Subsurface Condition Assessment By Using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

The bridge deck is the main component of the bridge which directly comes in contact with traffic and constantly bear the load which can cause minor or major deteriorations in the subsurface. Therefore regular subsurface condition assessment is very important for increasing the functional life of the structure.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) inspection utilizes radio waves to accurately detect the unseen embedded structures in the concrete. GPR scanning can easily detect reinforced steel, cables, conduit, delamination, cracks, fractures, voids, and other structures embedded in concrete which makes it a safe inspection technique. It retains the structural integrity of the bridge deck.

Advantages of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

There are many advantages of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) such as

• It can scan up to a depth of 16 inches

• Collects data in real time and can send it to others simultaneously

• No emission of radiation since it utilizes harmless radio waves

• Provide accurate structure location and depth

• Displays data in 2D and 3D for better visualization and easy interpretation

• Data can be stored for later use

Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC) is utilizing this technology in the subsurface division for very long time and provided satisfactory results to our clients. We provide bridge deck condition assessment and analysis, bridge deck inspections and bridge testing using various combinations of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) air-coupled or ground-coupled antennas, and/or Infrared (IR) cameras.

Benefits of our Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) inspection services include

• 100% deck area coverage

• Multiple deck surveys can be completed in single day

• The electronic data can be stored in a database

• Corrosion in the subsurface and quantity of deterioration can be easily evaluated

• No lane closures are required

• Can work on old bridges whose records are lost or damaged

• Mapping of bridge deck rebar and quality control

Our GPR technicians have decade-long experience in GPR testing and our expert team can provide you accurate condition assessment report in short time. Our GPR inspection services ensure safety of the public and the inspection crew but don't compromise on the performance during the inspection. These features have made us a reliable name in bridge inspection services.

If you also want to become one of our satisfied clients or know more about our services, just visit our website www.infrastructurepc.com and our representative will get back to as early as possible.

Drone Inspection Enhancing Safety Of Bridges

Regular and thorough bridge inspection can prevent accidents and increase the service life of the structure being inspected. Bridge failures and tragedies from the past have made the government and public concerned about the conditions of existing and even newly built structures. As a result, many new technologies have been introduced to try to properly inspect these structures. There is one industry that has been around forever and just now being adapted to large structures. The nondestructive testing industry once limited to in house testing of materials is now the best method of enhancing the accuracy of inspection result, reduce the inspection time and increase the safety of the crew and public during bridge inspection.

Drone inspections are one of the newly introduced technologies which has reduced the cost and time of inspection significantly. To understand this, let's take an example. Suppose a bridge inspection costs around $10,000 and requires a full crew to perform a complete inspection in 4-5 days. With a drone, the similar kind of inspection can be done at more than 50% less time and with a significant cost savings. In addition the safety of the inspection crew and the public is at a much lower risk of loss of life. Sounds amazing, isn't it!

What kind of data does a drone collects?

During a drone inspection, both visual and thermal imagery data is collected for real-time assessment as well as for later use. An automated statistical process is used to convert the imagery data into a 3D ‘point cloud' which is easy to understand. A skilled bridge inspector can easily interpret the data and identify the locations of deteriorations on the bridge. Since the drone-collected data is geo-referenced with real geographic coordinates, therefore, a map can be easily created for the inspection crew to inspect the drone located deterioration areas closely.  

How is it different from conventional bridge inspection methods?

During traditional bridge inspection, crew members have to climb ladders, perform scaffolding, undertake rope access procedures and/ or place a snooper or bucket truck on the bridge to reach the areas and  components required to be inspected. These practices carry risks and take a huge amount of time. The bridge also needs to close down partially or completely to carry the inspection.  More frequent than not accidents occur with heavy equipment on the bridge.  With the introduction of drones, overall bridge inspection can be done in a fraction of the time taken by any inspection personnel. The inspection can be done in minutes instead of hours and the benefit of monitoring deterioration progression over time is invaluable. 

Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC) is providing inspection services for decades and is a trusted name in bridge and road inspection. We utilize advanced nondestructive testing methods and robotics like Drones for quick surveying and drone inspection of complex structures. We have a range of patented inspection system for customized inspection of important bridge elements.  In many cases we have moved past drones and have created robotics to perfect many of the bridge component inspections. Go to www.infrastructurepc.com to find out more or email info@infrastructurepc.com.

