Knowledge-Based Considerations for Developing UAS Operational Procedures on Infrastructure and Construction Task Environments

摘要

With the increase in unmanned aircraft system (UAS) use, construction and infrastructure domains have focused on developing operational procedures compatible with their internal processes as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules. Since construction and infrastructure have complex and dynamic task environments, the professional task guidelines as well as policies for the specific tasks, such as condition inspection or safety inspection, have been established and adopted. To integrate the UAS into such tasks, UAS operational procedures should be developed. The main goals of this paper are to identify the perception of industry practitioners about UAS integration into construction and infrastructure management tasks and to learn how detailed operational procedures could be applied to their task environments involving UAS technology. To achieve these goals, this exploratory study employed an open-ended survey and structured interviews with a total of 13 experts involved in construction, bridge maintenance, airport inspection, and traffic or accident management. The exploratory findings of this paper will aid in crafting specific UAS operational procedures for the infrastructure and construction management tasks using this emerging technology.