Innovative Bridge Assessment Methods using Image Processing and Infrared Thermography Technology

Identifying appropriate applications for technology to assess the health and safety of bridges is an important issue for bridge owners around the world. Traditionally, highway bridge conditions have been monitored by visual inspection with structural deficiencies being manually identified and classified by qualified engineers and inspectors. With traditional on-site inspections, qualified inspectors are performing close-up visual inspections and sounding tests, often from crane suspended lifting cages or built-in inspection staging; invariably putting inspectors at some safety risk. The need for safer inspection methods calls for new innovations in bridge inspection technologies. One of the solutions for this issue is leveraging non-destructive technologies as well as experimental approaches for a more advanced and efficient inspection process. Due to advancements in technology and computer science, new technologies are becoming more and more cost effective, and some of the technologies are ready to be applied for onsite bridge assessment practices. NEXCO-West, one of major toll road operators in Japan has been working to develop efficient nondestructive highway bridge inspection methods using high definition video (HDV) digital image and Infrared (IR) thermography technologies.