Aging infrastructure pose a huge safety risk, as proven in the recent collapse of the highway bridge in Genoa. Bridges and other transportation infrastructure are constantly exposed to heavy loads due to high traffic levels and various environmental factors which can cause damage, such as fractures and splitting or other structural deformation. Regular inspections are necessary to determine the conditions of structures and to ensure long-term structural safety.

To date, time- and cost-intensive assessments have been carried out by on-site experts. The AISTEC project partners agree that using digital technology could significantly simplify and improve the testing procedure. Researchers are pursuing an innovative approach: »Through continuous, sensor-supported damage recording and automated damage detection, the condition of bridges and other infrastructure can be monitored more efficiently,« says project manager Professor Dr. Guido Morgenthal of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. »Damage from aging could be detected more quickly, which would allow maintenance measures to be taken before the structure has to be closed or even demolished,« continues Prof. Mogenthal.

Remote automated damage detection possible
Digital inspection begins with a photograph of the structure using drones, or »Unmanned Aircraft Systems« (UAS). These systems are equipped with high-resolution cameras and systematically scan the structure for optimal routes and then record images and thermographic data to determine the condition of the structure. Additional parameters are constantly monitored using permanent, highly sensitive sensors on the structure itself. To conclude the inspection, 3D models of the structures are generated from the data and images collected. Potential damage patterns could be automatically detected through image analysis and load-bearing effects could be calculated using computer-aided simulations. With the help of virtual reality systems, the data presented then allows remote expert assessment. Prototypes of this method are to be practically tested on existing Deutsche Bahn structures.

»AISTEC« joint project: Evaluating older structures with digital technology
This joint project is a part of the BMBF funding initiative, »KMU-innovativ: Forschung für die Sicherheit«.

Project duration:
September 2018 to August 2021

Involved professorships:
Prof. Dr. Guido Morgenthal, Modelling and Simulation of Structures
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Volker Rodehorst, Computer Vision in Engineering
Prof. Dr. Bernd Fröhlich, Virtual Reality and Visualization Research

Project partner:
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Berlin
Deutsche Bahn Netz AG, Frankfurt am Main
Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner Beratende Ingenieure VBI AG, Erfurt

Associate partners:
Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt), Bergisch-Gladbach
Intel Deutschland GmbH, Krailling
Thüringer Landesamt für Bau und Verkehr, Erfurt
SOFiSTiK AG, Oberschleißheim GEPA mbH, München 

Contact information:
For any questions, please contact network coordinator Prof. Dr. Guido Morgenthal,  
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Professorship for Modelling and Simulation - construction, at  +49 (0) 36 43/58 44 17 or guido.morgenthal[at]uni-weimar.de

Aging infrastructure pose a huge safety risk, as proven in the recent collapse of the highway bridge in Genoa. Bridges and other transportation infrastructure are constantly exposed to heavy loads due to high traffic levels and various environmental factors which can cause damage, such as fractures and splitting or other structural deformation. Regular inspections are necessary to determine the conditions of structures and to ensure long-term structural safety.

To date, time- and cost-intensive assessments have been carried out by on-site experts. The AISTEC project partners agree that using digital technology could significantly simplify and improve the testing procedure. Researchers are pursuing an innovative approach: »Through continuous, sensor-supported damage recording and automated damage detection, the condition of bridges and other infrastructure can be monitored more efficiently,« says project manager Professor Dr. Guido Morgenthal of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. »Damage from aging could be detected more quickly, which would allow maintenance measures to be taken before the structure has to be closed or even demolished,« continues Prof. Mogenthal.

Remote automated damage detection possible
Digital inspection begins with a photograph of the structure using drones, or »Unmanned Aircraft Systems« (UAS). These systems are equipped with high-resolution cameras and systematically scan the structure for optimal routes and then record images and thermographic data to determine the condition of the structure. Additional parameters are constantly monitored using permanent, highly sensitive sensors on the structure itself. To conclude the inspection, 3D models of the structures are generated from the data and images collected. Potential damage patterns could be automatically detected through image analysis and load-bearing effects could be calculated using computer-aided simulations. With the help of virtual reality systems, the data presented then allows remote expert assessment. Prototypes of this method are to be practically tested on existing Deutsche Bahn structures.

»AISTEC« joint project: Evaluating older structures with digital technology
This joint project is a part of the BMBF funding initiative, »KMU-innovativ: Forschung für die Sicherheit«.

Project duration:
September 2018 to August 2021

Involved professorships:
Prof. Dr. Guido Morgenthal, Modelling and Simulation of Structures
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Volker Rodehorst, Computer Vision in Engineering
Prof. Dr. Bernd Fröhlich, Virtual Reality and Visualization Research

Project partner:
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Berlin
Deutsche Bahn Netz AG, Frankfurt am Main
Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner Beratende Ingenieure VBI AG, Erfurt

Associate partners:
Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt), Bergisch-Gladbach
Intel Deutschland GmbH, Krailling
Thüringer Landesamt für Bau und Verkehr, Erfurt
SOFiSTiK AG, Oberschleißheim GEPA mbH, München 

Contact information:
For any questions, please contact network coordinator Prof. Dr. Guido Morgenthal,  
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Professorship for Modelling and Simulation - construction, at  +49 (0) 36 43/58 44 17 or guido.morgenthal[at]uni-weimar.de