Hawaii DOT Route 19
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) engaged ElevateUAS to explore how our advanced remote sensing and monitoring services could assist in managing over a dozen geohazard areas along a rural highway. The primary concern was to investigate the current state of the shoreline cliffs where wave action is causing cliff erosion potentially impacting a critical throughway connecting rural communities. HDOT did not know how to inspect these highly inaccessible and dangerous features due to the dense vegetation, 50 to 400 feet of vertical cliffs, and large crashing waves along the shoreline below. Elevate could help!
Leveraging previous experience, advanced technology, and a clear understanding of project goals, the Elevate team came up with a safe and effective solution to support HDOT’s investigation. Detailed flight planning with redundancies and safety measures in place, each site was treated as its own specific project due to the unique variables and significant challenges of the site conditions. Using photogrammetry mapping techniques, the Elevate team delivered high-resolution maps and models, enabling HDOT to visualize the site conditions clearly for the first time. Additionally, Elevate recommended and conducted high-density LiDAR scans of the sites based on the specific goals for HDOT to monitor this asset. The initial scans provided a more accurate assessment of the slope and cliff conditions, due to LiDAR’s ability to penetrate thick vegetation. This technology not only allowed for accurate baseline evaluations of each site, but also set the stage for future scans to detect ongoing erosion and measure the rate of change.
Image above illustrates how LiDAR can penetrate dense canopies of vegetation to capture ground elevation for high accuracy monitoring of geohazards.
MilePost 27.75-27.83 KMZ mesh surface displayed in Google Earth.
HDOT officials were highly satisfied with Elevate’s services and unique capabilities, appreciating the deliverables, efficiency and safety with which Elevate provided solutions.
The entire ElevateUAS team takes pride in having contributed to this critical project. We find great fulfillment in projects like this, where we not only deliver effective solutions for our clients but also help mitigate risks to the surrounding communities. At Elevate, our goal is to provide technical and innovative solutions that empower our clients to take a proactive approach when addressing geohazards, rather than a reactive one.