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(suspenseful music)

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- [Narrator] With the
largest inventory of bridges

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in the nation, making sure
they are properly maintained

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and rehabilitated when
needed is a time consuming

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and expensive endeavor.

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But thanks to researchers
from the University of Texas

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at San Antonio, a new
and innovative system

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has been developed that utilizes
highly sensitive cameras

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and specialized software.

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- [Biniam] The primary
objective of this research

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is to develop a digital
image correlation system

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to extract bridge deformation data.

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When we say bridge deformation data

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primarily is strength and deflection

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for assessment of bridge load rating.

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- DIC technology is a technology
that uses digital images

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and finds objects in those
digital images automatically.

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We take pictures from two
cameras and those two cameras

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we find the same target on a
bridge using those cameras.

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And then from there we locate them

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in three dimensional space

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and that gives us bridge deformations.

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If we know that the deformations
we can back calculate

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the forces in the structure

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and figure out how much
capacity it can take.

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- Part of the objective
was to figure out long term

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monitoring of bridges
upon some sort of damage

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or crack progression.

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So traditionally we relied on consultants

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to do those load testing for us.

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Now that we have this
system, future load testings

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for the most part, I see
them being done in house.

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- Before the system,
TxDOT would have to go in

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and attach instruments on bridges
and it's not an easy thing

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especially if the bridge is
over a creek or over a road

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you have to put scaffolding, get up there

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attach these instruments
to measure deformations,

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it can take several days.

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But now with the DIC system
we can do it in the morning

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in half a day you could get up there

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and set up the cameras.

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- [Biniam] This digital
image correlation system

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is a useful additional
tool in the toolbox for us.

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And the researchers have provided all the

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necessary tools to TxDOT personnel

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you know, you don't have to go
through processing a contract

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or court authorization

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if you have the instrument
at hand, you can go out

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and make some measurements
yourself and quickly

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you can determine whether
or not your bridge

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have the capacity that
you want it to have.

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So it makes the process much easier

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for us now that we have
this instrument at hand.

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- The next steps is looking
at other applications.

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So this was calibrated and
set up for a bridge test

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but you can use it to
do many other things.

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You can look at long term
movement of certain bridges,

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rapid detection of damage after let's say

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a hurricane or floods.

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You can go in with the cameras

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and very quickly assess
where things stand.

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- For more information, and
to find the publications

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for this project, please visit
the TxDOT Research Library

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at the link shown below.