CASE C01 · US · 2016
MnDOT: investigación por fases de inspección de puentes con UAS en 39 puentes, incluido el puente Blatnik
El MnDOT probó drones de inspección en 39 puentes por fases entre 2015 y 2017. Reportó un ahorro de coste medio del 40 % y, en el puente Blatnik, el coste pasó de unos 59 000 USD a 20 000 USD y el tiempo de 8 a 5 días. Un puente costó más con el dron, y las tareas manuales y los espacios estrechos quedaron fuera de su alcance.
| Propietario | Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) |
| Proveedor | — |
| Ubicación | Duluth, Minnesota, United States (plus Nielsville, St. Paul and Stillwater) |
| Aeronave | senseFly albris (prototype inspection UAS); Flyability Elios tested in Phase 3 |
| Sensores | RGB still/video camera (90° tilt), thermal infrared, ultrasonic proximity sensors |
Antes
Camiones con plataforma que llegan bajo el tablero con inspectores en cestas o colgados de cuerdas, normalmente con cortes de carril.
Con drones
Un UAS de inspección independiente del GNSS fotografió elementos de arco de acero, celosía y alcantarilla y captó imágenes térmicas.
Resultados
| Métrica | Valor | Base |
|---|---|---|
| inspection cost (Blatnik Bridge) | about US$59,000 conventional (excluding mobilisation/travel) vs about US$20,000 with UAS | Reportado |
| inspection duration (Blatnik Bridge) | 8 days with four snoopers and an 80-ft lift vs 5 days with UAS | Reportado |
| safety / traffic | some lane closures curtailed or eliminated (not quantified) | Reportado |
| average cost saving (Phase 1–2 research) | 40% on average; savings from avoided access ranged US$540–21,000 per bridge | Reportado |
| bridge-by-bridge cost (12 bridges analysed) | e.g. Structure 62504: $3,660 → $1,020; Structure 27831: $2,580 → $540; but Structure 19538 cost more with UAS ($1,080 → $1,860) | Reportado |
Salvedades y límites
- Not every bridge was cheaper: on Structure 19538 the UAS-assisted inspection cost more than the traditional one, and cost analysis covered only 12 of 39 bridges.
- Drones cannot perform hands-on tasks such as cleaning, sounding, measuring or tactile testing, so they supplement rather than replace the inspector.
- The albris was not collision-tolerant enough for very tight spaces (box girders, small culverts); a caged drone was trialled next.
- Figures come from MnDOT's research summary of a phased pilot, not from a full programme rollout.
- Large drones could not enter some confined spaces, and operation still required substantial training and skill.
Fuentes
- MnDOT improves on award-winning use of drones for bridge inspectionMinnesota Department of Transportation Research Services Texto completo leído
- Benefit: MnDOT UAS bridge inspections saved 40% on average (ITS Knowledge Resources 2019-B01369)U.S. DOT ITS Joint Program Office Texto completo leído
- Cost: UAS-assisted vs traditional bridge inspection costs (ITS Knowledge Resources 2020-SC00448)U.S. DOT ITS Joint Program Office Texto completo leído
Fuentes comprobadas: 2026-10-22