Contact us or write an email to us to get a free estimate for your infrastructure inspection. You can log on to our site www.infrastructurepc.com to know more about our services and products. You can provide your details at our site and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Challenges Faced During Complex Bridge Inspection

Bridges are among the largest complex infrastructure structures that are used for transportation. This makes them critical and a valuable asset for a modern economy to remain viable. Complex bridges are typically highly trafficked and are used on a daily basis by the public. This makes their proper maintenance and inspection of paramount importance. Out of all the bridges complex bridges possess the greatest challenges. The more complicated a structure, the more complicated the inspections and in the case of complex bridge inspections, conducting proper inspections in regular cycles is important to maintain the structure in good health and insure the safety of the traveling public. 

How does Complex Bridge Inspection help?

The work on huge infrastructures like Bridges does not end with its construction. Bridges are unlike other infrastructure components, they are constantly exposed to adversities like changing weather, temperatures and dynamic loading. This makes them prone to damages, corrosions and frequent mishaps. Therefore, complex bridge Inspections become crucial to counteract defects like corrosion, spalling and cracks. For these inspections, advanced technologies such as drones, infrared thermography, multifunctional crawlers and other nondestructive testing technologies are starting to come into regular use. The generated results help identify the location of defects and extend the service life of these critical infrastructure assets.

What are some of the major challenges faced during Bridge Inspection?

Bridge inspection is a difficult yet important part of bridge maintenance. The bridge once constructed has to be inspected on regular  intervals by law in the USA, but there are many obstacles that stand in the way of a thorough inspection. Some of the major challenges are:

 It cannot be taken out of service easily.

 The traffic has to be maintained throughout the inspection process.

 The process has to be mostly done during the night as the traffic is lighter but lack of proper light makes it dangerous and difficult.

 It has to be done in sequence lane by lane.

 The procedures are unique for every bridge as different infrastructures face different types of environmental damages on different scales.

 Most of the existing bridges were constructed many yearsago so getting accurate construction drawings and as builts of the bridge can be difficult.

 The inspectors, engineers, and workmen cannot rely completely on guidelines and plans.

 The old bridges have different materials and components compared to newer ones.

 There is always the issue of the safety of the engineers and inspectors as well as to the public with the older inspection methods and in placing heavy equipment on a bridge at night.

What are the methods used to overcome problems during Bridge Inspection?

The inspection procedures have changed and become more advanced over the years. The advanced technologies, if used can make the work easier, faster and much more accurate. Modern techniques can also make bridge inspections safer for both the public and the engineers that conduct the inspections.

Some of the advanced methods utilized during inspections are:-

 Eddy Current

 Magnetic Flux Leakage

 Robotic Inspections

 The infrared method

 Visual inspection

 Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) 

 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)

It will be up to the department of transportation to mandate that the asset managers, consulting firms and engineering firms tasked with conducting bridge inspections today use the most modern technology available. Engineering firms like the status quo. They have been conducting inspections the same way for 50 years and are milking the tax payers and department of transportation without providing the quantitative data needed today for the complex bridge owners to make the best decisions within their maintenance budgets. The use of modern technologies and robotics can change all of that.  It will be up to the individual heads of the DOT in each state to spearhead that effort. 

Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC) provides the latest in modern technology and robotics for Complex bridge inspections. IPCs technology lowers the cost of the inspections and provides more quantitative data that allows the asset owners to properly budget for repairs.  These methods help extend the service life of our infrastructure, keep the public safe and save billions in infrastructure costs.

To know more about our services, you can log on to our website https://www.infrastructurepc.com/ or email info@infrastructurepc.com. 

You can also get a free estimate of our services by providing your details. Our customer support will contact you as soon as possible. 

Robot-assisted Bridge Inspection

With the development of science and technology robotics have become a part of several challenging professions. Robots are now assisting in many difficult and risky jobs like bridge inspections. They provide information more efficiently at a lower cost and typically with a much more detailed deliverable.  In past, bridge failures and accidents have claimed many lives and unfortunately we wait until those tragedies occur before adopting new protocols to prevent them from happening again. Through the advancements in technology, new technologies and techniques have been developed to assist the bridge inspection process using robotic assisted bridge inspections to keep our infrastructure and public safe In addition to the safety of the inspection crews these new technologies typically require fewer lane closures and night time inspections and can be conducted at a lower cost than older manual methods.

Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC), a trusted name in road and bridge inspection services has implemented these technologies in its services which has benefited their clients a lot in terms of effectiveness, safety, cost savings and more accurate results.

What advantages do you get with Robotic Inspection methods?

* Fewer lane closures and inconvenience to the public.

* It can easily perform many dangerous tasks.

* It completes the job in fraction of time taken by bridge inspector.

* It finishes the inspection job with perfection and provide much more accurate results.

* Use of robotics in the bridge inspection process enables the department of transportation to make better asset allocation decisions.

* The inspection results are less subjective,more accurate and less costly.

* The minor cracks and faults in the bridges which used to get unnoticed in traditional inspection methods are more easily detected with robotic Inspection.

* It costs less than conventional inspection methods.

What are the new technologies used in Robotic Bridge Inspection?

1. Drones:

Also known as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Drones are used in the bridge Inspection for getting an aerial view of a bridge to detect cracks or faults. It makes bridge inspection safer for the Inspectors and also the general public. It provides a more accurate report of inspection in form of an easy to understand visual assessment of the bridge. An experienced bridge inspector can easily identify the problem areas and generate an accurate condition assessment report for the bridge owners in short time.

2. Multifunctional robotic crawler:

This technology is developed for inspection of stay cables and Suspension bridges. The robot is customized to move over stay cables to inspect any deterioration by using high definition cameras and infrared technology. The robot is designed to work under any environmental conditions and it provides real time data along with coordinates of the deterioration which helps in repairing and monitoring purposes. It has simple and quick installation procedure and also many redundancies in case of emergency situations.

3. Infrared Thermography (IRT):

It is a robotic inspection method for evaluating bridge to detect cracks and faults in concrete. It works on a vehicle-based system which uses an advanced and high-resolution thermographic camera and computer-based video data acquisition system to improve detection rates and accuracy in the location and size of the defected areas.

Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC) provides the best service in robotic bridge inspection. We provide service at an affordable cost without compromising on the performance. We assure you with the best technologies and experienced certified bridge inspectors and experienced bridge engineers.

To know more about our robotic systems and other services, you can log on to our website https://www.infrastructurepc.com or email us at info@infrastructurepc.com

Post Tensioned Tendon inspections

Bridges are valuable transportation assets utilized on daily basis. This makes the maintenance of the bridge more essential and significant. Since they are exposed to weather and temperature changes, they become prone to damages like corrosion, cracks etc. A neglected defect on an infrastructure like a bridge may turn out to be dangerous if not identified and repaired on time.

The construction of the bridge is done with utmost care by setting guidelines for materials and construction procedures by professional engineers and craftment. Long lasting material like concrete and steel are used in bridge construction worldwide. To prevent concrete from cracking and collapsing under a load Post-Tension tendons areused to reinforce the concrete.  With the use of post tensioning bridges can be built with less concrete and better withstand the test of time. The advantages of PT concrete have enabled us to build magnificent structures like hi rise buildings and massive bridges. These tendons just like all infrastructure assets need to be properly inspected and maintained to insure the structures safety.

Why are Post Tension tendon inspections important?

To keep the tendons free from damages like corrosion, they are placed in ducts made of plastic or galvanized steel. After the installation of the components and tensioning of the tendons, the ducts are filled with cement grout. However, because of the grout, the ducts are not completely sealed. This makes the ducts prone to crack and corrosion which allows the moisture and air to reach the steel tendons and cause corrosion. Metal loss through this process may make the whole infrastructure weak if not repaired on time. Therefore, the post-tension tendon inspection is of utmost necessity to locate such damages and fix them before any mishap.

What happens during the Post tension tendon inspection?

