Drone Infrastructure Inspection — Bridges, Pylons and Structures
Aerial drone inspection of infrastructure in Burgundy: bridges, pylons, wind turbines, water towers. Thermal camera and 168 mm zoom. Nièvre and neighbouring departments.
Inspecting a bridge, pylon or water tower without a drone means mobilising rope access technicians, aerial platforms, closing a road or halting production. With the DJI Matrice 4TD and its 168 mm super-telephoto zoom, we photograph and film every centimetre of a structure from a safe distance, simultaneously in 4K and thermal. Result: a complete inspection report in a few hours, with no traffic disruption and no risk to teams.
Why choose drone inspection?
Visual and thermal drone inspection offers decisive advantages over traditional methods:
- Safety: no personnel working at height or in hazardous zones
- Speed: a bridge inspected in 2–4 hours versus several days with aerial platforms
- No service interruption: no road closure, no production stoppage
- Dual reading: thermal camera (moisture detection, delamination) and high-resolution visible (cracks, corrosion, coating defects) in a single intervention
Concrete applications
Bridges and hydraulic structures
Nièvre is crossed by the Loire and Allier rivers, and bordered by the Canal de Bourgogne and Canal du Nivernais. Piers, decks, expansion joints, safety barriers — the drone inspects hard-to-reach or submerged parts from the riverbank, in partnership with asset managers (Département, VNF, municipalities).
Water towers and reservoirs
Detection of cracks, render spalling, anchor corrosion and waterproofing defects on tanks and support structures. Thermal imaging reveals moisture zones before any visible infiltration occurs.
Pylons and power lines
Inspection of HV/MV pylons, detection of hot spots on connections and insulators, structural integrity checks without approaching within 50 m of live lines.
Wind turbines
Blade inspection (cracks, leading edge erosion, bird strike damage), nacelles and masts. A wind turbine can be inspected in 45 minutes by drone versus several hours with rope access technicians. Thermal imaging detects hot spots in composite blades.
Industrial buildings and complex roofs
Inspection of large surface coverings (warehouses, factories, greenhouses), concrete or metal façades, industrial chimneys and silos. Early identification of at-risk zones before annual maintenance plans.
Bell towers and built heritage
Rural Burgundy and Nièvre have an abundant and often fragile religious heritage. The drone inspects bell towers, tile roofs and masonry without rope access, at costs accessible to small municipalities.
Who is it for?
- Departmental Councils (58, 21, 71, 89, 03, 18, 45) for their road structures
- VNF (Voies Navigables de France) for locks and structures on the Canal de Bourgogne and Canal du Nivernais
- Rural municipalities for bell towers, water towers and public buildings
- Wind farm operators for periodic statutory inspections
- Energy companies and network managers (RTE, Enedis, GRDF)
- Social housing landlords for preventive maintenance of their property portfolios
When to intervene?
- Annual preventive maintenance: schedule inspection in spring, after winter and before the summer season
- After weather events: storm, freeze/thaw cycles, flooding, hail — for rapid damage assessment and works prioritisation
- Before renovation: drone inspection establishes an accurate baseline that informs works costings
- Weather conditions: wind below 10 m/s, sufficient visibility — the IP55-rated drone handles light rain
Service area
We operate in Nièvre (58) and neighbouring departments: Yonne (89), Côte-d'Or (21), Saône-et-Loire (71), Allier (03), Cher (18) and Loiret (45).