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Bridge Inspection
Infrastructure Preservation Corporation, IPC. Nondestructive testing and robotic engineering company.
According to the business dictionary nondestructive testing is a "Quality control method that does not damage or destroy the material or product being tested. Performed on a finished item instead of on a material sample, it uses infrared radiation, radiography, ultrasound, x-rays, and other techniques to detect fatigue effects, structural flaws, and other such defects."
Non Destructive Testing (NDT) using Non Destructive Evaluations (NDE) methods made some of the biggest gains in the medical industries with the advances in X-Ray and MRI technology. NDT technologies are also used in aviation to look at material flaws that can help prevent plane crashes, reactors to fail, pipelines to break and trains to derail. Conducting tests with non destructive testing allow the materials that are being tested to be used after the tests are completed. In other words by using NDT technologies the materials can be inspected without damaging them. "NDE" or Non destructive evaluation although sometimes used interchangeably with NDT really speaks more towards the actual test or evaluation to be performed.
IPC "Infrastructure Preservation Corporation" has taken NDT technology and created patented robotic devices to inspect infrastructure worldwide. IPC focuses on utilizing nondestructive testing technology to perform non destructive evaluations of Infrastructure to advance NDT technology in the infrastructure inspection industry. This can be bridge inspections, road and highway inspections, high mast light pole inspections, dams, tunnels, ports and more. Currently many of the guidelines to test these structures are 25- 40 years old and subjective in nature. By being subjective differing results would be provided by different inspectors. This makes it very difficult for an asset manager or a government to manage repairs and maintenance schedule. Many of the NDT and NDE technologies that IPC has developed provide quantitative results.
For example concrete bridge crack tests are conducted with each inspection cycle. A subjective test would send an inspector to a bridge typically place them in a boom truck while closing the lane down to traffic. The inspector would look at the bridge and hold a small caliper up to measure bridge cracks. IPC utilizes a proprietary bridge crack inspection system that can detect bridge cracks from over 1000 feet away. Not only are no lane closures or boom trucks required but the difference in a double blind test are staggering. Recently in one 200 foot bridge the inspection company utilizing traditional methods found no cracks in the bridge. IPC found over a dozen some of these over 3 feet long and all of them larger in width than the minimum required width to record.
Infrastructure Preservation Corporation Concrete Crack Testing System
In another case, asset managers are required to use a 40year old method of dragging a chain across a road deck to listen for changes in the sound that would alert an inspector to delamination or defects. Do you think that perhaps this method is outdated? I would bet that 10 inspectors conducting this test would come up with 10 different results. Infrastructure Preservation Corporation would recommend using their proprietary GPR ground penetrating radar. Not only is it a non subjective inspection but you can see through the concrete and record voids and delamination that can cause serious deterioration or result in catastrophe. GPR "Ground Penetrating Radar" can also see rebar placement, calculate load ratings and pinpoint areas of concern.
Another situation is the testing of post tension cables in bridges and segmental roadways. Currently inspectors visually inspect or take a hammer to listing to changes in the sound in the cables. These cables hold up the bridges and roads and are too important to conduct visual inspections. IPC has developed patented, proprietary technology that can peer through a post tension cable and can find voids, water and bleeding grout which lead to corrosion. If a problem area is found with todays testing the engineering firm will then bore a hole in the area to further inspect the cable. Once the inspection is completed the hole is backfilled and closed. This method further exposes the tendon to air and moisture, further deteriorating that component of the structure.
IPC is fighting a kind of uphill battle to modernize infrastructure testing quickly and utilize Non destruct testing methods to conduct non destructive evaluations that will help extend the life of our infrastructure assets, find areas of concern early to make needed repairs and help ensure the publics safety. To find out more to to www.infrastructurepc.com or email info@infrastructurepc.com.
High Mast Light Pole Inspection Service
