| Abstract |
Transportation infrastructure systems are subject to deterioration because of several factors, such as traffic loads, weather conditions, construction quality, and age. Therefore, regular assessment and maintenance are required to keep these systems in acceptable condition to provide their intended functions. However, traditional assessment procedures are time, cost, and labor-intensive. Thus, several Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have moved toward more innovative assessment methods, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). However, the use of UAVs in infrastructure assessment is still developing, and many DOTs face limitations and challenges in fully adopting UAVs for infrastructure assessment. Thus, this paper aims to identify the DOTs' current status of UAV applications and the challenges of these applications in infrastructure systems assessment from five perspectives: Social, Workability, Operational, Economic, and Environmental. A survey has been distributed to 50 state DOTs, and responses from 25 DOTs have been recorded. Based on the survey results, this paper identified and categorized 25 limitations from the five perspectives. Finally, this paper maps the future research needs based on existing limitations and previous research. |
, Ahmed Abdelaty 