Till now post tension tendon inspections consisted of a visual inspection with an inspector walking under the bridge with a flashlight looking at the tendon.  In some cases a process called sounding is used. This is where the inspector hits the tendon with a hammer and listens for changes in the sound. Both of these inspection types are subjective and will vary from inspector to inspector. A company in Florida Infrastructure Preservation Corporation “IPC” is changing all of that. A robotic engineering and bridge inspection company, IPC has developed a robotic magnetic flux leakage device that can in effect peer through the concrete and outer wrapping to inspect the steel for section loss and corrosion. The tendon inspection guarantees quantitative data that allows the bridge owner, department of transportation to properly allocate their assets in order to conduct repairs according to importance. The condition assessment report will then be provided that allows repairs to be made to the right area extending the service life of the structure and keeping the public safe.

Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC) offers this service within the department of transportation’s current maintenance budget. Whether you require baseline condition assessment, healthy tendon monitoring or locating corrosion, IPC can provide a complete quantitative post tension tendon inspection with detailed quantitative results unmatched in the industry today.

To know more about our services, you can log on to our website http://www.infrastructurepc.com/  or email us at info@infrastructurepc.com. You can also get a free estimate of our services by providing your details. IPC is a professional services bridge inspection and robotic engineering company providing nondestructive testing services at the same rates as current manual inspections. Their goal is to have the industry do away with subjective inspections by using modern technology and techniques to provide real quantitative data to the department of transportation.

Introduction To Railroad Bridge Inspection

America rail network stretches over nearly 140,000 miles and has approximately 100,000 railroad bridges which allow trains to cross rivers, ravines, and gorges. Moreover, railroad overpasses help pedestrians and vehicle to move without any hassles. Without strong and physically sound bridges, it is impossible for the rail network to work therefore billions of dollars is invested in its maintenance.

Why are railroad bridge inspection important? 

Regular railroad bridge inspection contributes more to railroad safety than any other part of maintenance. According to federal regulation, the railroad must be inspected by trained inspectors once a year. There arevarious type of railroad bridge inspections which include:

• Routine inspection

• Verification inspection

• In-depth inspection

• Special inspection

• Underwater inspection

• Semi-final construction inspection

The recommended duration for different types of inspection varies on the basis of nature of the inspection. For example, routine inspection can be performed every year while a thorough inspection with tools and crew can be performed once every five years.

Objective of railroad bridge inspections

• To fulfill the requirements of bridge safety standards

• To establish and maintain the information necessary for fulfilling the requirements of railroad bridge management program (RBMP)

• To ensure discovery of any deterioration, defect or structural deficiency which could pose threat to travelers

• to provide a condition evaluation report for qualifying railroad structures in the bridge inventory

• To determine the extent of minor deterioration for initiating maintenance and repairing work

• To determine the extent of major deterioration so that the affected bridge candidate can be replaced or repaired

Challenges of railroad bridge inspection

Generally, railroad bridges are constructed over water bodies and other deep gaps to allow passage for the trains and detailed inspection of these bridges must be performed every 5 years. In the US, 20% of the railroad bridges are too high to inspect from the ground or constructed over water bodies which require lifts, barges or inspection crew member on hoists. These types of inspections pose huge risk to the life of the inspection personnel.

In traditional railroad bridge inspection, power lifts or ladders are being used to reach heights and crew members use hand or power operated tools. The result obtained by manual inspection is often time-consuming and not very accurate.

Infrastructure Preservation Corporation understands the challenges of railroad bridge inspection and therefore offers advanced inspection technologies. We use robotics like unmanned aircraft system (UAS)which includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) also known as a drone, an aircraft without a human pilot.

Features of UAS

• It can capture images from any location even underneath the structure

• Inspection can be performed in less time

• Results are more accurate than traditional inspection

• Assures safety to the inspection crew

• Less expenditure on bridge inspection

• Inspection data are based on bridge safety standard

• 3D images for easy interpretation

• Clients can access the data online, give their reviews and response promptly

• Data can be used for future reference for monitoring purpose

Although IPC prefers other technologies above the bridge deck, the use of UAS below the bridge deck can provide a lot of information and do not interfere with traffic or distracting the public.

Contact Infrastructure Preservation Corporation to find out more about our railroad bridge inspection services and to get a free estimate. Our various inspection services provide you detailed, safe and cost-effective return on your investment. So log on to our website https://www.infrastructurepc.com now and become one of IPC’s satisfied clients!