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!

Bridge Inspection services

Bridge inspections are a necessary part of any kind of bridge maintenance program. It is mandatory in the US for every bridge owner to conduct a routine bridge inspection every two years and a detailed bridge inspection once every five years.

Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC) is a leading name in transportation infrastructure inspections, including bridge inspection. During bridge inspections, IPC ensures the publicsand inspection crew's safety by utilizing advanced non destructive testing methods. We also use robotics to locate deteriorations in difficult to reach places.

IPC provides fast and accurate quantitative results to our clients for quick decision making. The results are digital, recorded and illustrated in many cases graphically for easy understanding and storage for later analysis. Our skilled bridge inspectors are well versed with all safety standards and efficiently handle the latest in modern technology and robotics  to interpret the collected data and deliver a concise condition assessment report to the asset owners within current maintenance budgets.

Infrastructure Preservation Corporations expert teams consists of certified professional engineers, technicians, inspectors and commercial divers and certified nondestructive testing experts who are experienced in highway bridge and structure inspections. Our bridge inspection service is in accordance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) and FHWA bridge inspection procedures and criteria. We also have the latest safety devices and our staff follows the OSHA safety requirements.

What are our Bridge Inspection services?

l  Routine and In-Depth Bridge Inspections

l  Bridge Inspection of Fatigue and Fracture Prone areas

l  Underwater Bridge Inspections

l  Emergency Bridge Inspection Response

l  Non-Destructive Materials Testing Utilizing Liquid Penetrant and Magnetic Particle Testing Methods

l  Structural Analysis and Load Ratings

l  Concrete Crack detection and crack deterioration over time.

l  Detailed Inspection Reports Including Structure Repair Recommendations and Cost Estimates

l  Detailed Section Loss Measurement Utilizing Ultrasonic Measuring Devices

l  Avoiding the need for special equipment like Cranes, Man lifts, Bucket Trucks and night time inspections by manufacturing their own robotic inspection devices.

l  Element Inventory and Assessment Coding

l  Electronic Field Note Capabilities

To know more about our services, you can log on to our website https://www.infrastructurepc.comor leave your contact details with us by filling out a contact form available on our site or emailing doug@infrastructurepc.comand we will get back to you in the shortest time possible.

Concrete Imaging And Mapping Through Ground Penetrating Radar (Gpr)

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a non-destructive testing method used to locate deteriorations and discontinuities of surface and subsurface of the concrete structures. It is sometimes confused with the concrete x-ray but it utilizes radio waves which are completely safe unlike gamma rays used in X-rays.

It can easily locate the position and size of metals and non-metals underneath the concrete and non-concrete surface. This technology provides real time data and in short reduces the  time and cost for concrete structure inspection. It is commonly used to locate utilities and some companies have created software and through R&D can no detect rebar, conduits and post tension tendon cables, determine concrete slab thickness and locate voids, water and concrete delamination.

Sometimes, clients complain that GPR survey detects conduits in the area which has been cleared by the coring and cutting methods as well as false positive. This is the result of improper GPR inspection or inexperienced GPR technician. Sometimes, GPR operators simply perform line scan (4"-6") and try to connect the dots instead of creating a high-resolution 3D grid in order to save time. Although this line scan may work in some cases (e.g. while locating rebar) but this practice is not acceptable as it can affect the result.  If for example a bridge deck inspection is required and the gpr company is not a bridge inspection company they typically have no idea how to translate their results into actionable items for the bridge asset manager. Only with extensive R&D and understanding all of the dielectric properties of the components of a bridge deck and very strong interpretation software can GPR results be beneficial to an asset manager.

Data collection by using 3D grid process may take a little long time but it can save the cost of post tensioned cables and damaging conduits. It also prevents risk of physical harm to the person performing coring or cutting the surface without knowing what lies underneath the surface.

Inspection through Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) prevents personal injury, expensive repairs, and structural damage. At Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC), our trained and experienced staffs provide quick and quality results by following all the defined standards of the bridge and road inspection. Our inspection technologies are latest and take ground penetrating radar inspections to a whole new level. With IPC risks can be minimized and accuracy of the result can be maximized providing the department of transportation with results that provide a true action plan so that they can better allocate assets to conduct repairs in order of importance.

If you are interested in our product and services or you want a free estimate of our services, you can visit our website https://www.infrastructurepc.com/ or leave your contact details with us and our customer support will reach back out to you in the shortest time possible. Email:info@infrastructurepc.com

Robotics in bridge inspection

Robotics are increasingly advancing many of our most important industries. They are advancing the capabilities and mans ability to push technology forward. Moreover, it can play a very important role in fields where the risk of life is very high. Bridge inspection and transportation infrastructure is one such field which has great potential for robotics technology to increase safety and improve results.

As we can see, traditional bridge inspection has been a very time consuming and labor intensive process. It requires inspection of the entire structure and its members and is mandated to be inspected every 2 years in the US. The manual inspection causes inconvenience to the traffic as the lanes need to be closed down to avoid any kind of accident. The inspection result is also subjective and not precise as it can be by using todays technology. Many small and minor cracks and other deterioration go unnoticed using manual inspection and cannot compete with todays modern technology and robotics.

Robotics can easily handle all the above-mentioned issues. Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC), a trusted name in road and bridge inspection services has implemented this technology in its services and benefited its clients in terms of effectiveness, safety, and cost savings.

Our robotic technology provides accurate and precise quantitative condition assessment results in short time which saves time, money and labor. Since it is non-invasive and nondestructive the integrity of the bridge structure remains intact, unlike traditional bridge inspection where methods like coring and sampling further damage the structure and allow air and exposure to the elements to further deteriorate the structural components of the bridge.

The latest in robotic systems utilizes technologies like infrared, electromagnetic waves, radio waves etc. to collect data from the surface and subsurface of the structure. IPC’s robotics provide real time data and also stores it for analysis. These robotics are customized to perform the exclusive assessment of different members of the bridge like stay cables, post tensioned tendons, bridge deck and bridge approach ways, etc.. These members are currently inspected manually with lane closures and heavy equipment, but our robotics system performs inspection of these members very easily and collects data from every angle up to the entire length of the member which is impossible with the traditional bridge inspection methods.

To know more about our robotics system and other infrastructure inspection services, you can log on to our website https://www.infrastructurepc.com/ or leave your contact details with us by filling up a contact form available on our site. You can also get a free estimate of our services by providing your details. Our customer support will contact you as soon as possible.