Effectiveness of UAV inspections for slope failure prevention facilities

Norio HARADA, Yu’uki NAGATOMO, Ryuhei KAI, Masashi KUROGI, Masamitsu FUJIMOTO and Tamotsu MATSUI

Abstract

Currently, regular inspections of erosion control facilities, aimed at understanding the decline in their functionality and identifying the extent and causes of structural damage, primarily rely on visual inspections based on inspection plans or UAV inspections. However, there are few cases where UAV inspections have been applied to slope failure prevention works. Therefore, this study investigates the applicability of UAV inspections for slope failure prevention facilities located in the southwest region, characterized by rapid vegetation growth due to warm conditions, which are generally disadvantageous for inspections. The results of the trial inspections conducted with UAVs in the summer dense vegetation period in Miyazaki Prefecture suggest that at least 60% of inspections are feasible. Additionally, based on trials using actual managed facilities and inspection results, a proposal for an efficient inspection operation flow using UAVs was made, highlighting potential cost reduction effects from combining UAV inspections.

Key words

EBPM, facility inspection, unmanned aerial vehicle, slope failure prevention facilities