Bridge Assessment Methods Using Image Processing and Infrared Thermography Technology: On-Site Pilot Application in Florida

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 nondestructive technologies as well as experimental approaches for a more advanced and efficient inspection process. If we can improve data collection efficiencies and reduce the time required by inspectors in the field to make general structure condition assessments, more time will be available for these same inspectors to perform detailed hands-on inspections and/or to apply non-destructive testing technologies for pre-screened bridge elements in areas requiring close attention. NEXCO-West, one of major toll road operators in Japan has been working to develop efficient non-destructive highway bridge inspection methods using high quality digital image and Infrared (IR) thermography technologies. This paper describes the results of on-site applications for a sample bridge in the state of Florida in conjunction with the joint research with University of Central Florida.