Hope College Engineering Department Research Experiences for Undergraduates Summer 2009 Project Summary

Open steel grids are typically used on bridges to minimize the weight of the bridge deck and wearing surface. These grids, however, require frequent maintenance and exhibit other durability concerns related to fatigue cracking and corrosion. Bridge decks constructed from composite materials, such as a Fiber-reinforced Polymer (FRP), are strong and lightweight; they also offer improved rideability, reduced noise levels, less maintenance, and are relatively easy to install compared to steel grids. Because FRP bridge decks are relatively new and little is known about their long-term durability, a non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method is necessary to monitor the health of FRP bridge decks over time. This research is aimed at developing an inspection protocol for FRP bridge decks using thermal imaging. The finite element method was used to simulate the heat transfer process and determine optimal heating and data acquisition parameters that will be used to inspect FRP bridge decks in the field. It was demonstrated that thermal imaging could successfully identify features of the FRP bridge deck to depths of 1.7 cm using a phase analysis process. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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