Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study

As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage

Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

Noor Suhaiza Sauti

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
E-mail: [email protected]

Normieza Mohd Yusoff

Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah
E-mail: [email protected]

Noor Asmida Abu Bakar

Politeknik Merlimau
E-mail: [email protected]

Masiri Kaamin
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
E-mail: [email protected]

Zid Abrar Akbar

Politeknik Merlimau
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract
Maintenance and preservation of inheritance structures is very important to avoid failure in
design and structure. An efficient maintenance scheme requires periodical inspections
associated with a reliable condition determination of the structure. Especially the process of
data acquisition is a time consuming, labour intensive and technically complex task. The
study aims to apply vision-based inspection and monitoring approach for heritage structures
based on high quality aerial photos taken by remote controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(UAV) to identify the type of defect in the outer structures of the heritage mosque's roof. In
terms of quality and time, this approach contributes significantly to data acquisition and
monitoring strategies and will provide increased efficiency in preserving heritage monuments.
UAV equipped with high-quality photo cameras or high-quality video cameras provides
opportunities to facilitate and speed up data acquisition and monitoring tasks. The processes
involved in the study are planning and preparation before flight, data acquisition using UAV,
image processing and data analysis from video to image. As the results from the analysis, a
total of 39 locations have been identified and documented by defects such as cracks, plants,
moss and fungus, rust, fade paint and others. All defective information obtained through
visual inspection of the UAV can assist the Department of Heritage and the management
team of the mosque in conservation and maintenance work.
Keywords: UAV, dilapidation study, heritage building,

1.0 Introduction
Historical buildings is defined as a single or a group of buildings, be it
separated or detached, due to its architecture, homogeneous, or its place in
the landscape, having a universal value that is noticeable in historical, art or
science perspective (Jabatan Warisan Negara, 2012). Other than that, a
building can be considered as historical should it withstand 100 years. In
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 Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

other words, if a building having architecture, aesthetic, history,

documentary, archeology, economic, social, politic, soul, and symbolic can be
considered as historical buildings (Fielden, 2000).
In Malaysia, almost all 100 years old mosque are gazetted as historical
buildings by the state government. Ancient mosques in Melaka can be
categorized as sino-electic. These mosques have on-ground floors similar to
those in Indonesia. Normally the roof shape of these mosques can be seen in
two or three layers (Mastor Surat, 2008). As-Solihin Sebatu mosque was built
at the end of year 1896, is one of heritage mosques gazetted by Perbadanan
Muzium Melaka (PERZIM) on 6th May 2014. The characteristics of layered
roof or pyramid-like shape roof alongside Chinese patterns and carvings are
exceptionally visible especially at the peak and end part of the roof. The usage
of these Chinese inspired bricks and tiles can also be seen at the Melaka West
Strait, most evidently in the Minangkabau district are made of wood and ijuk
roof, which comes from enau tree. Mosques with pyramid-like roof tend to
have a pagoda-like tower (Ezrin, 1971).
According to A. Ghafar Ahmad (1994), historical buildings in any
country should be conserved due to its high values in terms of emotional,
culture and functionality. There is a concern that these historical buildings
will vanish, engulfed by time itself, without proper continuous conservation
(Hobson, 2004). Hence, the effort to preserve and restore historical buildings
in Malaysia should be done in any way possible from time to time for the
younger generation having any chance to witness and enjoy in its restored
state as it was hundreds of years ago or at least in its current state that has
been re-established as a museum, gallery or hotel, not just a page in history,
reference books in the library or just a picture in a postcard, which is
currently happening (Bridgwood et al, 2003).
There are four stages to be conducted in preservation or restoration of
historical building which are preliminary studies, dilapidation studies, action
plan and execution of conservation programme (Jabatan Warisan Negara,
2012). Dilapidation studies are more towards the process of identifying the
damage level of the buildings by using photos to indicate the before
restoration process. According Ahmad Ramli (2002), in dilapidation work,
visual inspection usually done by using binoculars and camera and specific
documentation method to produce correct result. The concept of preserving
heritage that has been in practise is authenticity in heritage conservation.
Thus the conservation work of historical buildings should be carried out
carefully to minimize disturbance to the structure and fabric of the building.
However, the use of manual methods in the dilapidation work is at risk of
harm and injury when it involves the process of recording images in high and
hard-to-reach structures (Masiri, 2016). Limitations of access also result in
poor image quality recorded.
Therefore in this study, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technique can
be used as an alternative tools in visual inspection in dilapidation survey
(Masiri, 2016). According to Ahmad, A (2010), this device consists of a camera
that can capture clear photos other than capturing videos. The usage of a
micro UAV could identify the damage on the outer section of the buildings.
Therefore this study will explain the process of visual inspection for
dilapidation work of As-Solihin Mosque as historical building in Melaka. The
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 Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

