Considerations and Issues in the Utilization of Infrared Thermography for Concrete Bridge Inspection at Normal Driving Speeds
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 22, Issue 11
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the utilization of infrared thermography (IRT) considering different technologies, critical environmental parameters, and uncertainties for bridge deck evaluation. For this purpose, a real bridge was scanned and the results were compared with other nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies that were implemented on the same bridge. There are a number of considerations and factors that affect the utilization of IRT, such as thermal contrasts, camera specifications, distance, and utilization speed, and these are evaluated by using three different infrared (IR) cameras with different specifications. These considerations are discussed and results are presented. When compared at fully documented locations with eight concrete cores, a high-end IR camera with cooled detector distinguished sound and delaminated areas accurately. Furthermore, indicated location and shape of delaminations by three IR cameras were compared with other NDE methods from past research, and the results revealed that the cooled camera showed shapes almost identical to other NDE methods including chain drag. It should be noted that these data were collected at a normal driving speed without any lane closures, making it a more practical and faster method than other NDE technologies. It is also presented that the factor most likely to affect high-speed application is integration time of the IR camera.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported mainly by West Nippon Expressway Company Limited (NEXCO-West). The authors would like to express sincere gratitude to Mr. Shinji Nagayasu and Mr. Kyle Ruske of NEXCO-West USA for their contribution and support throughout the studies presented in this manuscript. Without their contributions, this project would have not been realized.
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 22 • Issue 11 • November 2017
Copyright
© 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 22, 2016
Accepted: May 12, 2017
Published online: Sep 13, 2017
Published in print: Nov 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Feb 13, 2018
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