Complete remote sensing bridge investigation system

A method of locating bridge and roadway subsurface defects and more accurately determine the cost of repair of the defects comprising:

• a. flying an aircraft having an infrared camera and GPS device mounted on it over a selected surface of the bridge and roadway;
• b. operating the infrared camera and GPS device to scan the selected surface of the bridge and roadway and creating infrared data and GPS data;
• c. driving a vehicle having an odometer and a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) device mounted on or under it over the selected surface of the bridge and roadway;
• d. operating the GPR device and scanning the selected surface of the bridge and roadway and create GPR data;
• wherein the infrared data and the GPS data are digitally stored in the data storage unit;
• wherein the GPR data and the odometer data are digitally stored in a data storage unit;
• wherein the GPR data, the odometer data, the infrared data and the GPS data are digitally transferred to a processor;
• wherein the GPS data is processed in a processor to determine each location (Lx) for the GPR data and infrared data;
• wherein the GPR data is processed by a processor to generate depth data for the determined location;
• wherein the infrared data is processed by the processor to generate energy level data for the determined location;
• wherein a calibration chart for each location Lx is generated by plotting for each location on the Y-axis the infrared energy level and on the X-axis the GPR depth;
• wherein the calibration chart is used to determine if the defect is large and is a whole bucket repair or is small and is a half bucket repair;
• and
• wherein a cost of repair is estimated using the number of whole bucket repairs and the number of half bucket repairs are needed.

A method of detecting, locating and evaluating bridge and roadway subsurface defects comprising:

• a. flying an aircraft having an infrared camera and GPS device mounted on it over a selected surface of the bridge and roadway;
• b. operating the infrared camera and GPS device to scan the selected surface of the bridge and roadway and creating infrared data and GPS data;
• c. driving a vehicle having an odometer and a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) device mounted on or under it over the selected surface of the bridge and roadway;
• wherein the vehicle is driven with the right tire in the right lane and the GPR device located next to the vehicle's right tire to locate defects
• d. operating the GPR device and scanning the selected surface of the bridge and roadway and create GPR data;
• wherein the infrared data and the GPS data are digitally stored in the data storage unit;
• wherein the GPR data and the odometer data are digitally stored in a data storage unit;
• wherein the GPR data, the odometer data, the infrared data and the GPS data are digitally transferred to a processor;
• wherein the GPS data is processed in a processor to determine each location (Lx) for the GPR data and infrared data;
• wherein the GPR data is processed by a processor to generate depth data for the determined location;
• wherein the infrared data is processed by the processor to generate energy level data for the determined location;
• wherein a calibration chart for each location Lx is generated by plotting for each location on the Y-axis the infrared energy level and on the X-axis the GPR depth;
• and
• wherein the calibration chart is used to establish the depth and size of the defects for each location.