authority licensed drone pilots, each drone is fitted with recording equipment to allow the workforce on the ground to review the condition of the bridge once filming is completed. To make sure the drone is operated safely, a second camera is used to film the drone in action, with an assistant reviewing the safety parameters around the drone in real-time.

The drones are also fitted with protective floats to enable them to safely land on water if required, as well as a GPS system to prevent them flying into ‘no fly zones’, such as airport space, without permission.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Growth of contactless parking payment systems
    May 22, 2012
    Wave and pay credit and debit cards have arrived. In the parking sector, authorities and operators quick to accommodate new contactless payment technology are already benefitting We’re on the edge of a contactless revolution,” declares Parkeon’s parking director for the UK and Ireland Danny Hassett. Parkeon reports a groundswell of customers gravitating to contactless credit and debit card payment for parking, and the company is by no means alone in this. Use of ‘wave and pay’ technology is on the verge of
    Read More
  • Activu and Mitsubishi give New Jersey controllers the big picture
    May 27, 2014
    Mitsubishi and Activu team up to help New Jersey emergency centre with real-time situational awareness. Sandy was the largest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history, with winds spanning an area of 1,100 miles and damages estimated at $68 billion. It killed at least 286 people in seven countries, from Jamaica to the Jersey Shore. But tropical storms are not the only challenge for emergency operations up and down the East Coast.
    Read More
  • TfL takes action to reduce coronavirus
    March 12, 2020
    Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled an enhanced cleaning regime in a bid to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading.
    Read More
  • Colas to trial solar road
    July 14, 2016
    UK highways services provider Colas is set to start trialling its innovative solar road solution, Wattway and is in the process of identifying potential sites with clients interested in the photovoltaic road surfacing. According to Colas, the technology provides clean, renewable energy in the form of electricity, while allowing for all types of road traffic. Installed on top of an existing road surface, the solar panels are extremely lightweight and strong. Designed and tested to endure vehicles co
    Read More

Highlighted Content