Artificial intelligence technology provider Dynam.AI and GBA, a provider of engineering and architecture technologies, have announced that they will work together to identify defects in bridge roadway surfaces using a joint platform consisting of GBA’s UAS and Dynam.AI’s Auguste image detection and classification algorithm.

There are more than 47,000 structurally deficient bridges in the U.S. according to a 2019 study from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Traditionally, collecting the necessary data to determine the location and severity of the structural deficiencies would be done manually, which would require ground crews and extensive lane closures, creating hazards for drivers, road workers and inspectors.

Due to the required expenditures on traffic control and other personnel, as well as the economic impact of workers stuck in traffic, the standard approach is costly. Using their joint platform, though, Dynam.AI and GBA aim to not only improve the cost effectiveness of infrastructure repairs, but also the accuracy and safety associated with these operations. 

“In an environment like bridge rehabilitation, where every percentage point of accuracy counts, precise, consistent and detailed data is paramount,” says David Ferrell, managing director of Dynam.AI.

“The integration of our market-leading AI algorithms and techniques with GBA’s extensive expertise in UAS technology results in a cutting-edge solution unmatched in its ability to determine with precision the ideal time for departments of transportation to fix our nation’s decaying infrastructure, allowing them to optimize resource investments and maximize public safety.”

The patent pending methodology sees GBA deploying UAS equipped with infrared (IR) thermography to evaluate the condition of concrete decks, overlayments and bridge joints. GBA’s UAS findings are then converted into robust data streams using Dynam.AI’s Auguste detection and analysis algorithm, which helps detect areas of decay with higher than 85 percent accuracy, and associates that with an understanding of operational costs, timing and the overall impact of repairs.

Dynam.AI can convert this data into a 3D model to visualize anomalies. The companies say that their combined platform is expected to save 70 percent in man-hours. Ultimately, a process that once took six weeks using the previous technology can now be completed in just days.

“We are constantly looking for new technologies to solve existing problems and we found Dynam.AI to be similarly focused on streamlined solutions tailored to a project’s specific needs,” says Tim Ross, president and CEO of GBA.

“Working together, we have created a significantly more efficient approach to collect information to substantiate bridge rehabilitation.”