Berth inspection Drone Guide

Berths are among the most heavily used pieces of infrastructure within a commercial port. Every vessel arrival places operational demands on quay walls, fenders, bollards, loading equipment, access structures, electrical systems and the surrounding pavement. Much of this infrastructure is positioned immediately beside or above water, while important structural components can be difficult to inspect safely from the quay itself. Drones provide port authorities and terminal operators with a faster way to inspect these assets while reducing the need for personnel to work close to quay edges or use boats, rope access and elevated platforms for every inspection. A professional berth inspection can involve considerably more than taking photographs of the quay wall. High-resolution cameras can identify cracking, corrosion, deformation and missing components. Optical zoom allows detailed inspection from a safer stand-off distance, thermal cameras can investigate electrical equipment and selected structural anomalies, while LiDAR and photogrammetry can create accurate digital records of the berth. When repeat surveys are performed using consistent flight paths, artificial intelligence can compare current imagery with historical inspections and highlight changes. This makes drones particularly valuable for preventative maintenance because the objective shifts from simply finding visible damage towards understanding whether defects are developing over time. Ports can take this concept further with Drone-in-a-Box systems. Autonomous drones can perform scheduled inspections between vessel movements, respond after storms or vessel impacts and provide engineering teams with updated information without requiring a drone pilot to travel to the berth for every routine survey. ## **What Is a Drone Berth Inspection?** A drone berth inspection uses an unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras or other sensors to assess the physical condition of berth infrastructure. The aircraft can inspect areas that are difficult to see from normal ground level, including the face of the quay wall, fender systems, bollards, crane structures and equipment positioned near the water. The drone captures georeferenced imagery that can be reviewed immediately or processed into maps and three-dimensional models. Engineers can identify visible defects and determine which areas require closer inspection. The drone does not necessarily replace traditional structural inspection. Instead, it provides a highly efficient method for screening large areas and creating detailed records that help engineers target manual inspection where it is genuinely required. ## **Why Berths Need Regular Inspection** Berths operate in demanding conditions. They experience vessel loads, tidal movement, waves, saltwater, weather, heavy vehicles and continuous cargo operations. Some facilities also handle chemicals, fuels or bulk materials that can accelerate deterioration. Damage may develop gradually through corrosion and fatigue or suddenly following vessel impact, severe weather or equipment failure. A defect that initially appears minor can become more significant if it is not detected and monitored. Regular inspection therefore supports both safety and operational continuity. Finding deterioration early can allow repairs to be planned during quieter periods rather than waiting for a failure that forces an emergency berth closure. ## **Quay Wall Inspection** The quay wall is one of the most important structural elements of the berth. Depending on construction, it may consist of concrete, steel sheet piles, masonry or combinations of different materials. A drone can fly parallel to the wall and capture overlapping high-resolution imagery. Engineers can inspect the resulting images for cracks, corrosion, displacement, staining, missing material and other visible changes. The ability to photograph the wall from directly in front rather than from above provides a much better inspection angle. ## **Concrete Quay Walls** Concrete structures can develop cracking, spalling, exposed reinforcement and surface deterioration. Saltwater penetration can contribute to reinforcement corrosion, which may eventually cause sections of concrete to break away. High-resolution drone imagery can document these defects and their exact location. Repeat surveys make it possible to determine whether cracks or spalling areas are increasing rather than relying entirely on written descriptions from previous inspections. ## **Concrete Crack Detection** Cracks are one of the most common features investigated during concrete inspection. A drone equipped with a high-resolution camera and optical zoom can collect detailed imagery without requiring an inspector to approach every section of the wall. AI can assist by identifying linear features consistent with cracking and presenting them to an engineer for review. Image-based measurements should be properly scaled and validated if accurate crack widths are required for engineering decisions. ## **Concrete Spalling Detection** Spalling occurs when sections of concrete detach or begin breaking away from the surface. It may be associated with reinforcement corrosion, impact damage, freeze-thaw effects or other deterioration. Aerial imagery can identify changes in surface texture and exposed reinforcement. Three-dimensional models can also help quantify larger areas where material has been lost. ## **Reinforcement Corrosion** When reinforcement becomes exposed, corrosion can often be identified visually through rust staining and deterioration around the concrete. The drone can document the extent of visible exposure and provide engineers with close-up imagery. Determining the condition of reinforcement still requires appropriate engineering assessment and may require physical testing. ## **Steel Sheet Pile Inspection** Many quay walls use steel sheet piles. These structures operate continuously in a highly corrosive marine environment. Drones can inspect the visible section of the piles for corrosion, coating failure, deformation, impact damage and missing components. The tidal zone is particularly interesting because water-level changes can expose different parts of the structure during the day. ## **Corrosion Detection** Corrosion is one of the most important berth inspection applications. Saltwater and marine atmosphere create aggressive conditions for steel infrastructure. RGB cameras can identify visible rust, coating failure and surface deterioration. AI can then segment areas showing corrosion-like characteristics. This allows maintenance teams to create corrosion maps rather than relying solely on individual photographs. ## **AI Corrosion Detection** AI can analyse thousands of inspection images and automatically highlight areas that appear corroded. This is particularly useful on long quay walls where manual review can be time-consuming. The software can classify severity according to predefined visual categories and compare results with previous surveys. Engineers remain responsible for determining the actual structural significance. ## **Coating Inspection** Protective coatings are widely used on steel structures. Early coating failure may appear as blistering, cracking, peeling or discoloration. High-resolution drone imagery can document these areas before severe corrosion develops. This allows maintenance teams to plan recoating based on actual condition rather than relying only on fixed maintenance intervals. ## **Fender Inspection** Fenders absorb energy when vessels approach and contact the berth. They are therefore essential for protecting both the vessel and quay structure. Drone inspection can document rubber elements, panels, chains, bolts and surrounding mounting structures. Because fenders are positioned directly over or beside the water, drones can often inspect them more easily than ground personnel. ## **Fender Damage Detection** Rubber fenders may develop cuts, deformation or oth