A comparative study of remote sensing technologies for Bridge Condition Assessment

Condition assessment techniques of concrete bridges are evolving with the increasing number of deteriorated bridges in the US, Canada, and around the globe, Investigation for bridges' defects such as cracks, spalls, and delamination and their level of severity are the main objectives of condition assessment. Commonly used techniques in North America are either inherently dependent on the experience and judgment of the bridge inspector such in relying on noticing sound changes while striking the surface of the concrete using the hammer sounding test, or causing traffic disruption while closing lanes when using Ground Penetrating Radar for example. This paper introduces remote sensing as an alternative technology to circumvent these limitations. The paper summarizes the literature on the applications of remote sensing technologies used for concrete bridge condition assessment and presents the findings of a comparative study conducted on six different technologies using multi-attributed criteria. The main advantage of using remote sensing lies in its ability to acquire data with a standoff distance. Data acquisitions for this class of technologies can be carried out by mounting sensors either on a vehicle, have them airborne, or spaceborne. Analysis of collected data is performed in office environment using algorithms embedded in software systems.