GPR imaging for bridge deck condition assessment

Abstract

Condition assessment of transportation infrastructure is a critical component of maintenance and rehabilitation. This can be accomplished in part by using state-of-the-art non-destructive evaluation techniques. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a non-destructive evaluation method that can be used to assess the integrity of roads, pavements, bridges, and buildings. GPR technique utilises high frequency electromagnetic waves at the microwave or radio frequency range to investigate the subsurface condition. This technique is used to measure features such as cracks and voids. This paper presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of the GPR in bridge deck assessment. Analysis and results of GPR scans from two bridge decks will be presented and discussed. In addition, the GPR results were compared with that of a commonly used method of bridge deck evaluation (chain drag).