Automated image processing technique for detecting and analysing concrete surface cracks

In the present work, an image processing technique that automatically detects and analyses cracks in the digital image of concrete surfaces is proposed. The image processing technique automates the measurement of crack characteristics including the width, length, orientation and crack pattern. In the proposed technique, a morphological technique was applied to correct the non-uniform brightness of the background, and enhanced binarisation and shape analysis were used to improve the detection performance; furthermore, detailed algorithms to calculate the crack width, length, orientation and an artificial neural network to recognise crack patterns including horizontal, vertical, diagonal (?45°), diagonal (+45°), and random cracks are proposed. An image processing program was developed for the proposed algorithm and a series of experimental and analytical investigations were performed to assess the validity of the algorithm. Then, the crack characteristics measured using the proposed technique were compared with those obtained using a conventional technique. The test results showed that the crack characteristics can be accurately measured and analysed using the proposed technique.     

湿干循环下压实膨胀土裂隙扩展规律研究

裂隙特征作为膨胀土裂隙性研究的基础,其定量化描述有助于膨胀土工程性质的深入探究。以膨胀土平面裂隙为研究对象,使用数码摄影获取多次湿干循环下的裂隙扩展图像,采用优化和改进的裂隙图像处理及裂隙特征提取方法,分析所获得的膨胀土裂隙各特征参数。结果表明：室内压实膨胀土表面裂隙率随着湿干循环次数增加而增大,且第二次湿干循环对裂隙率影响最为显著;裂隙发育峰值条数在第一次湿干循环后最多,总长度最大,而三次湿干循环后的裂隙条数和总长度较为相近;裂隙宽度随湿干循环次数增加而增大,且第二次湿干循环影响最为显著;同时,第一次湿干循环中主裂隙发育最明显,在第二次和第三次中宽度发育趋于均匀;通过裂隙方向玫瑰花图发现,裂隙主要沿着初始方向扩展,直至下一次湿干循环;裂隙发育方向在第一次湿干循环中是随机的,而在第二次与第三次中有较高相似性,表明湿干循环对裂隙发育方向的影响也主要发生在第二次。     

Performance of a BOTDR optical fibre sensing technique for crack detection in concrete structures

Strain distribution measurements and problematic crack detection are important issues in the damage detection and performance evaluation of concrete, or reinforced concrete, structures. In recent years, the Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (BOTDR) based optical fibre sensing technique has attracted great attention as a distributed monitoring method. Current BOTDR instruments are suitable for strain measurements over a certain distance (termed spatial resolution), but damage such as cracks in concrete structures are local. It is crucial to find an effective method to detect local damage in concrete. In this study, two basic optical fibre installation methods, overall bonding (OB) installation and point fixation (PF) installation, are proposed. Then, several unique installation methods (one-round, one-round superposition and two-round superposition) are proposed and investigated experimentally for a reinforced concrete bending beam. The efficiency of the proposed installation methods and the effect of the length of the sensing region on the measurement accuracy are also discussed. Experimental results show that the n-round superposition installation method can effectively and correctly detect the total crack width within a relatively local region. The performance of the overall bonding and point fixation installation methods with different sensing region lengths, or gauge lengths, for local crack initiation and total crack width measurement is also discussed.     

A Bayesian Probabilistic Approach for Crack Characterization in Plate Structures

Abstract: This article explores the possibility of using a Bayesian probabilistic approach for the detection of cracks in thin plate structures, utilizing measured dynamic responses at only a few points on the plate. Existing laser scanning or shearography based crack detection methods are applicable only when measurement at the region near the defect is possible. These types of techniques are important in providing information, in addition to that obtained through visual inspection, for the purpose of structural health monitoring. Because of the global nature of the vibration characteristics of structural systems, this article puts forward a crack detection approach that can be applicable with only a few sensors and when the sensor locations are not close to the crack. This kind of method is particularly valuable as it can be applied when visual inspection is not possible (e.g., part of the plate is obstructed and is not assessable by inspectors). Owing to the problems of measurement noise and incomplete measurement (i.e., only a limited number of measurement points are employed and high‐mode information is lost because of the digitization of the signal and measurement noise), the results of crack detection as an inverse problem contain uncertainties. To explicitly handle such uncertainty, the proposed crack detection method follows the Bayesian statistical system identification framework. Rather than pinpointing the crack parameters (i.e., the crack location, length, and depth), the posterior probability density function (PDF) of the crack parameters is calculated to quantify the confidence level of the identified results, which is extremely important for engineers when they make judgments about remedial works. This article reports the theoretical development of the modeling of a cracked plate and a crack detection method together with numerical verification of the proposed method. The case study results are very encouraging, and indicate that the proposed method is feasible.     

