Robotic Bridge Paint Removal: Field Testing and Evaluation of Promising Technologies

1993 Grant AgreementPeriodic paint removal and re-application is necessary to protect steel girder bridges against corrosion. The paint removal operation for bridge maintenance, however, is hazardous to the workers involved in the process and the natural environment. A particular problem is that certain types of paint used on bridges in the past contain toxic lead. The Robotic Bridge Paint Removal (RBPR) project was initiated under a grant agreement with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to study the important factors related to the robotic paint removal process. During the design and development, the unique shape of the bridge beam and the requirement for dust and debris containment caused many problems. These problems, in turn, provided challenges to produce innovative solutions. The robotic paradigm was identified as an especially effective approach for spot cleaning corroded paint on bridge structures. A vision-based computer control architecture was developed that provides the adaptive remote control capabilities for the spot cleaning process. Field tests were conducted throughout the project to evaluate design concepts, identify areas that could be improved, and demonstrate the final working prototype. The results of these demonstrations indicate the application of the robotic paradigm to bridge paint removal has real potential to: 1) improve workers' safety, 2) protect the natural environment during the paint removal process, and 3) minimize the risks to the general public. This project would not have been possible without the close partnership between the North Carolina State University Construction Automation and Robotics Laboratory (CARL) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The NCDOT not only loaned many of the key hardware components to the project, they also participated in reconfiguring, upgrading and field testing the new system

Behavior during construction of ramp B over I-40 in Nashville, TN

The construction of curved I-girder bridges generally requires detailed attention to the steel erection plan as well as the deck placement sequence. There is limited quantitative information available on the performance of large curved bridges under construction. This study seeks to address this limitation through the study of a curved ramp I-girder bridge. The bridge under study is the last of several bridges needed to complete the interchange between I-40 and Briley Parkway (TN SR155) in western Nashville, TN. The study consists of three parts. First, the bridge was instrumented and its behavior during construction was monitored using vibrating wire strain gages, clinometers, and a robotic total station. Through these technologies it was possible to monitor changes in strain/stress, angle of rotation, and deflections throughout the girder erection, installation of concrete formwork, and concrete placement. Second, a static load test of the completed bridge was conducted using ten trucks loaded to a total weight of 72 kips each, during which measurements of the stress/strain and deflections were acquired. Finally, the collected data was compared to analytical results obtained from a 3D finite element analysis (FEA) model to assess the correlation between measurements and refined analytical predictions. The refined 3D FEA predictions are used as a baseline for evaluation of various simplified analysis methods in a parallel National Cooperative Highway Research Program project, NCHRP 12-79, Guidelines for Analytical Methods and Construction Engineering of Curved and Skewed Steel Girder Bridges. Overall, the comparisons show that the 3D FEA model provides a reasonable approximation of the bridge's behavior in terms of both stresses and deflections.MSCommittee Chair: Leon, Roberto T.; Committee Member: Kahn, Lawrence F.; Committee Member: White, Donald W

A new truck prototype for transporting flexible manipulators

[Resumen] Este trabajo se ocupa del diseño mecánico y la descripción de los diferentes componentes de una base móvil novedosa para un manipulador móvil flexible. Un manipulador móvil flexible normalmente se compone de múltiples enlaces flexibles montados en una plataforma móvil. Este trabajo se centra en la descripción de la plataforma móvil. La plataforma móvil de este trabajo tiene dos configuraciones diferentes para llevar a cabo diferentes tareas. Además, en este trabajo se muestran algunas hipótesis y resultados experimentales como un primer paso para poder obtener un modelo cinemático del sistema más adelante.[Abstract] This work is concerned with the mechanical design and the description of the different components of a novel mobile base for a flexible mobile manipulator. A flexible mobile manipulator is normally composed of multiple flexible links mounted on a mobile platform. This work is focused on the description of the mobile platform. The mobile platform of this work has two different configurations in order to carry out different tasks. Also, some hypothesis and experimental results are shown in this work as a first step to be able to obtain a kinematic model of the system later.Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; FPU14/02256Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad; DPI2016-80547-

Review of Methodologies to Assess Bridge Safety During and After Floods

This report summarizes a review of technologies used to monitor bridge scour with an emphasis on techniques appropriate for testing during and immediately after design flood conditions. The goal of this study is to identify potential technologies and strategies for Illinois Department of Transportation that may be used to enhance the reliability of bridge safety monitoring during floods from local to state levels. The research team conducted a literature review of technologies that have been explored by state departments of transportation (DOTs) and national agencies as well as state-of-the-art technologies that have not been extensively employed by DOTs. This review included informational interviews with representatives from DOTs and relevant industry organizations. Recommendations include considering (1) acquisition of tethered kneeboard or surf ski-mounted single-beam sonars for rapid deployment by local agencies, (2) acquisition of remote-controlled vessels mounted with single-beam and side-scan sonars for statewide deployment, (3) development of large-scale particle image velocimetry systems using remote-controlled drones for stream velocity and direction measurement during floods, (4) physical modeling to develop Illinois-specific hydrodynamic loading coefficients for Illinois bridges during flood conditions, and (5) development of holistic risk-based bridge assessment tools that incorporate structural, geotechnical, hydraulic, and scour measurements to provide rapid feedback for bridge closure decisions.IDOT-R27-SP50Ope

Advancing Climate Change Research and Hydrocarbon Leak Detection : by Combining Dissolved Carbon Dioxide and Methane Measurements with ADCP Data

With the emergence of largescale, comprehensive environmental monitoring projects, there is an increased need to combine state-of-the art technologies to address complicated problems such as ocean acidifi cation and hydrocarbon leak detection

Engineering Dynamics and Life Sciences

From Preface: This is the fourteenth time when the conference “Dynamical Systems: Theory and Applications” gathers a numerous group of outstanding scientists and engineers, who deal with widely understood problems of theoretical and applied dynamics. Organization of the conference would not have been possible without a great effort of the staff of the Department of Automation, Biomechanics and Mechatronics. The patronage over the conference has been taken by the Committee of Mechanics of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland. It is a great pleasure that our invitation has been accepted by recording in the history of our conference number of people, including good colleagues and friends as well as a large group of researchers and scientists, who decided to participate in the conference for the first time. With proud and satisfaction we welcomed over 180 persons from 31 countries all over the world. They decided to share the results of their research and many years experiences in a discipline of dynamical systems by submitting many very interesting papers. This year, the DSTA Conference Proceedings were split into three volumes entitled “Dynamical Systems” with respective subtitles: Vibration, Control and Stability of Dynamical Systems; Mathematical and Numerical Aspects of Dynamical System Analysis and Engineering Dynamics and Life Sciences. Additionally, there will be also published two volumes of Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics entitled “Dynamical Systems in Theoretical Perspective” and “Dynamical Systems in Applications”