Near Real-time Construction Quality Monitoring and Inspection Protocols Using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles

Innovative quality control technologies are used for asphalt materials to ensure smooth and long-lasting pavements. Paver Mounted Thermal Profilers (PMTPs) and Intelligent Compactors (ICs) are among the technologies used for freshly paved mat quality monitoring. However, these technologies are expensive and have some limitations in retrofitting the existing pavers and rollers from different equipment manufacturers. In the first phase of our research, aerial thermal images captured from an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) were used to develop a framework for hot-mix asphalt (HMA) construction quality monitoring. Thermal segregation risk was quantified using three different metrics. An object detection machine learning algorithm was implemented to develop compaction efficiency metrics that includes roller pass counts and roller speed. Various construction sites were visited in 2023 and 2024 to develop models and framework. The main goal of the second phase of the study is to extend capabilities of the models and algorithms of the aerial pavement quality monitoring protocol and improve the readiness level for implementation in real-life scenarios. The focus of the proposed work in the second phase is to develop the probabilistic density models and extend the limits of the surveyed mat. The ultimate vision is to commercialize the proposed technology as a contractor tool that can provide near real-time quality data from the ongoing construction with actionable feedback. When such data is made available to the paving crew, likelihood of achieving uniform and target in-place densities will increase and overall pavement quality will be improved.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $306,094.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552344813

  69A3552348318

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Infrastructure Transformation

  Prairie View A&M University
  Prairie View, TX  United States  77446
• Performing Organizations:

  Arizona State University, Tempe

  Tempe, AZ  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Ozer, Hasan

• Start Date: 20260501
• Expected Completion Date: 20280430
• Actual Completion Date: 20280430
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
• Source Data: 03-30-ASU

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Hot mix asphalt; Image analysis; Machine learning; Object detection; Unmanned aircraft systems
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Design; Materials; Pavements; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 02001919
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Infrastructure Transformation
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344813, 69A3552348318
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 10 2026 8:58AM