Assessment of excavation damaged zone using a micromechanics model

It is well known that acoustic emission (AE) and microseismic (MS) events are indicators of rock fracturing or damage as the rock is brought to failure at high stress. By capturing the microseismic events, underground excavation induced rock mass degradation or damage can be located. The use of microseismic method has been shown as a valuable tool in a number of nuclear waste repository research programs to monitor the extent of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ), but most of the works are limited to a qualitative assessment.This paper presents a study on the quantification of the degree of damage, in terms of crack density calculated from the crack length, and the extent, in terms of crack density distribution, from microseismic event monitoring data. The approach builds on the finding that a realistic crack size corresponding to a microseismic event can be established by applying a tensile cracking model instead of the traditional shear model, commonly used in earthquake data analysis. It can be shown that brittle rock failure is the result of tensile crack initiation, propagation, accumulation, and interaction. Tensile stress can be generated in a confined rock with heterogeneous material properties. When a crack is formed by tensile cracking in this fashion, its orientation tends to become parallel to the direction of maximum compressive stress. A method is developed to take microseismic event monitoring data as input to determine the damage state and the extent of the EDZ by crack distribution. Based on the crack orientation and crack density information, the rock is modeled by a micro-mechanics based constitutive model which considers the anisotropic material properties. Numerical examples are presented using field monitoring data from a tunnel in granite to demonstrate how microseismicity can be quantitatively linked to dynamic rock mass properties.     

基于计算机视觉技术的结构表面裂缝检测方法研究

计算机视觉技术用于混凝土结构表面裂缝检测,具有现场检测方便、效率高、客观性强的特点,但图像数据分析是该技术的核心,其中裂缝提取与定量测量较为复杂。为提高裂缝图像处理效率和准确率,将深度学习和数字图像处理技术相结合,提出一种裂缝检测方法。建立基于深度卷积神经网络的裂缝识别模型,在图像上自动定位裂缝并结合图像局域阈值分割方法提取裂缝。在裂缝宽度定量测量方面,采用双边滤波算法和三段线性变换对裂缝图像进行预处理,提高了裂缝边缘识别的精确度。通过改进边缘梯度法,实现裂缝最大宽度的定位和裂缝最大宽度的自动获取。该研究为全自动识别裂缝图像及高精度测量裂缝宽度提供了一种解决方法。     

Pavement Crack Width Measurement Based on Laplace's Equation for Continuity and Unambiguity

Crack is one of the most important pavement condition indicators that are immediately relevant to water ingress and pavement deterioration. In practices of pavement management, crack width has been extensively referenced by highway agencies to determine pavement crack severity. Accurate measurement of pavement crack width is meaningful for highway agencies in understanding the mechanism of crack formation, and in predicting crack propagation. This article presents a new automatic method for measuring crack width using the binary crack map images. The proposed method introduces a new crack width definition and formulates it using the Laplace's Equation so that crack width can be continuously and unambiguously measured. Two algorithms, including the crack blob extraction algorithm and the crack boundary extraction algorithm, are developed to implement the proposed formulation in an automated fashion. Experimental tests using both synthetic data and field data are conducted to demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method. A case study on crack width propagation is also performed to demonstrate the practical capacity of the proposed method. The results of the experimental tests and the outcome of the case study have demonstrated that the proposed method, together with the existing crack map extraction algorithms, provides a promising means for consistent and unambiguous crack width measurement supporting automated pavement condition evaluation.     

