Multi-Sensor Drone-Based Imaging Synthetic Aperture Radar System for Railway Bridge Timber Inspection

Regular inspection of wooden railroad bridges is critical to public safety and infrastructure reliability. Traditional inspection methods often require workers to access hard-to-reach areas, making inspections dangerous, time-consuming, and costly. Many bridges are located in remote areas, making them especially difficult to inspect thoroughly using manual techniques. 

TRB’s Rail Safety IDEA Final Report for Project RS-57, Multi-Sensor Drone-Based Imaging Synthetic Aperture Radar System for Railway Bridge Timber Inspection, evaluates the feasibility of and challenges associated with deploying a drone-based imaging synthetic aperture radar (iSAR) system to improve the inspection of wooden railway bridges and pilings. The concept integrates radar, optical, stereoscopic imaging, infrared, and positioning sensors on a heavy-lift drone platform to perform non-destructive, remote assessments of timber structures that are traditionally challenging, hazardous, or costly to inspect manually.