In addition to saving agencies time on repairs and preventative measures, utilizing satellites to monitor infrastructure and pavement conditions has the potential to reduce costs associated with managing roadway infrastructure assets.
“We’re building this up to use as a source of data for geotechnical asset management and looking at how to integrate this remote sensing data into geotechnical asset management,” said Gajurel. “We can use SAR data for managing the geotechnical assets. This could be a great method for organizations that are looking for a cost-effective way to manage these assets.”
SAR remote sensing technology has been used to study geomorphological changes and sudden movements like earthquakes and landslides.
“When there is damage due to a natural disaster, authorities use the satellite systems to determine what caused it. Recently we started utilizing this method to look at transportation infrastructure, including highway embankments, roads, and even airport runways,” said Puppala, who also serves as the director of the Center for Infrastructure Renewal at Texas A&M University.
As most doctors and patients would agree, preventative medicine is a better option than responding to an emergency. Preventative care provides doctors with more time to create the best plan for their patients. Likewise, by incorporating infrastructure condition data from SAR technology, asset managers can be proactive in repairing any flaws, budgeting for potential issues which can save both time and money that may be otherwise lost.