Integrated Remote Sensing and Visualization (IRSV) System for Transportation Infrastructure Operations and Management: Phase One, Volume One, Summary Report

The Integrated Remote Sensing and Visualization System (IRSV) is being designed to accommodate the needs of today’s Bridge Engineers at the state and local level from the following aspects: Better understanding and enforcement of a complex inspection process that can bridge the gap between evidence gathering and decision making through the implementation of ontological knowledge engineering system; Aggregation, representation and fusion of complex multi-layered heterogeneous data (i.e. infrared imaging, aerial photos and ground-mounted LiDAR, etc.) with domain application knowledge to support an understandable process for decision-making; Robust visualization techniques with large-scale analytical and interactive visualizations that support users' decision making; and Integration of these needs through the flexible Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) framework to compose and provide services on-demand. The specific objectives of the project are to: Enhance the National Bridge Inventory System (NBIS); Provide opportunities for state and local departments of transportation to develop remote sensing and visualization applications for a bridge management system (BMS); Provide temporal bridge condition tracking; Enable agencies to make more precise damage assessments; and Provide better and more systematic data interpretation through parallel data displays. This first Volume, based on a more complete, seven-volume set of reports, describes the development of the IRSV to date as a summary for management review and understanding. The intent is to ultimately establish a component of an on-going nationwide dialogue and upgrade of BMSs in state and local transportation agencies.