Zernike‐moment measurement of thin‐crack width in images enabled by dual‐scale deep learning

Although crack inspection is a routine practice in civil infrastructure management (especially for highway bridge structures), it is time‐consuming and safety‐concerning to trained engineers and costly to the stakeholders. To automate this in the near future, the algorithmic challenge at the onset is to detect and localize cracks in imagery data with complex scenes. The rise of deep learning (DL) sheds light on overcoming this challenge through learning from imagery big data. However, how to exploit DL techniques is yet to be fully explored. One primary component of practical crack inspection is that it is not merely detection via visual recognition. To evaluate the potential risk of structural failure, it entails quantitative characterization, which usually includes crack width measurement. To further facilitate the automation of machine‐vision‐based concrete crack inspection, this article proposes a DL‐enabled quantitative crack width measurement method. In the detection and mapping phase, dual‐scale convolutional neural networks are designed to detect cracks in complex scene images with validated high accuracy. Subsequently, a novel crack width estimation method based on the use of Zernike moment operator is further developed for thin cracks. The experimental results based on a laboratory loading test agree well with the direct measurements, which substantiates the effectiveness of the proposed method for quantitative crack detection.     

Real-time automatic crack detection method based on drone

Real-time automated drone-based crack detection can be used for efficient building damage assessment. This paper proposes an automated real-time crack detection method based on a drone. Using a lightweight classification algorithm, a lightweight segmentation algorithm, a high-precision segmentation algorithm, and a crack width measurement algorithm, the cracks are classified, roughly segmented, finely segmented, and the maximum width is extracted. A crack information-assisted drone flight automatic control algorithm for automatic crack detection guides the drone toward the crack position. The effectiveness of the crack detection algorithm and the crack information-assisted drone flight automatic control algorithm was tested on two different datasets, a two-story building, and a 16-m-high shaking table test building. The results show that crack detection can be finished in real-time during the flight. Using the proposed method can significantly improve the MIoU of crack edge detection and the accuracy of maximum crack width measurement under the non-ideal shooting conditions of the actual inspection situation by automatically approaching the vicinity of the crack.     

混凝土裂缝红外热成像分布式监测技术研究

提出了基于高分子导电膜拉敏效应的混凝土裂缝红外热成像检测方法.结果表明：在外部电压源激励作用下,涂覆在混凝土试件表面导电膜中的导电粒子由于隧道效应形成导电通路,混凝土裂缝处可形成局部热效应温度场,红外热成像仪能够分辨出混凝土裂缝位置及走向.该方法检测     

隧道衬砌裂缝自动检测性能影响因素模型试验研究

 采用混凝土试块并涂抹防火涂料模拟不同工况下的隧道衬砌,设计基于线阵电荷耦合元件(CCD)的移动装置和相应软件进行隧道衬砌裂缝自动检测模型试验,选取图像灰度分布和裂缝检测精度作为评价自动检测性能的定量指标,总结检测距离、光源照度、有效像素和检测速度等因素对自动检测性能的影响规律。模型试验结果表明：图像灰度分布沿裂缝宽度方向呈现波谷特征;检测距离和有效像素对图像灰度分布影响不大,主要影响裂缝检测精度,随检测距离减小、有效像素增大,裂缝检测精度基本呈线性增高;光源照度和检测速度对图像灰度分布和裂缝检测精度都有较大影响,光源照度过高或过低会导致裂缝检测精度降低,随检测速度增大,裂缝检测精度基本呈线性降低。     

土体干缩裂隙网络定量分析

土体干缩裂隙网络定量分析对深入研究裂隙发育机制及正确评价裂隙土的工程性质有重要意义。在室内对三组不同土体开展了干燥试验,采用数字图像处理技术对获得的裂隙图像进行了二值化、除噪和骨架化等预处理操作,提出了一整套与裂隙网络几何形态特征密切相关的量度指标体系并进行了定量分析,借助概率密度函数,从统计学角度探讨了关键量度指标的分布特征。结果表明：土质对干缩裂隙网络的几何形态特征有重要影响,表面裂隙率、裂隙节点个数、裂隙总长度、裂隙平均宽度和土块个数通常随黏粒含量和塑性指数的增加而增加;量度指标之间既有区别又有联系,如表面裂隙率与裂隙平均宽度存在正相关性,裂隙条数受节点个数的控制,土块个数越多,则对应土块平均面积越小,表面裂隙率越大,分形维数也越大;单位面积内的节点个数、土块个数和表面裂隙率可作为定量描述裂隙网络几何形态特征的基本指标;裂隙长度、宽度和土块面积的平均值与它们的主要分布范围及最可几值之间存在较好的相关性。     

