Avaliação da condição funcional de pavimentos com o uso de Aeronaves Remotamente Pilotadas (RPA)

Abstract

The management of urban road infrastructure in Brazil faces growing challenges due to city expansion and the inefficiency of traditional monitoring methods. This study proposed and validated a methodology for the objective evaluation of urban pavements using Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), applied to the São Carlos campus of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar). The method integrated aerial photogrammetric surveys with digital image processing and manual classification based on the DNIT 006/2003-PRO standard, adapted to the urban context. The results demonstrated high technical feasibility, generating orthomosaics with a spatial resolution (GSD) of 0.94 cm and a positional accuracy of 3.86 cm (RMSE) via an RTK/PPK system, without the need for ground control points. The functional assessment of 12 road sections (totaling 963 meters) enabled the calculation of the Global Gravity Index (IGG), identifying that 41.6% of the segments were in "Excellent" condition, while 41.6% were classified as "Poor" or "Very Poor", requiring immediate interventions. It is concluded that the proposed approach provides a robust technical foundation for the implementation of Urban Pavement Management Systems (UPMS), contributing directly to a more efficient, safe, economical, and sustainable management of urban road infrastructure.