Effective LiDAR Damage Detection： Comparing Two Detection Algorithms

The health conditions of highway bridges is critical for sustained transportation operations.US federal government mandates that all bridges built with public funds are to be inspected visually every two years. There is a growing consensus that additional rapid and non-intrusive methods for bridge damage evaluation are needed.This paper explores the potential of applying ground-based laser scanners for bridge damage evaluation. LiDAR has the potential of providing high-density,full-field surface static imaging.Hence,it can generate volumetric quantification of concrete corrosion or steel erosion.By recording object surface topology,LiDAR can detect different damages on the bridge structure and differentiate damage types according to the surface flatness and smoothness.To determine the effectiveness of LiDAR damage detection,two damage detection algorithms are presented and compared using scans on actual bridge damages.The results demonstrate and validate LiDAR damage quantification,which can be a powerful tool for bridge condition evaluation.