BRIDGE DISPLACEMENT MEASUREMENT SYSTEM USING IMAGE PROCESSING

Large structures, like bridges and tall chimneys, suffer degradation with time, which sometimes may result in a big disaster - such as a breakdown or a collapse. These kind of accidents can be predicted by measuring and monitoring the history of the displacement or vibration of the structures. A solution is proposed through the development of a bridge displacement/vibration measurement system using image processing. This system, is composed of a computer with a digital camera, telescope lens, and a target mark that enables to overcome the drawbacks of contact type systems that are heavy, expensive and the need for a temporary support structure. The key idea is a self designed target mark where pixels to mm ratio can be calibrated by the program. The system is implemented and the experimental results are compared with a contact type system.