How INSPECH works when walk-overs are not possible

Transport for New South Wales, Australia

How INSPECH works when walk-overs are not possible

|   Background

AECOM has been working on the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley Flood Evacuation Road Resilience Program since 2023 to help TfNSW improve the valley's flood resilience by improving flood evacuation roads.

|   The Challenge

Two components of the program involved widening the existing road to create a 30km evacuation shoulder. As with any widening project, a key element of the carriageway design was to understand the condition of the carriageway in order to propose an appropriate assessment for the junction of the existing and new carriageway. A detailed desk study revealed significant variability in both pavement composition and condition. As a result, an accurate and robust method of mapping the pavement condition was required. Traditional walk-over inspections were ruled out due to safety concerns and cost implications.

|   Solution

AECOM worked with INSPECH to implement a digital road inspection solution to improve the efficiency of pavement condition assessment. This is a visual inspection method that uses a GoPro camera mounted on the back of a vehicle to capture high-resolution images of the road surface from a downward perspective. These images are then integrated with digital maps to create an interactive, geo-referenced digital twin. This innovative approach streamlines the inspection process for human inspectors by providing enhanced Assisted Visual Inspection (AVI) recommendations. This allows inspectors to validate and make adjustments quickly, efficiently and with greater confidence. The result was the mapping of all distresses in the 30km stretch of road. The information helped to reduce the subsequent pavement design effort and the subjectivity when liaising with stakeholders about the condition of the pavement.

|   Main advantages

• Speed of survey compared to other methods.
• Safety, as there is no need to assess from the vehicle.
• Ability to perform detailed assessment on long corridors by using AI to map and categorise defects.
• Reduces field and office time by min. 4 weeks and reduced costs by no less than $20,000 (AUD).
• The web platform and ability to download results facilitated information sharing and collaboration with the design team, clients and stakeholders through INSPECH Visualise.
• Ability to identify focus areas and quantify rehabilitation needs with ease.

|   Lessons learned

• The configuration of the GoPro camera rig is key to effective recording. Some trial and error was required to determine the best configuration.
• Once the rig is stable, continuous recording is preferable as it eliminates clerical work and the potential use of faulty footage that occurs with frequent stop/starts.
• Staff continuity is recommended once rig settings have been established.

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