| Currently、 there is a strong call for development of a bridge management and maintenance system that extends the service life of bridges in a rational and effective manner. In this study、 we focused on deterioration of concrete slab of steel bridges due to cracking、 the damage to which is exacerbated by increases in heavy vehicle traffic and by the application of anti-freezing agent. For this study、 we developed the "RC Deck Slab Deterioration Assessment System" (hereinafter the System)、 which fully utilizes digital image processing technology. Our five development objectives were; 1) elimination of scaffolding used for inspection and its associated cost; 2) reduction of time expended for field inspection; 3) quantification of and normalization of deterioration assessment results; 4) improvement of tractability of changes resulting from the passage of time since the completion of the bridge、 and 5) use of digital information.This paper reports on the System’s applicability to bridges in service and its cost effectiveness. |
