T

he NDEVC recently assisted the 

Maryland State Highway

Administration (SHA) in the load rating 

of one of their bridges. A steel

superstructure, multi-girder highway

bridge located on a major interstate

outside Baltimore was tested in

cooperation with the SHA. This bridge 

had experienced impact damage due to 

an overheight vehicle. Given the

location of the bridge and the possible 

repair costs, the SHA felt that a load 

test was necessary to carefully examine 

the extent of the damage before any

repair procedures were implemented. 

Given the high traffic at the bridge site, 

using conventional instrumentation to

load rate the structure would have been 

disruptive to the public. In an effort to 

address this type of situation, the

NDEVC has been developing

instrumentation to more efficiently load 

rate bridges with minimal access to a 

bridge and minimal effect on traffic. 

To achieve this goal a laser-based 

measurement instrument is used to

remotely measure girder deflections

under known static loads. No targets 

or surface preparations of the girder are 

necessary and the system can be used 

on both steel and concrete structures.

During the SHA bridge test, the traffic 

pattern under the structure was not

altered. From the shoulder of the

roadway under the bridge the laser

system measured deflections at 45

different locations along the length of

three 25-m long girders. Traffic on the 

structure was only briefly disrupted for 

placement of a load vehicle. The load 

test was completed in about 2 hours,

which included instrument setup and

the collection of seven data sets under 

various load configurations. Data from 

the test were provided to the SHA for 

their use in load rating the bridge.

NDEVC laser scanner collecting 

measurements during the load test.

Volume 1, Issue 2

Laser System Utilized For Bridge Load Rating

Summer 2000

A

s a result of the January 25-27, 2000 

State pooled-funds meeting that

reviewed the progress of the HERMES

bridge inspector project, a HERMES II

pooled-funds project is being initiated by 

20 States. The project will continue the 

development of high-resolution synthetic 

aperture radar (SAR) technology that can 

produce tomographic images of

subsurface bridge deck features. The

FHWA will act as lead agency for the

pooled funds project. 

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 

(LLNL) has been tasked with modifying 

their original HERMES radar design to

create an improved HERMES II system

that can detect subsurface delaminations 

in bridge decks with high confidence and 

accuracy. The NDEVC has been tasked 

with validating the performance of the

HERMES II radars once delivered by

LLNL. The NDEVC will also provide

support to LLNL when expertise gained 

(Continued on page 3)

Inside this issue:

Laser Load Rating 1

HERMES II 1

Recent Happenings 2

Steel Bridge Fabrication 3

Sign Structure Task Group 3

Automated UT Task Group 3

NDEVC Staff Roster 4

HERMES II Pooled-Funds Project Initiated

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

NDEVC News • Summer 2000 FHWA-RD-00-152 1
A

 seismic device developed by

NDT Engineering, Inc. of

Shrewsbury, Massachusetts was

recently tested at the NDEVC. The

device is designed to detect

deterioration of concrete in bridge

decks and other locations. 

NDT Engineering utilized the

NDEVC’s concrete deck slab

components specimens for

development and testing of their

device. The component specimens are 

samples containing known and

quantified types of deterioration. 

Further information regarding the

services performed by NDT

Engineering, Inc. can be obtained by

contacting Paul Fisk at (508) 845-

1950.

T

he third biennial Structural 

Materials Technology (SMT)

Conference was held February 28

through March 3, 2000 in Atlantic

City, New Jersey. Sponsorship of the 

conference was provided jointly

through the States of New Jersey and 

New York, and through the FHWA. 

This conference provides a forum for 

engineers and researchers to exchange 

ideas on the use of NDE technologies, 

particularly as they are applied to

transportation structures. Chaired by

Sreenivas Alampalli, New York State 

DOT, the conference attracted over

250 participants and featured 62

papers and presentations. 

Presentation topics ranged from the

use of visual inspection and visual

enhancements to the use of ground

penetrating radar and the broad topic

of bridge health monitoring. Papers

presented focused on emerging

technologies and the application of

currently available NDE techniques. 

