Measurement of cracks in cement silos with unmanned aerial vehicle and statistical analysis

Abstract

Reinforced concrete silos, the main structures for bulk cement storage, are frequently affected by pathological manifestations, mainly cracks caused by design and/or execution flaws. Silo inspection is a recurring concern due to the complexity of the procedure, which involves significant height, difficult access, and adverse exposure conditions. Traditional crack measurement methods are insufficient due to access difficulties, safety risks, lack of precision, and inconsistent results. This study proposes a method for detection, measurement, and quantification of cracks in reinforced concrete silos, including the estimation of epoxy resin consumption for repairs, resulting from structural design flaws in cement storage silos. The research uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), digital photogrammetry, and statistical analysis with the Student’s T distribution. The methodology included a systematic review and an experimental study, resulting in a protocol for crack inspection and measurement. The results indicated that the method with UAVs is more effective in detecting cracks, providing guidelines for inspection, segmentation into microregions, and calculation of the confidence interval for crack density.

Keywords
UAV; Silo; Cracks; Epoxy resin; Structural repair