Call for EOIs: Airside Automated Pavement Inspection (United Kingdom)

The solution partner is expected to deploy their equipment on airside operational vehicle to collect data. Collaborate with Connected Places Catapult and Glasgow Airport refine the solution requirements. The process of outputting condition monitoring surveys would be piloted between the solution partner and Glasgow airport to evidence the suitability and value of supporting their system of pavement management.

The project provides a unique opportunity to develop and demonstrate your solution in a real-world airport environment in collaboration with Glasgow Airport. The overarching aim of the airport living lab is to demonstrate the readiness and value of technologies for deployment at airports.

Pavements and associated infrastructure are a critical asset to the safe and performant operation of commercial airports. Airports typically perform detailed visual inspections of pavement areas at monthly intervals to identify any faults or condition issues that may require remediation works. The Airside Pavement Directory document provides an informative overview of the types of areas, pavements and features found in the airside environment that a solution may need to handle. The key perceived benefits of introducing automation technology to the pavement inspection process are:

• Providing a more accurate, consistent and confident rating of pavement condition and remaining asset life compared to manual visual inspections alone. They offer consistent, systematic analysis supported by quantified and empirical data.
• More pavement works programmed into planned maintenance blocks. They provide greater efficiencies compared to repairing on a more ad-hoc basis.
• Better strategic forecasting of pavement maintenance budgeting and works.

Challenges

• They are seeking solutions that satisfy the following challenge areas:
  • Survey airside pavements: Solutions need to be capable of handling the variety of pavement types and features used for runways, taxiways and aprons in addition to airside roads.
  • Effectively support airside pavement management: Solutions need to factor for designated pavement area categories that account for their usage and criticality characteristics. Condition surveys should track the rate of condition progression, remaining asset life, identified failures and their bounds and provide good confidence backed up by quantified and empirical data.
  • Perform reliably, accurately and safely in the airport environment: Solutions need to handle the geometries of airport sites, reliably geolocate accurate location and correct area category, provide good fidelity during daylight hours in fair weather although the ability to handle wet weather or during darkness may be beneficial.
  • Are effective to deploy into airport operations: Solutions need to be easy to install/remove on operational vehicles. The process of data collection, processing and reporting needs to be practicable to implement and effectively support the existing process of performing monthly area inspections with reasonably adaptations.
  • Forecast future asset condition based on usage scenarios:  An ideal solution would link with traffic patterns to forecast remaining asset life and calculate projections based on variable future scenarios.

Funding Information

• They are looking to award up to 3 solution partners sharing a total budget of up to £75,000 contingent on number of awards and cost/benefit assessments across the Airport’s Living Lab programme.

For more information, visit Connected Places Catapult.