T

he FHWA is sponsoring a

research project aimed at

determining the foundation

classification of bridges with unknown 

foundations. This work is being

conducted by Infrasense, Inc. of

Arlington, Massachusetts.

The test method is based on the fact

that piers founded on spread footings 

and piers founded on piles will have

significantly different stiffnesses and

behaviors. A field trial was recently

completed at the NDEVC’s Van Buren 

Road Bridge. The testing involved use 

of several different instruments to

quantify the motion of the pier under 

known loads. Rotations, strains, and 

overall structural movements were

measured with a series of tiltmeters,

strain gages, and an LVDT mounted on 

the structure. The results of this trial 

are promising, and testing will

continue on various configurations of 

bridges and instruments.

T

he Cyrax 2400 laser scanner

system was recentl y 

demonstrated at the NDEVC by Spatial 

Integrated Systems, Inc. This laser

scanner is a digital capture tool that

could be used for rapid 3D modeling 

of bridges or for monitoring of bridge 

deformations and displacements. The 

system was used to scan two

structures, including a box girder test 

bridge and a diaphragm bracing

structure of a curved girder bridge. 

For further information, contact Ali

Rezaizadeh at (202) 493-3119.

Recent Happenings

2 NDEVC News • Summer 2000

NDEVC NEWS is the

newsletter of the Federal Highway

Administration’s Nondestructive

Evaluation Validation Center.

The NDE Validation Center was

established by the Federal Highway

Administration in 1998. The objective of 

the NDEVC is to improve the state of the 

practice for highway bridge inspection. 

The Center is designed to act as a resource 

for State transportation agencies, industry, 

and academia concerned with the

development and testing of innovative

NDE technologies. The NDEVC provides 

State highway agencies with independent

evaluation and validation of NDE

technologies, develops new NDE

technologies, and provides technical

assistance to States exploring the use of

these advanced technologies. 

The NDE Validation Center utilizes a

series of unique resources to evaluate and 

assess the factors affecting the reliability

and performance of NDE systems. The

Validation Center is located at the TurnerFairbank Highway Research Center in

McLean, Virginia. To supplement the

capabilities of these laboratory facilities, a 

series of bridges located in Northern

Virginia and southern Pennsylvania are

utilized to conduct field investigations. In 

addition, a collection of component test

specimens are used in various test

programs.

NDE Project Manager

Glenn Washer

(202) 493-3082

Email: glenn.washer@fhwa.dot.gov

NDE Validation Center

Phone: (202) 493-3118

Fax: (202) 493-3126

Web: www.tfhrc.gov

NDT Engineering

SMT Conference 

2000

Cyrax 2400

Unknown 

Foundation Test
S

hop assembly of fabricated steel

bridge members is currently required 

by most States. This assembly comes at 

the expenditure of great amounts of

manpower and shop space by the

fabricator. The NDEVC is currently

attempting to address this issue through

the application of existing technologies to 

the fabrication industry.

The driving factor for the majority of

States requiring shop assembly is the

assurance that bolted splices in the steel 

girder will assemble correctly in the field. 

Current practice has many fabricators

sub-drilling splice holes, assembling lines 

of girders, then reaming the girder and

splice plate holes to fit. This process

could be eliminated and full size holes

could be drilled initially if fabricators had 

some assurance that the splice plate and 

girder holes would align correctly.

The NDEVC is exploring the possibility 

of remotely measuring splice plate holes 

in sections of girders and performing

virtual assembly with computer software 

packages. Highly accurate measurement 

of girder and splice plate hole locations 

could ensure proper fit without the need 

for any shop assembly.

Recently, the NDEVC performed a proofof-concept test with High Steel

Structures, Inc. at a fabrication plant in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A laser-based 

measurement system was used to

remotely determine splice plate hole

locations in a girder in the shop assembly 

yard. This field trial showed that the

concept of remote measurement and

virtual assembly is plausible and may, in 

the future, eliminate the need for shop

assembly.

Further information on this project can be 

obtained by contacting Glenn Washer at

(202) 493-3082 or Paul Fuchs at (202) 

493-3095.

Laser System Could Streamline Steel Fabrication

T

he NDEVC has begun work

focusing on two new topics. First, 

inspection of light poles and highway sign 

structures has come to the forefront as an 

area of interest for many State DOTs. 

