Automated Condition Survey in the context of
Airfield Safety
Multiple Projects
Maintaining safe, functional airfields is essential for supporting growing global air traffic. However, traditional inspection methods often fall short, presenting challenges such as incomplete coverage, subjective assessments, and time-consuming processes. Niricson’s innovative solutions revolutionize how Airfield Pavement Condition Assessments (PCI) are conducted, delivering unparalleled accuracy and efficiency through automation and advanced AI.
Overview
Niricson conducted a cutting-edge inspection of a 1.8-mile-long runway at a major international airport, supporting over 200,000 annual flights and 20 million passengers. Leveraging photogrammetry, robotics, and AI-driven defect detection, the project provided a comprehensive PCI survey, quantified distresses, and created a digital baseline for monitoring pavement deterioration.
This high-resolution (1mm) survey identified defects like cracking and spalling while integrating results with PAVER software for maintenance planning. Using Rover and UAV systems, the inspection ensured full surface coverage without disrupting operations, setting a new benchmark for airfield safety and efficiency.
Takeaways
In May 2024, Niricson collaborated with the asset owner to conduct a comprehensive digital condition survey, encompassing three core components:
Data Collection: High-resolution images (1mm/pixel) were captured using UAVs or Rovers with specialized mission planning software, ensuring complete coverage through precise grid-pattern flights. Rigorous quality checks eliminated any defects in the imagery.
Automated Distress Mapping: Processed images were analyzed with AUTOSPEX™, Niricson’s proprietary software, to map and quantify distresses, including three-dimensional defects like rutting and bumping.
PCI Calculation: Engineers classified distresses by severity using AUTOSPEX™ and integrated the data into PAVER software to calculate accurate PCI values for maintenance planning.
This approach delivered precise and actionable insights to the asset owner, ensuring efficiency and reliability.
Leveraging AUTOSPEX™ to Automate Airfield Monitoring
Using advanced AI techniques, AUTOSPEX automatically maps and quantifies defects on any given structure. This allows engineers to make informed decisions based on reliable data. Defect Assessment is a feature that allows Airfield teams to assign Severity levels for each defect to support the PCI Survey being completed. Furthermore, as shown below, asset owners can create digital Sample Units to help calculate PCI in the digital environment. The Digital Sample Unit automatically calculates the type of defects (and the size) within the unit, enabling for rapid PCI calculation.
Asset owners using AUTOSPEX™ can also download the defect quantification data which now includes Severity and Priority columns to share and collaborate with all stakeholders involved in the project.
Precise Asset Condition Reports for Preventive Maintenance
With AUTOSPEX™, asset owners and consulting firms can now remotely collaborate with digital defect maps of their pavement surface, and automatically identify changes to their structure over multiple surveys. Under the scope of the project, the team:
- Optimized access to the structure, for a more accurate condition survey, while eliminating uncertainties and subjectivity
- Created a baseline which can be referenced through time to monitor deterioration and better plan for maintenance
Impact on Cost, Time Saving, ROI
- Traditional hands-on inspections require longer operational shutdowns
- Niricson inspection (photogrammetry + ROVER) is completed with 0% operational impact to flight traffic
- Repeatable, standardized method which can track visual and non-visual defects as a baseline
- The average Airport earns $10,000 per Aircraft in Revenue. On the low side, for example, an airport that completes 50-60
- movements per hour with two runways. Cost: $250,000 per Hour per Runway
- Cost of Traditional Inspections: Missing Defects Leading to Inefficient Repairs
- Cost of Inaction: Potential Emergency Pavement Situations
