DETAILED EXAMINATION OF ROYAL BORDER BRIDGE

Sector Land & Rail
Region Europe

Using our UAV inspection solution, which has been tailored specifically for viaducts, our team was able to conduct a safe, quick and cost-effective inspection, providing detailed engineering quality images to allow defect analysis, as well as orthophotos and 3D point cloud models.

For a project of this scale and complexity, we mobilised a team of two – a highly trained UAV pilot and an experienced inspection engineer. Limited flying positions and a lack of GPS signal underneath the soffits also meant a highly experienced team was needed.

It took less than two weeks for us to conduct the inspection using drones – half the time that traditional access methods, such as rope access, would take. UAV inspection also proved to be inherently safer as no working at height, track side or through the night was required. Furthermore, by eliminating the need for track possessions, there was no disruption to scheduling.

Royal Border Bridge, a Grade I listed railway viaduct, spans the River Tweed in Northumberland, England and was built between 1847 and 1850. The bridge is 659 metres (2,162 ft) long and has 28 arches, each of which span 18 metres (60 ft).