Bridge Clearance Evaluation Based on Terrestrial LIDAR Scan
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 26, Issue 4
Abstract
Low vertical clearance bridges over the roadway are vulnerable to overheight vehicle collision damage. Collisions can cause driver and passenger injuries/fatalities and property loss to the vehicle and bridge owners and can severely jeopardize the bridge structural capacity. However, accurate measurements of bridge vertical clearance can be difficult, especially when height differentials occur either as a result of site topography or a superelevated bridge deck. An automated measurement technique using light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scan is introduced to provide high-precision clearance data for bridge surfaces, from which minimum vertical clearance locations can be easily identified. Traffic can induce noises in terrestrial LIDAR imaging, hence, an approach to reduce noise is proposed. The results from field measurements on four bridges in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, demonstrated the value of LIDAR-based measurement techniques and confirmed the deviation measurements from design criteria, which can be associated with the collision damage caused by deficient clearances.
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Acknowledgments
This project is supported by Grant No. DTOS59-07-H-0005 from the U. S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). The views, opinions, findings, and conclusions reflected in this paper are the responsibility of the authors only and do not represent the official policy or position of the USDOT, RITA, or any State or other entity. The authors also would like to acknowledge the guidance and contributions of Mr. Caesar Singh, the Program Manager at USDOT-RITA, and the technical assistance of Dr. Moy Biswas of NCDOT, Mr. Garland Haywood of NCDOT Division 10, and Mr. Jimmy Rhyne of Charlotte DOT.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 26 • Issue 4 • August 2012
Pages: 469 - 477
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 1, 2010
Accepted: Jan 19, 2011
Published online: Jan 20, 2011
Published in print: Aug 1, 2012
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