outcome of this study is to get a clear view of the real damage on the roof
structure of the mosque.

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

UAVs are aircrafts without human pilots and can fly autonomously
controlled by a computer, remotely controlled by a navigator on the ground or
semi autonomously as a combination of both capabilities (Hallermann, 2013).
There are several types of micro UAV aircraft available in the market. UAVs
can be categorized according to the endurance, speed, height and weight
capacity of the load.
High Altitude Long Endurance UAV (HALE) is commonly used for
scientific research purposes that can fly above 30,000 feet up to the
atmospheric layer. Mid-Range UAV able to operate for more than 3 hours and
at altitudes above 10,000 feet. For example, a UAV Predator capable of
carrying missiles and also known as tactical and attacking mid-range UAVs.
Meanwhile, Micro UAV is type that capable to fly in less than 1 hour and has
limited load factor. This UAV design is based on glider planes and is capable
of carrying small and light cameras. Although the micro UAV is capable of
flying over 10,000 feet, for aerial capture purposes, the optimum level of
useful image quality is between 800 feet to 1200 feet and images resolution
between 6cm to 15cm per pixel.
Micro UAV DJI Phantom 3 Advance is used in this study to produce
photos and videos of the outer section of the As Solihin, Sebatu mosque’s roof.
This particular UAV can fly in less than an hour and have limited load
capacity factor. The UAV design is based on glider aircraft and could only
carry a small but light camera. Even though this micro UAV can fly up to
10,000 feet horizontally, in terms of capturing aerial images, the optimum
image quality can be captured between 800 to 1,200 feet while having a
resolution of 6 cm to 15 cm per pixel. DJI Phantom 3 Advance is equipped
with a camera that can capture both photos and videos using its 12
Megapixels Sony 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor with 20 mm lens (35 mm
equivalent) f/2.8. The visuals can be projected through a smartphone that
has installed DJI Go App. According to Mohd Zambri (2012), it is built with a
smart camera which supports 720p 30 fps HD and can be controlled by iOS
or android devices. A MicroSD card with a capacity of 64GB is used that can
store both videos and photos. The software can be downloaded through App
Store or Google Play that should connect with the camera. The application
connects the smartphone and the UAV through Wi-Fi connection. By using
DJI Go application, the camera’s functions can be controlled through the
smartphone (Figure 1).

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 Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

