A Bridge Inspector’s Guide to NDT

摘要

Efficient maintenance of our bridges will be critical in the coming decades. Decisions made bybridge inspectors and structural engineers will direct scarce resources. This paper will compare severalnondestructive testing (NDT) techniques available to inspectors when visual inspection is insufficient includingmagnetic particle, ultrasonic, radiographic and high-energy X-ray testing. Each NDT method comes with practicaladvantages and disadvantages for the owner which were highlighted during their use in the fitness-for-serviceevaluation of the Sherman Minton Bridge.