Grain Silo Surface Degradation Inspection

Exposure to natural elements like sunshine, rain and wind has a degrading effect on large structures. Over time the degradation can cause serious damage if proper maintenance is not diligently performed. Assessment of the damage caused by the natural elements can be difficult if the structure being inspected is very large. The damage may also be spread over the large surface area of the structure and every inch must be inspected.

The large grain silos at a food processing plant in Cape Town had shown possible signs of structural fatigue. Our client wanted to ensure that all the damaged areas on the grain silos were identified. The subsequent maintenance program could then be targeted at these trouble spots. Darkwing Aerials performed a full RGB and thermal inspection of the 20 grain silos with our DJI M210 Enterprise drone. Using the Zenmuse X5 RGB camera and the Zenmuse XT2 FLIR camera full coverage of the grain silos’ exterior was achieved. 

The thermal images captured by the XT2 detected sub-surface fault lines and cracks in the façade of the grain silos. We also used our smaller DJI Mavic Pro 2 to capture aerial images of the entire food processing facility. These images were used to reconstruct the facility in 3D and create a digital twin. We were able to provide our client with an extensive and comprehensive overview of their entire facility. This detailed overview allowed our client to address all their maintenance requirements quickly and effectively.