PSI - Issue 78

Mario Graniero et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 78 (2026) 1040–1047

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1. Introduction In seismically vulnerable regions like Italy, the resilience of linear infrastructures such as railways and highways is crucial for rescue operations and minimizing post-disaster downtime (Iliopoulou et al., 2025; Xu et al., 2021). The scientific community is increasingly using fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (FW-UAVs) for monitoring and predicting infrastructure damage from natural hazards. FW-UAVs offer rapid deployment, high-speed data collection, extensive range, enhanced safety, and sensor versatility (Utomo et al., 2020). These platforms are essential for "rapid mapping" in disaster-affected areas, providing high-resolution spatial information to support Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. Their quick response helps identify critical zones and create comprehensive damage maps after earthquakes (Aminzadeh and Khoshnood, 2023). Direct georeferencing, especially with RTK/PPK capabilities, speeds up data acquisition and processing by eliminating the need for artificial markers, allowing for centimeter-level accuracy without ground control points. The Polytechnic University of Turin's Geomatics research group, in collaboration with Italian Firefighters, actively used UAVs to monitor the 2016 Central Italy earthquake aftermath (Chiabrando et al., 2019). FW-UAVs, combined with pre-event data, can also estimate seismic vulnerability and landslide risk through data driven models and AI, generating 3D interactive maps quickly. Unlike static cameras, FW-UAVs offer wide coverage, fast flight speeds, and real-time monitoring capabilities (Utomo et al., 2020). Additionally, long-endurance FW-UAVs can enhance emergency communication by acting as relays for ground rescuers, as demonstrated during the 2021 Henan rainstorm, though their inability to hover can cause intermittent connectivity (Jiang et al., 2023). Despite their potential for infrastructure maintenance, emergency operations, and strategic planning, FW-UAV technology isn't yet widely adopted in complex, high-seismic-risk terrains like Italy. This paper aims to synthesize existing literature, explore future developments, and propose a methodology, including a case study, to highlight the significant opportunities FW-UAVs offer for improving prevention, response, and resilience. 2. The role of Fixed-Wing UAVs in infrastructure monitoring Fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (FW-UAVs) have emerged as a powerful and increasingly indispensable tool for infrastructure monitoring due to their unique operational characteristics, particularly relevant for extensive linear infrastructures such as railways and highways. Unlike rotary-wing UAVs, FW-UAVs are optimized for covering vast areas efficiently, offering higher speed and longer endurance (see Fig.1). This enables comprehensive data acquisition over substantial distances in a single flight, significantly reducing the time and cost associated with traditional ground-based surveys or even helicopter-based inspections (Gaspari et al., 2022; Nooralishahi et al., 2021).

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Fig. 1. (a) Adapted from (Heo and Na, 2025), showing the types of drones; (b) comparison between different types of drones.