LiDAR-BASED BRIDGE STRUCTURE DEFECT DETECTION

A study was conducted to explore the potential of applying ground-based laser scanners for bridge-health monitoring. The laser radar system, called light detection and ranging (LiDAR), was the optical remote sensing technology developed for range detection. A surface damage detection algorithm for material mass loss quantification, known as light detection and ranging-based bridge evaluation (LiBE) was presented to conduct the investigations. LiDAR had the potential for providing high-density full-field surface static imaging and used to generate volumetric quantification of concrete corrosion or steel erosion. The LiBE algorithm differentiated information obtained from an original bridge surface through surface gradient and displacement calculation. Most of the bridge surface defects detected by the LiDAR scanner were visible to human eyes and were documented as digital photo images.