Bridge management system (BMS) is an effective mean for managing bridges throughout their design life. BMS requires accurate collection of data pertinent to bridge conditions. Non Destructive Evaluation methods (NDE) are automated accurate tools used in BMS to supplement visual inspection. This research provides overview of current practices in bridge inspection and in-depth study of thirteen NDE methods for condition assessment of concrete bridges and eleven for structural steel bridges. The unique characteristics, advantages and limitations of each method are identified along with feedback on their use in practice. Comparative study of current practices in bridge condition rating, with emphasis on the United States and Canada is also performed. The study includes 4 main criteria: inspection levels, inspection principles, inspection frequencies and numerical ratings for 4 provinces and states in North America and 5 countries outside North America. Considerable work has been carried out using a number of sensing technologies for condition assessment of civil infrastructure. Fewer efforts, however, have been directed for integrating the use of these technologies. This research presents a newly developed method for automated condition assessment and rating of concrete bridge decks. The method integrates the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and infrared thermography (IR) technologies. It utilizes data fusion at pixel and feature levels to improve the accuracy of detecting defects and, accordingly, that of condition assessment. Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) is utilized at the decision level of data fusion to overcome cited limitations of Markov chain type models in predicting bridge conditions based on prior inspection results. Pixel level image fusion is applied to assess the condition of a bridge deck in Montreal, Canada using GPR and IR inspection results. GPR data are displayed as 3D from 24 scans equally spaced by 0.33m to interpret a section of the bridge deck surface. The GPR data is fused with IR images using wavelet transform technique. Four scenarios based on image processing are studied and their application before and after data fusion is assessed in relation to accuracy of the employed fusion process. Analysis of the results showed that bridge condition assessment can be improved with image fusion and, accordingly, support inspectors in interpretation of the results obtained. The results also indicate that predicted bridge deck condition using the developed method is very close to the actual condition assessment and rating reported by independent inspection. The developed method was also applied and validated using three case studies of reinforced concrete bridge decks. Data and measurements of multiple NDE methods are extracted from Iowa, Highway research board project, 2011. The method utilizes data collected from ground penetrating radar (GPR), impact echo (IE), Half-cell potential (HCP) and electrical resistivity (ER). The analysis results of the three cases indicate that each level of data fusion has its unique advantage. The power of pixel level fusion lies in combining the location of bridge deck deterioration in one map as it appears in the fused image. While, feature fusion works in identification of specific types of defects, such as corrosion, delamination and deterioration. The main findings of this research recommend utilization of data fusion within two levels as a new method to facilitate and enhance the capabilities of inspectors in interpretation of the results obtained. To demonstrate the use of the developed method and its model at the decision level of data fusion an additional case study of a bridge deck in New Jersey, USA is selected. Measurements of NDE methods for years 2008 and 2013 for that bridge deck are used as input to the developed method. The developed method is expected to improve current practice in forecasting bridge deck deterioration and in estimating the frequency of inspection. The results generated from the developed method demonstrate its comprehensive and relatively more accurate diagnostics of defects.

A project for the integration of nondestructive testing methods and bridge management systems is reported. The project examines the practices for inspection of bridges, the information needs of bridge management systems, and the data and assessments offered by NDE methods to develop seamless, coordinated use of NDE methods. The project delivers new definitions of condition states for commonly recognized bridge elements, a catalog of NDE methods and guidance for their use in condition rating, a review of the role of visual inspections, and a methodology for the inclusion of new NDE methods as these become available.

This article proposes a multilevel assessment system tailored to the health condition evaluation of prestressed continuous concrete bridges. The main structure of the assessment system is divided into a prior database and data processing unit. Some of the factors mainly influencing bridge safety, including carbonation, freeze-thaw cycles, steel corrosion, overloading, and temperature, are utilized to form various load cases as a basis for the prior database. To evaluate the bridge safety conditions comprehensively and scientifically, artificial intelligence methods and data fusion techniques based on information entropy, fuzzy analytical hierarchy, and the Dempster-Shafer theory are utilized to establish the data processing unit. An ambient excitation modal test was conducted to verify the numerical model. In situ mechanical responses from monitoring sensors and visual inspection results are fed back to the data processing unit as indicators of the safety grade of the bridge. The novel assessment system proposed here can feasibly and effectively provide support for bridge management and maintenance.

Over 140 experts, 14 countries, and 89 chapters are represented in the second edition of the Bridge Engineering Handbook. This extensive collection highlights bridge engineering specimens from around the world, contains detailed information on bridge engineering, and thoroughly explains the concepts and practical applications surrounding the subject. Published in five books: Fundamentals, Superstructure Design, Substructure Design, Seismic Design, and Construction and Maintenance, this new edition provides numerous worked-out examples that give readers step-by-step design procedures, includes contributions by leading experts from around the world in their respective areas of bridge engineering, contains 26 completely new chapters, and updates most other chapters. It offers design concepts, specifications, and practice, as well as the various types of bridges. The text includes over 2,500 tables, charts, illustrations, and photos. The book covers new, innovative and traditional methods and practices; explores rehabilitation, retrofit, and maintenance; and examines seismic design and building materials. The fifth book, Construction and Maintenance contains 19 chapters, and covers the practical issues of bridge structures. What’s New in the Second Edition: Includes nine new chapters: Steel Bridge Fabrication, Cable-Supported Bridge Construction, Accelerated Bridge Construction, Bridge Management Using Pontis and Improved Concepts, Bridge Maintenance, Bridge Health Monitoring, Nondestructive Evaluation Methods for Bridge Elements, Life-Cycle Performance Analysis and Optimization, and Bridge Construction Methods Rewrites the Bridge Construction Inspection chapter and retitles it as: Bridge Construction Supervision and Inspection Expands and rewrites the Maintenance Inspection and Rating chapter into three chapters: Bridge Inspection, Steel Bridge Evaluation and Rating, and Concrete Bridge Evaluation and Rating; and the Strengthening and Rehabilitation chapter into two chapters: Rehabilitation and Strengthening of Highway Bridge Superstructures, and Rehabilitation and Strengthening of Orthotropic Steel Bridge Decks This text is an ideal reference for practicing bridge engineers and consultants (design, construction, maintenance), and can also be used as a reference for students in bridge engineering courses.

"This study developed inspection guidelines to assist bridge owners in selecting the most appropriate nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method for assessing the condition of in-service post-tensioning and stay cable systems. These inspection guidelines describe NDE methods for different condition assessment including corrosion, section loss, breakage, grout conditions, voids, water infiltration, and tendon deterioration in the anchorage systems. The NDE methods are ground penetrating radar, infrared thermography, electrical capacitance tomography, magnetic flux leakage, magnetic main flux method, impact echo, ultrasonic tomography, ultrasonic echo, sonic/ultrasonic pulse velocity, low frequency ultrasound, sounding, visual testing, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The material in this report will be of immediate interest to bridge owners and inspectors". -- https://trid.trb.org/view.aspx?id=1466278.