ABSTRACT
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of bridges are undergoing a digital transformation, and with better technical and more cost-beneficial equipment (drones, sensors, software, etc.), the digital transition accommodates environmental, economic, and technical benefits. Today, most inspections of civil structures are done on-site challenged by traffic restrictions, difficult access- and working conditions, and high initial costs (lift, rope access, etc.). With high-quality RGB - and thermal imagery captured by drones etc., a Reality Model or a visual Digital Twin of the structure may be created, and a Virtual Inspection can be carried out revisiting the structure when needed. The thermal imagery is used in combination with the RGB photo to detect hidden defects in the structure such as delaminations, honeycombing and water ingress. In asset management, the key interest is to find the optimal point in time to repair or replace structural elements considering the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are important to the asset manager or operator. Combining the Reality Model with Artificial Intelligence (AI) for damage detection and monitoring data from implemented sensors on a web-based platform might be the solution to find the optimal point in time for repair, increase the level of safety (for bridge users and O&M personnel), and minimize traffic disturbance. Working with a Reality Model may also decrease the level of subjectivity and increase the level of transparency in decision-making as well as provide efficient means of communication. Despite the many advantages, some challenges remain. They are related to e.g., the reality capture process, AI training, data processing, -presentation, and -integration (also with data-enriched 3D BIM models for recent bridges) in current asset management systems.