配置500 MPa钢筋后张有黏结预应力混凝土梁不同位置处裂缝宽度研究

以8根配置500MPa钢筋后张有黏结预应力混凝土梁的弯曲裂缝宽度试验为基础,对不同位置处的裂缝宽度进行统计分析,得到各位置处的短期裂缝宽度扩大系数,比较了不同位置处的裂缝宽度关系;根据试验结果并收集整理相关文献试验数据,建议了不同位置处裂缝宽度换算的计算式。结果表明：各位置处的裂缝宽度均服从正态分布,各位置处的短期裂缝宽度扩大系数基本相同;在梁侧面,预应力筋重心高度处裂缝宽度小于纵向受拉非预应力筋重心高度处裂缝宽度;在梁受拉底面,当裂缝量测点至最近的纵向受拉非预应力筋重心的距离较小时,纵向受拉非预应力筋对量测点处的裂缝具有较好的约束作用;建议计算式可以较好地对不同位置处裂缝宽度进行换算。     

Buckling of cracked cylindrical thin shells under combined internal pressure and axial compression

Linear eigenvalue analysis of cracked cylindrical shells under combined internal pressure and axial compression is carried out to study the effect of crack type, size and orientation on the buckling behavior of cylindrical thin shells. Two types of crack are considered; through crack and thumbnail crack. Our calculations indicate that depending on the crack type, length, orientation and the internal pressure, local buckling may precede the global buckling of the cylindrical shell. The internal pressure, in general, increases the buckling load associated with the global buckling mode of the cylindrical shells. In contrast, the effect of internal pressure on buckling loads associated with the local buckling modes of the cylindrical shell depends mainly on the crack orientation. For cylindrical shells with relatively long axial crack, buckling loads associated with local buckling modes of the cylindrical shell reduce drastically on increasing the shell internal pressure. In contrast, the internal pressure has the stabilizing effect against the local buckling for circumferentially cracked cylindrical shells. A critical crack length for each crack orientation and loading condition is defined as the shortest crack causing the local buckling to precede the global buckling of the cylindrical shell. Some insight into the effect of internal pressure on this critical crack length is provided.     

短期荷载作用下600MPa级超高强钢筋混凝土梁裂缝宽度试验研究

为研究600MPa级超高强钢筋混凝土梁受弯性能,进行18根配置600MPa级高强钢筋和1根配置HRB400钢筋的混凝土梁受弯静载试验,分析600MPa级超高强钢筋对混凝土梁裂缝分布、承载力、平均裂缝间距、最大裂缝宽度等影响。研究结果表明：配置该类型钢筋的受弯构件开裂弯矩和极限弯矩仍然可以按照现行规范公式进行计算;短期荷载作用下平均裂缝间距、最大裂缝宽度等参数计算值与现行混凝土结构设计规范公式计算值存在一定差异,平均裂缝间距计算值偏大,最大裂缝宽度计算值与试验值相比偏小。最后根据试验数据对配置该类型钢筋的受弯构件裂缝宽度计算公式进行适当修正,第一种方法是在现行规范计算公式基础上引进裂缝宽度综合调整系数,第二种方法是对现行规范裂缝宽度计算公式中的平均裂缝间距采用修正公式代替,短期裂缝宽度扩大系数采用修正值。修正结果表明第一种修正方法得到的计算值与试验值吻合度高,同时考虑到规范的连续性,建议采用第一种方法进行裂缝宽度修正。     

