Multi-modal Remote Sensing System (MRSS) for Transportation Infrastructure Inspection and Monitoring

Managing the growing population of deteriorated transportation infrastructure systems (i.e. highway bridges) and being able to accurately inspect them in a timely and cost effective manner is a major societal challenge within the United States today. Traditional nondestructive testing/inspection/evaluation (NDT/NDI/NDE) methods for highway bridges cannot currently provide an accurate and rapid evaluation (independent of human biases and interpretation) on a routine basis to prevent deteriorated bridges from sudden collapse. Automated, low-cost, efficient bridge inspection techniques for interrogating critical bridge components are needed. Existing highway bridge inspection techniques include visual inspection, mechanical sounding, rebound hammer, cover meter, electrical potential measurements, and ultrasound which are typically time consuming, labor intensive, and cost inefficient. Safety issue, interference with existing traffic, and subjective evaluation of visual inspection are additional disadvantages in such inspections. The objective of this project is to develop a multi-modal remote sensing system (MRSS) that will be used as the next generation of rapid, distant, interrogation technology for bridge inspection. The proposed MRSS combines advantages of NDT (local inspection) and structural health monitoring (SHM) (global, continuous monitoring), using innovative continuous wave imaging radar (CWIR), digital image correlation (DIC), and fiber optic sensors (FOS) to deliver a cost-effective, robust solution for the inspection and monitoring of critical transportation infrastructure such as highway bridges. MRSS represents the next-generation of portable bridge inspection technology for efficient inspection, evaluation and rating of bridges.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Program Information: Advanced Research, Commercial Remote Sensing

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $1294454.00
• Contract Numbers:

  RITARS-11-H-UML

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Department of Transportation
  1200 New Jersey Avneue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Singh, Caesar

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Massachusetts, Lowell

  University Transportation Center, One University Avenue
  Lowell, MA  United States  01854
• Principal Investigators:

  Yu, Tzu-Yang

• Start Date: 20110714
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20130713
• Source Data: RiP Project 28945

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Deterioration; Highway bridges; Inspection; Nondestructive tests; Remote sensing; Structural health monitoring
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fiber optic sensors
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01494574
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Research and Innovative Technology Administration
• Contract Numbers: RITARS-11-H-UML
• Files: RIP
• Created Date: Sep 27 2013 1:01AM