Implementing Gigapixel Technology To Highway Bridge Inspections

The number of current deficient U.S. bridges makes bridge condition evaluation paramount to a state highway department in developing a bridge management system. State Highway Departments (DOTs) routinely visually inspect bridges on 24-month cycles. Findings from these inspections are summarized by bridge inspectors numerically for bridge condition ratings and in addition documented with inspector notes and pictures. However, bridge inspections include a human factor, which introduces bias and subjectivity. Consequently, bridge inspection values are tainted with non-uniformity. This article presents gigapixel technology as an inexpensive quality assurance / quality control tool that can easily be implemented by a state DOT for their bridge inspections. The process includes developing gigapixel panoramas of a bridge that can later be reviewed by bridge engineers trained for this task. The proposed approach is used to supplement the visual bridge inspection to improve quality control among bridge inspections. The approach promotes uniformity between bridge sites by having multiple bridges reviewed by the same group of engineers and a methodology that streamlines documentation included in bridge inspections. In addition to bridge inspections, the technology has the potential for being used in a health monitoring program through cataloging images and/or developing time-lapse videos as a culmination of multiple panorama images.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000561
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08873828
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Copyright © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
• Authors:
  • Heymsfield, Ernie
  • Kuss, Mark
• Publication Date: 2015-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: n.p.
• Serial:
  • Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
  • Volume: 29
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0887-3828
  • Serial URL: http://ascelibrary.org/toc/jpcfev/27/1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge management systems; Digitized photography; Inspection equipment; Photointerpretation; Quality control; Structural health monitoring; Technological innovations; Visual media
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01504598
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: Jan 24 2014 2:30PM