ViewBridgeInEnvironments: A Holistic, Context-Aware Approach to Bridge Assessment Using Computer Vision Segmentation Technologies

ViewBridgeInEnvironments introduces a pioneering framework that integrates environmental factors and contexts into bridge assessment, leveraging advanced panoptic segmentation technologies, while also incorporating the latest computer vision (CV) methods beyond segmentation. Traditional bridge inspections focus primarily on structural integrity, often overlooking the surrounding natural and manmade environments that can influence deterioration, accessibility, and safety. This framework addresses that gap by capturing comprehensive visual data from both bridge structures and their environments, enabling a holistic understanding of bridge health and the interactions between structural elements and surrounding conditions. By incorporating CV-based models, the framework produces interpretable outputs such as binary masks and quantified features, which support actionable decision making in bridge monitoring, maintenance, and management. The approach allows for simultaneous assessment of structural and environmental conditions, providing insight into potential vulnerabilities caused by adjacent terrain, vegetation, hydrological factors, and nearby infrastructure. Through these analyses, transportation agencies can identify risks, prioritize interventions, and allocate resources more effectively to enhance bridge safety and functionality. ViewBridgeInEnvironments is designed to leverage low-cost, widely accessible data collection technologies, including imagery from cell phones, cameras, and affordable drones, making it practical for both state-managed and locally owned bridges. The framework is scalable and adaptable, capable of being applied across diverse geographic regions and bridge types, including those in rural or hard-to access areas where traditional inspection is challenging. While erosion is one example of a feature that can be monitored, the framework is not limited to this, and the project will identify additional key features for comprehensive bridge assessment. By integrating structural evaluation with environmental context, ViewBridgeInEnvironments enables bridge owners and agencies to make timely, informed decisions, supporting resilient, safe, and sustainable infrastructure. The project represents a significant advancement in applying computer vision and panoptic segmentation to civil infrastructure, combining precision, environmental awareness, and practical deployment to enhance bridge monitoring and management.

• Record URL:
  • https://abc-utc.fiu.edu/viewbridgeinenvironments-a-holistic-context-aware-approach-to-bridge-assessment-using-computer-vision-segmentation-technologies/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $140,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348322

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Innovative Bridge Technologies/Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (IBT/ABC-UTC)

  Florida International University
  Miami, FL  United States 

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Georgia, Athens

  Department of Civil Engineering
  Athens, GA  United States  30602
• Principal Investigators:

  Chorzepa, Mi

• Start Date: 20260101
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Computer vision; Image analysis; Inspection
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01987965
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Innovative Bridge Technologies/Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (IBT/ABC-UTC)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348322
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Apr 27 2026 7:52PM