DEVELOPING NDE TECHNOLOGIES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT

This article provides an overview of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) program for developing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies for the inspection and evaluation of highway infrastructure. The article discusses new laser technology that can help attain mobility goals by reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges, new bridge deck evaluation technologies that help achieve both productivity and mobility goals by reducing traffic delays and reducing the cost of maintenance repairs, new technologies that can assist in the evaluation of bridge condition to ensure safety and promote efficient maintenance strategies, an innovative new study that will determine the reliability of existing bridge inspection procedures, and new technologies for characterizing highway building materials. The FHWA NDE Validation Center, through the development and evaluation of NDE technologies, should broaden the use of NDE and improve the state of the practice for highway bridge inspection.