Revolutionizing Structural Damage Inspection in Infrastructure: The Role of Drones and 3D Scanning in Educational Innovation

This paper presents the results of implementing innovative strategies using drones and 3D scanners in the specialization course Efficiency and Digitalization of Construction, aimed at undergraduate students of civil engineering and architecture. The course is offered as a specialization option among three alternatives in the penultimate semester of undergraduate programs in these fields: Sustainable Use of Water, Real Estate Intelligence, and Efficiency and Digitalization of Construction. It is delivered over an intensive 11 -week period, during which topics such as Structural Damage and Inspection Techniques, Structural Health Monitoring, Non-Destructive Testing, and Design for Durability are covered. In 2024, the course was attended by a group of 25 students from various campuses across the country. For the module on Structural Damage and Inspection Techniques, students engaged in traditional visual inspection activities of the campus stadium, identifying and qualitatively assessing damages using conventional management systems to evaluate damage severity. In contrast, a parallel activity was designed to implement advanced technologies, including 3D scanning with LiDAR and drones equipped with high-definition cameras, to identify and map damages. This technological approach enabled a quantitative and highly precise evaluation of damage severity through image analysis. When comparing these instructional strategies, incorporating technology and innovation into the cited module, students expressed, through end-of-course surveys, high motivation toward developing and researching technological solutions. They also recognized the importance of integrating high-precision technology into the evaluation and diagnosis of existing infrastructure. At the conclusion of the course activities, students and faculty prepared and submitted a technical report to campus administrators, detailing their findings and results. This report is expected to contribute to future maintenance and conservation projects, thus closing the cycle of specialization activities by observing the execution of physical interventions on the inspected stadium. Faculty members plan to continue these activities with the next cohort in the following academic year, allowing for the monitoring of damage progression and ensuring continuity in learning outcomes.