Real-time Digital Image Correlation System for the Evaluation of Critical Infrastructure Assets

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Digital image correlation (DIC) is a technique that uses cameras to measure displacement and strain at hundreds of locations over the surface of a structure. Rapid advances over the last decade in DIC technology have resulted in improved accuracy and more efficient algorithms that allow users to visualize results in real-time. These advances provide a unique opportunity for scientists and engineers to exploit DIC in the laboratory and in the field to improve the fundamental understanding of the behaviour of built infrastructure. The objective of this NSERC RTI proposal is to transform the discovery, innovation, and training capabilities of the infrastructure engineering research group at Queen's University by supporting the purchase of a real-time DIC system to form an innovative non-contact and mobile structural behaviour and safety evaluation system that can be deployed in the laboratory or in the field and that is urgently needed by their graduate student researchers to develop the next generation of safe, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure. Buildings: Efforts in Canada to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions  and combat climate change have fueled the demand for sustainable structures. However, these structures are often complex, because they use novel sustainable materials, or they have optimized geometry that makes it impossible to measure and understand their behaviour using traditional discrete sensors. The requested DIC system is urgently needed to enable measurement of crack patterns, displacement fields, and stress concentrations that are critically important in the development of sustainable structures. Bridges: Canada's bridge inventory is deteriorating. Coupled with the increasing effects of climate change, there is an urgent need to monitor the condition of existing bridges and culverts in the field to ensure public safety. The requested DIC system will enable real-time assessment of the live load response of bridges and culverts, which can be used to evaluate these critical structures and provide quantitative performance measurements beyond what has traditionally been possible using visual inspection or discrete sensors and ensure Canada's transportation networks remain functional, resilient, and safe. Railways: Canada's railway networks are essential for transportation of goods and services, but these structures are being subjected to heavier loads and climate change is altering the conditions in which they operate. The requested DIC system is urgently needed to monitor rail condition in the field and understand how real-world conditions are affecting performance, to prevent failure and protect public safety. The requested equipment will offer cutting-edge, hands-on training opportunities for 50 HQP over the next 5 years and will prepare them with advanced expertise that is highly sought-after in industry and academia.