An Evaluation of Commercially Available Remote Sensors for Assessing Highway Bridge Condition

This report focuses on evaluating twelve forms of remote sensing that are potentially valuable to assessing bridge condition. The techniques are: ground penetrating radar (GPR), spectra, 3-D optics (including photogrammetry), electro-optical satellite and airborne imagery, optical interferometry, LiDAR, thermal infrared, acoustics, digital image correlation (DIC), radar (including backscatter and speckle), interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), and high-resolution "StreetView-style" digital photography. Using a rating methodology developed specifically for assessing the applicability of these remote sensing technologies, each technique was rated for accuracy, commercial availability, cost of measurement, pre-collection preparation, complexity of analysis and interpretation, ease of data collection, stand-off distance, and traffic disruption. Key findings from the evaluation are that 3-D optics and “StreetView-style” photography appear to have the greatest potential for assessing surface condition of the deck and structural elements, while radar technologies, including GPR and higher frequency radar, as well as thermal/infrared imaging demonstrate promise for subsurface challenges. Global behavior can likely be best monitored through electro-optical satellite and airborne imagery, optical interferometry, and LiDAR.

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