三维裂纹应力强度因子数值计算

利用无网格Galerkin方法对三维裂纹问题进行分析。基于最小二乘法的无网格方法仅需一系列节点信息就可构成物体的离散模型。在无网格Galerkin方法中,位移边界条件不包含在内,因此,在边界已知位移方向上设置一系列弹簧来满足无网格方法的本征边界条件。弹簧的一端与已知位移的物体表面固连,而另一端固定,把计算位移与已知位移的误差作为弹簧的变形量。弹簧作为弹性体的一部分,弹簧的变性能也是弹性体应变能的一部分。裂纹使得弹性体具有不连续性,对体内节点具有隔离作用。用可视准则处理裂纹面对影响域内Gauss点的隔离作用。提出简单有效的方案,确定可变的节点影响域,这一方案可以保证体内每一个节点影响域内的节点数为一给定的常数,通过限制影响域内最小二乘计算的大小,提高计算近似函数的效率。利用三维间断位移法计算三维裂纹前缘的应力强度因子,计算有限体内边界贯穿平置裂纹和边界非贯穿平置裂纹的应力强度因子。无网格Galerkin方法的计算结果与前人研究的结果吻合很好,这可为三维裂纹的扩展追踪提供参考。     

Instability of cracked CFRP composite cylindrical shells under combined loading

Numerical analysis of cracked composite cylindrical shells under combined loading is carried out to study the effect of crack size and orientation on the buckling behavior of laminated composite cylindrical shells. The interaction buckling curves of cracked laminated composite cylinders subject to different combinations of axial compression, torsion, internal pressure and external pressure are obtained, using the finite element method. In general, the internal pressure increases the critical buckling load of the CFRP cylindrical shells while torsion and external pressure decrease it. Numerical analyses show that axial crack has the most detrimental effect on the buckling load of a cylindrical shell while for cylindrical shells under combined external pressure and axial load, the global buckling shape is insensitive to the crack length and crack orientation.     

基于隶属度函数的公路隧道衬砌裂缝评价研究

隧道衬砌裂缝的分布及扩展状态是衬砌结构健康状况的直观体现。本文以裂缝宽度、长度、深厚比、角度构建评价指标,基于岭型分布建立了对应的隶属度向量函数B,通过模糊矩阵分析法确定裂缝评价指标各因素权重向量R,定义S=R·B为裂缝安全等级向量,以最高一级作为裂缝的安全等级,并按本评价方法,对某隧道的裂缝进行了评定。     

Querkraftwiderstand von Stahlbetonbauteilen ohne Querkraftbewehrung

Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Members without Transverse Reinforcement A new theoretical model concerning the shear strength of reinforced concrete members without transverse reinforcement is presented, considering free‐bodies unilaterally bounded by a fictitious crack, inclined at π/4 to the tension chord and extending from the tension chord to the compression chord. It is assumed that the shear stress that can be transferred across a crack decreases linearly with the crack width and that the crack width at the level of the tension chord is proportional to the product of the tension chord strain at the crack and the chord distance. This results in a linear‐hyperbolic relationship between the shear strength and the (elastic) tension chord force at the crack, allowing to determine the governing crack location and other relevant quantities via equilibrium considerations. Due to potential strut or arch action for the transfer of loads applied in the vicinity of supports the crack location is somewhat restricted; it is assumed that the corresponding length is equal to twice the chord distance.     

钢筋混凝土水池壁板弯曲裂缝的开展、自愈及渗漏试验研究

储液结构混凝土的开裂是液体渗漏的主要原因。水池设计规范、规程以控制裂缝宽度来保证结构的耐久性和功能,水池的地震破坏等级划分标准也主要以构件开裂和液体渗漏程度为依据。该文进行了足尺钢筋混凝土水池壁板承受弯拉荷载作用试验,验证了混凝土裂缝具有较好的自愈性能,建议水池基本完好、轻微破坏等级的裂缝宽度限值可增加0.1mm,该值可供实际应用参考;弯曲裂缝的受压区能有效地阻止液体渗漏,建议储液结构不同种类裂缝限值规定应区别对待,弯曲裂缝需规定裂缝宽度和受压区高度;水池地震破坏等级划分应综合考虑渗漏程度,裂缝长度、宽度、分布密度及震后维修加固可行性等指标。