Figure 1: Communication Between Remote Controller, DJI Phantom 3

Advance dan Smartphone

Based on literature review, UAV is widely used in engineering to assist

in obtaining information where such information is difficult for humans to
obtain and engage security issues. UAVs in civil engineering are used for
building inspections, monitoring of landslides, seeking autonomy and
tracking of rivers, traffic, tropospheric pollution and water quality monitoring.
The visual inspection of buildings using unmanned aircraft systems has
shown that the use of an UAV represents an appropriate technique to create
a first data base required for digital building monitoring (C. Eschmann, 2012).
Previous studies on the use of UAV in visual inspection by Masiri (2016)
on Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental, University of Tun Hussein
Onn Malaysia (UTHM) focused on the potential use of micro UAV flight in
providing early information before maintenance work of high building be
carried out. The result found that the use of UAV was able to be an alternative
method to visually inspecting high external structures more easily and
quickly. The process of building maintenance is performed without using a lot
of manpower and the building inspection can also be done more frequently so
that the damage can be detected earlier.
Another studies of UAV for the assessment of existing structures by
Hallermann (2013) found that global positioning and inertial measurement
units, built into these flight systems, allow an advanced navigation and semi-
autonomous inspection flight. It is essential to get high quality photos for a
reliable state determination of historical heritage structures and a detailed
damage detection. In his study, the use of the UAV that produce a high quality
and a high degree of detail airborne photos make it possible to detect very
thin cracks between several bricks down to a few tenths of a millimetre of the
historical building.

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 Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

3.0 Methodology
Generally, the methodology research begins with a plan before flight
and pre-flight preparation. The next process is data collection through video
recording process followed by image processing to detect damage and defects
in external structures and image analysis involving editing using software.

3.1 Planning
A proper flight plan is essential to ensure the journey is smooth as
expected. The path should be pre-determined to make the process of collecting
data easier. The inspection and collection of data of As Solihin, Sebatu
mosque is done by using UAV because it is equipped with a high flexibility
camera compared with a classic aerial photo (Unger, J., Reich, M. dan Heipke,
C. 2014). According to Samad (2013), UAV is dubbed as autonomous
navigation system because it’s capability to fly by using Global Positioning
System (GPS) and check on the telemetry at Ground Control Station (GCS) as
monitoring and controlling UAV during data collection.
According to Masiri (2016), the distance between the UAV and the
building must be 2 meters or less while flying to produce clear quality
recordings. In this study, grid concept is used as reference to identify the
location of damage and defects. According to C. Eschmann (2012), the flight
path of the UAV has to be vertical to get a clearer visual. The roof section is
divided into 4 regions; front, back, left and right. The flight path is as Figure
2 to cover all area of the roof. The type of damage to be recorded is referring
to the checklist of defects in the Heritage Building Conservation Guidelines,
State Heritage Department 2012.

Figure 2: Flight direction according to roof section

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 Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
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3.2 Data Observation and Collection

Data collection involves video footages and images of the mosque’s
exterior roof structure by using UAV. The whole roof area is recorded as in
Table 1. During the process of data collection, the UAV pilot collaborates with
an observer to maintain the 2 meter distance from the roof. The task of an
observer is to guide the pilot on the whereabouts of the UAV. The observer is
responsible in avoiding any collision between the UAV and the mosque’s
structure by giving proper instructions to the pilot. At least two persons are
involved during any data collection process. Figure 3 refers to the observer
and the pilot for this study.

Table 1: Data collection from observation

Roof section Video Image Processed image
Front 3 57 23
Back 1 38 13
Left 2 34 14
Right 2 56 25
Total 8 185 75

Figure 3: Data collection process

3.3 Video and Image Processing

Images are extracted through video footages that have been captured
on the overall structure of the mosque’s roof. Every image that has been
produced will be processed and analysed based on the sections divided into
grids (Figure 4). More detailed analysis is performed at any defective or
defective location to obtain a clearer picture of any damage occurring. The
zoomed image will be analysed using Adobe Photoshop. This study has taken
the amount of damage or defect that has experienced over 5 times as a
sample.

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Figure 4: Section of roof divided into grid

Adobe Photoshop is used to produce better images and easier to identify

the type of defect the structure is currently having (Figure 5).

(i) Before editing (ii) After editing

Figure 5: Editing of photo image before and after using Adobe Photoshop

Each image has different techniques depending on the image and type
of damage that occurs. Structural damage caused by plants is identified using
Diffuse Glow and Find Edges technique. To identify the types of corrosive
surface damage, Craquelure and Grain technique analysis are used. Damage
such as rusty and decay structures uses the technique of Brush Strokes
Accented Edges. There are several other analysis techniques used to detect
different types of damage to the outer structure of the mosque's roof.

