Identifying the signs of weakness, deterioration, and damage to flood defence infrastructure from remotely sensed data and mapped information

Monitoring flood defence condition is a critical part of the effective management of flood defence infrastructure. In this study, the use of remotely sensed data to identify indicators of weakness, deterioration, and damage is explored. Such indicators are often tell‐tale signs of processes that can lead to flood defence failure and breaching. Sources of data and the techniques to analyse those data are discussed and a framework is developed that links data sources to indicators of flood defence performance. A range of examples are presented that highlight both the value and limitations of bringing together multiple sources of data such as Light Detection and Ranging and historical mapping to supplement visual inspection assessments. The paper concludes that nationally available sources of remotely sensed data can be used to supplement existing visual condition inspection procedures to help prioritise and programme maintenance and repair work.