Development of a Method for Determining the Tilt of Tower-Type Engineering Structures
Abstract
This paper investigates modern approaches to determining the tilt of tower-type engineering structures using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and digital photogrammetry techniques. The relevance of the research is driven by the growing need to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and safety of geodetic monitoring of high-rise engineering structures subjected to natural and anthropogenic influences throughout their operational life. A geodetic methodology for determining the tilt of industrial chimneys is proposed, based on UAV aerial image acquisition followed by photogrammetric processing of digital images using the Digitals software package. The study describes the principal stages of the proposed methodology, including flight mission planning, image acquisition, photogrammetric data processing, three-dimensional reconstruction of the structure, determination of the coordinates of characteristic points, and calculation of the tilt magnitude. Experimental investigations confirmed the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed approach, demonstrating its capability to provide accurate geometric characteristics of the structure and to assess its spatial position with a high degree of precision. The obtained results indicate that UAV-based photogrammetric surveying significantly reduces fieldwork duration, decreases labor intensity, enhances personnel safety during inspections of inaccessible structures, and lowers operational costs compared with conventional geodetic surveying methods. The practical significance of the research lies in the development of a universal geodetic methodology for tilt determination of tower-type engineering structures that can be effectively applied for operational inspection, technical condition assessment, deformation monitoring, and the timely detection of hazardous changes in the spatial position of high-rise engineering facilities. The proposed methodology provides an efficient, reliable, and economically feasible solution for modern engineering surveying and structural health monitoring applications.Received: 16.07.2026;Accepted: 14.08.2026;