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 Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

4.0 Results and Discussions

The result of the image analysis obtained from UAV flight video
recording has found some defects in the mosque's roofs occurring in several
locations based on the position determined by the grid method. This study
has used video image recording due to the better image quality of the video
compared to the normal photo shoot obtained using conventional methods.
Furthermore, the video recording can save time and battery consumption on
a micro UAV aircraft. The UAV is equipped with a camera that offers the
possibility to map different areas quickly and with high flexibility compared
to classic aerial photos (J. Unger, 2014). Therefore, UAVs are becoming
popular for use low budget and use in large scale mapping (Darwin (2014).
Overall, 39 damage images have been detected from 8 videos recorded
by the UAV. At least 2 operators are involved in recording video for the entire
As-Solihin mosque's roof. This allows for visual inspection to be done
frequently to detect damage early. This finding is consistent with the results
of the study conducted by Masiri (2016) which states that the maintenance of
buildings using UAV does not involve large manpower and UAV can be used
as an alternative method in improving the building inspection process
compared to conventional methods.
The results gathered through image processing of each section of the
roof are shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Type of defects according to roof section

Type of Total Overall total
Section Location of defect
defect defect of defect
Fungus and 3E,3D,3B
3
mossy
Right Cracks 3D,3B,3C,4B 4 8
Rusty and 2A
1
decay
Fungus 2D,2C 2
Cracks 2D,2C 2
Rusty and 2B
1
Front decay 7
Peeling paint 2D 1
Shifted 3A
1
structure
Fungus 3E,3D 2
Cracks 3D,2D 2
Plants 3D 1
Peeling paint 4C 1
Left Rusty and 4B,5C 10
2
decay
Surface 4C
1
eroded
Fade paint 5D 1
Back Fungus 3E,3D,3C,4C 4 14
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 Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

Cracks 3D,3C,4C,4B 4
Peeling paint 3E,3D 2
Rusty and 2D
1
decay
Broken tile 2C 1
Surface 4C
1
eroded
Rusty and 1B
1
dirty

From the results shown in Figure 6, it is clear that the back side of the
roof has the most defects which is 36% while the front side of the roof has the
least amount of defects which is 18% of the whole amount of defects of the
roof.

TOTAL DEFECTS ACCORDING TO ROOF LOCATION

40
36
Percentage of Defects

35

30
26
25
21
20 18

15

10

0
Right Side Front Side Left Side Back Side
ROOF SECTION

Figure 6: Graph of total defects according to roof location

A few type of defects on the roof have been identified such as moss and
fungus, cracks, plant infested, peeling paint, rust and decay, faded paint and
others. The graph in Figure 7 clearly shows that cracks on the exterior
structure of the roof having the most effect at 31%, followed by moss and
fungus at 28%. Plant infestation, cracked roof tiles, shifted structure, rust
and dirty are minor defects detected on the roof.

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 Visual Inspection in Dilapidation Study of Heritage Structure Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Case Study
As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

TYPES OF ROOF DEFECTS

35
28 31
30
Percentage of Defect

25

20

15 13
10
10
5
5 3 3 3 3
0
moss and cracks plants peeling rust and broken tile fade paint rust and shifted
fungus paint decay dirty structure
Type of Defect

Figure 7: Graph of total roof defects according to defect types

5.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, visual inspection in dilapidation of the heritage building
by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) provide an alternative method to
identify the defect occur at exterior of the building. The images that are
recorded and processed gives a clear analysis on the type of defects occur at
the building’s structure. The usage of UAV in building inspection makes it
possible to access those hard to reach areas and record the defects without
damaging the original structure of the building. A scheduled inspection can
be easily executed because the defects of the building can be easily detected
for the conservation process to be performed by the related parties.

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As-Solihin Mosque, Melaka

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