Automated rebar recognition and corrosion assessment of concrete bridge decks using ground penetrating radar

Reinforcement corrosion is a leading cause of damage in concrete bridge decks, resulting in cracking and spalling in the concrete cover. Recently, ground penetrating radar (GPR) emerged as a prominent non-destructive testing (NDT) for evaluating the corrosiveness of concrete structures. Although GPR provides real-time testing for concrete elements, the analysis and interpretation of GPR data can be complex and time-consuming. To this end, this paper introduces a comprehensive methodology for a fully automated GPR data interpretation in the context of reinforcement corrosion evaluation. The developed method encompasses robust rebar picking and corrosion mapping. The rebar picking is realized by employing advanced waveform analysis and a three-step automated thresholding approach. Following rebar picking and data extraction, corrosion mapping is performed, stepping on a statistically optimized amplitude thresholding process. The developed rebar picking module achieved more than 98% precision and recall. Furthermore, the standardized corrosion assessment methodology precisely pinpointed potential corroded areas.