This is largely due to a number of recent 

failures of these structures. A task group 

is being formed to address the inspection 

of these structures.

Given the wide variety and large number 

of these structures that are in existence, 

inspection of these structures leads to

many interesting challenges. The goal of 

the task group will be to bring together 

States in a forum to share their

experiences and present case studies. 

Quantification of the problem as well as 

discussion of current inspection methods 

will be given special emphasis. 

The NDEVC has also begun work on an 

effort to develop automated ultrasonic

testing methods for use in steel bridge

fabrication. Currently, many states

require steel fabricators to use

radiographic testing as the primary

inspection technique for assessing the

quality of welds. Ultrasonics (UT) can

provide similar information and may be

able to do so in a safer and more cost

effective way. Currently, however, UT

inspection of welds is an operator

controlled technique that does not

provide a permanent record of findings. 

Automating the process could reduce the 

reliance on the UT operator and provide 

the requisite permanent record.

A working group has been formed under 

the AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge

Collaboration to focus on this topic. This 

working group, chaired by Glenn Washer, 

will examine existing technologies in the 

bridge fabrication industry as well as in 

other industries and will provide

recommendations for future

implementation. 

More information about either of these

projects can be obtained by contacting

Glenn Washer at (202) 493-3082.

(Continued from page 1)

from previous HERMES system testing, 

signal processing, and field performance 

evaluation as needed.

Recent work at the NDEVC to prepare 

for the upcoming HERMES II project has 

involved test specimen design and

fabrication, computing facilities

development, radar modeling

development, signal processing, and

improving ground truth data comparisons 

to HERMES results. These developments 

will allow the future validation of the

HERMES II system to proceed effectively 

and efficiently.

More information about the HERMES II 

study can be obtained by contacting Mike 

Scott at (202) 493-3124.

Sign Structure, Automated UT Work Starting

Laser system scanning a fabricated girder.

NDEVC News • Summer 2000 FHWA-RD-00-152 3

HERMES II
Glenn Washer, P.E. – FHWA NDE Project Manager

 phone: (202) 493-3082

 email: glenn.washer@fhwa.dot.gov

Mark Moore, P.E. – Project Manager

 phone: (404) 577-7444

 email: mmoore@wje.com

Fariba Parvizi – Administrative Support

 phone: (202) 493-3118

 email: fariba.parvizi@fhwa.dot.gov

Fassil Beshah, Ph.D, P.E. – Research Engineer

 recent work: PC Box Girders

 phone: (202) 493-3098

 email: fassil.beshah@fhwa.dot.gov

Paul Fuchs, Ph.D. – Research Engineer

 recent work: Laser, Instrument Development

 phone: (202) 493-3095

 email: paul.fuchs@fhwa.dot.gov

Ben Graybeal – Research Engineer

 recent work: Visual Inspection, Ultrasonics, Laser

 phone: (202) 493-3122

 email: benjamin.graybeal@fhwa.dot.gov

Brent Phares, Ph.D. – Research Engineer

 recent work: Visual Inspection

 phone: (202) 493-3121

 email: brent.phares@fhwa.dot.gov

Ali Rezaizadeh, Ph.D. – Research Engineer

 recent work: Radar, Acoustic Emission

 phone: (202) 493-3119

 email: ali.rezaizadeh@fhwa.dot.gov

Dennis Rolander – Research Engineer

 recent work: Visual Inspection, Light Poles

 phone: (202) 493-3120

 email: dennis.rolander@fhwa.dot.gov

Habeeb Saleh, Ph.D. – Research Scientist

 recent work: Radiography

 phone: (202) 493-3123

 email: habeeb.saleh@fhwa.dot.gov

Mike Scott, Ph.D. – Research Engineer

 recent work: Radar, HERMES II

 phone: (202) 493-3124

 email: michael.scott@fhwa.dot.gov

NDEVC Staff Information

4 NDEVC News • Summer 2000

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

NDE Validation Center

6300 Georgetown Pike, HRDI-10

McLean, VA 22101-2296

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300