Reliability analysis of 3D lidar bridge evaluation

Terrestrial 3D LiDAR scanner has been suggested as a remote sensing technique for existing and newly constructed bridges. Using high resolution laser, 3D LiDAR can populate a surficial area with millions of position data points. Bridge problems can benefit from LiDAR scan and current studies have found potential application including: bridge clearance, static deflection measurement and damage detection. The technique is especially useful when accurate measurement of bridge geometry cannot be achieved by traditional survey technique, especially when site topography is prohibitive. However, resolution is still one of the main reasons that limit the application of LiDAR technology for advance bridge monitoring. This paper discusses the reliability issues of such technique as well as the LiDAR based bridge monitoring methodologies. Several experimental results are presented to establish the sensitivities for different assessments.