Monitoring of Bridges using Computer Vision Methods

Bridges are subject to a variety of different stresses such as overloaded vehicles, natural damage from the environment and ageing from regular usage throughout their existence. It is vitally important to monitor these... [ view full abstract ]

Bridges are subject to a variety of different stresses such as overloaded vehicles, natural damage from the environment and ageing from regular usage throughout their existence. It is vitally important to monitor these stresses to ensure that the health of the bridge does not deteriorate to a dangerous level. Existing methods for monitoring bridge health can be time consuming and inefficient, often resulting in bridge closure or traffic disruption. This paper will demonstrate the feasibility of using Computer Vision based methods in Bridge Health Monitoring. Initially under discussion will be the various methods of collating and analysing data on the stresses applied to bridges using Computer Vision. This data will then be compared to traditional data gathering methods in order to demonstrate the validity of the computer vision based approach.