Structural inspection and maintenance of bridges are essential to improve the safety and sustainability of the infrastructure systems. Visual inspection using non-equipped eyes is the principal method of detecting surface defects of bridges, which is time-consuming, unsafe, and encounters inspectors falling risks. Therefore, there is a need for automated bridge inspection. Recently, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanners are used for detecting surface defects. LiDAR scanners can collect high-quality 3D point cloud datasets. In order to automate the process of structural inspection, it is important to collect proper datasets and use an efficient approach to analyze them and find the defects. Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have been recently used for detecting 3D objects within 3D point clouds. PointNet and PointNet++ are deep neural networks for classification, part segmentation, and semantic segmentation of point clouds that are modified and adapted in this work to detect surface concrete defects. The research contributions are: (1) Designing a LiDAR-equipped UAV platform for structural inspection using an affordable 2D scanner for data collection, and (2) Proposing a method for detecting concrete surface defects using deep neural networks based on LiDAR generated point clouds. Training and testing datasets are collected from four concrete bridges in Montréal and annotated manually. The point cloud dataset prepared in five areas, which contain more than 51 million points and 2,572 annotated defects in four classes of crack, light spalling, medium spalling, and severe spalling. The accuracies of 75% (adapted PointNet) and 79% (adapted PointNet++) in detecting defects are achieved in binary semantic segmentation.

Automation and Computational Intelligence for Road Maintenance and Management A comprehensive computational intelligence toolbox for solving problems in infrastructure management In Automation and Computational Intelligence for Road Maintenance and Management, a team of accomplished researchers delivers an incisive reference that covers the latest developments in computer technology infrastructure management. The book contains an overview of foundational and emerging technologies and methods in both automation and computational intelligence, as well as detailed presentations of specific methodologies. The distinguished authors emphasize the most recent advances in the maintenance and management of infrastructure robotics, automated inspection, remote sensing, and the applications of new and emerging computing technologies, including artificial intelligence, evolutionary computing, fuzzy logic, genetic algorithms, knowledge discovery and engineering, and more. Automation and Computational Intelligence for Road Maintenance and Management explores a universal synthesis of the cutting edge in parameters and indices to evaluate models. It also includes: Thorough introductions to management science and the latest methods of automation and the structure and framework of automation and computing intelligence Comprehensive explorations of advanced image processing techniques, recent advances in fuzzy, and diagnosis automation Practical discussions of segmentation and fragmentation and different types of features and feature extraction methods In-depth examinations of methods of classification along with various developed methodologies and models of quantification, evaluation, and indexing in automation Perfect for postgraduate students in road and transportation engineering, evaluation, and assessment, Automation and Computational Intelligence for Road Maintenance and Management will also earn a place in the libraries of researchers interested in or working with the evaluation and assessment of infrastructure.

This double volume set ( LNAI 10863-10864) constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 25th International Workshop, EG-ICE 2018, held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in June 2018. The 58 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 108 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on Advanced Computing in Engineering, Computer Supported Construction Management, Life-Cycle Design Support, Monitoring and Control Algorithms in Engineering, and BIM and Engineering Ontologies.

This book provides an overview on the evolution of laser scanning technology and its noticeable impact in the structural engineering domain. It provides an up-to-date synthesis of the state-of-the-art of the technology for the reverse engineering of built constructions, including terrestrial, mobile, and different portable solutions, for laser scanning. Data processing of large point clouds has experienced an important advance in the last years, and thus, an intense activity in the development of automated data processing algorithms has been noticed. Thus, this book aims to provide an overview of state-of-the-art algorithms, different best practices and most recent processing tools in connection to particular applications. Readers will find this a comprehensive book, that updates the practice of laser scanning for researchers and professionals not only from the geomatic domain, but also other fields such as structural and construction engineering. A set of successful applications to structural engineering are illustrated, including also synergies with other technologies, that can inspire professionals to adopt laser scanning in their day-to-day activity. This cutting-edge edited volume will be a valuable resource for students, researchers and professional engineers with an interest in laser scanning and its applications in the structural engineering domain.

Bridge decks deteriorate over time as a result of deicing salts, freezing-and-thawing, and heavy use, resulting in internal defects. According to a 2006 study by the American Society of Civil Engineers, 29% of bridges in the United States are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a promising non-destructive evaluation technique for assessing subsurface conditions of bridge decks. However, the analysis of GPR scans is typically done manually, where the accuracy of the detection process depends on the technician's trained eye. In this work, a framework is developed to automate the detection, locailzation, and characterization of subsurface defects inside bridge decks. This framework is composed of a fractal-based feature extraction algorithm to detect defective regions, a deconvolution algorithm using banded-ICA to reduce overlapping between reflections and to estimate the depth of defects, and a classification algorithm using principal component analysis to identify main features in defective regions. This framework is implemented and simulated using MATLAB and GPR real scans of simulated concrete bridge decks. This framework, as demonstrated by the experimental results, has the following contributions to the current body of knowledge in ground penetrating radar detection and analysis techniques, and in concrete bridge deck condition assessment: 1) developed a framework that integrated detection, localization, and classificationof subsurface defects inside concrete bridge decks, 2) presented a comparison between the most common fractal methods to determine the most suitable one for bridge deck condition assessment, 3) introduced a fractal-based feature extraction algorithm that is capable of detecting and horizontally labeling defective regions using only the underlying GPR B-scan without the need for a training dataset, 4) developed a deconvolution algorithm using EFICA to detect embedded defects in bridge decks, 5) introduced an automated identification methodology of defective regions which can be integrated into a CAD system that allows for better visual assessment by the maintenance engineer and has the potential to eliminate human interpretation errors and reduce condition assessment time and cost, and 6) presented an investigation and a successful attempt to classify some of the common defects in bridge decks.