Damage detection of surface cracks on reinforced concrete bridge piers using virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) technology provides an exceptionally immersive experience by placing users directly within simulated environments. This deep level of immersion enhances the interactivity and effectiveness of learning experiences. The growing use of VR across various fields is due to its ability to offer immersive experiences, facilitate interactive exploration, improve visualization, and provide advanced simulation capabilities. In this study, we developed a VR model of an I-495 highway reinforced concrete (RC) bridge (Chelmsford, MA) using iTwin Experience (by Bentley Systems) to investigate the effect of inspection distance and inspection angle on the detectability of surface cracks within a VR environment. Detectability was defined by a threshold value of crack length, which can also be affected by surface discoloring (due to steel rebar corrosion) on RC bridge piers. Our research involved adjusting inspection angles from -90 to +90 to determine which angles are most effective for detecting surface cracks. Additionally, we varied the distance range from the actual size of the cracks to distances where the cracks become too small to detect (less than the threshold value). By analyzing these factors, combinations of inspection distance and inspection angle to achieve effective detection of surface cracks on RC bridge piers in the VR environment were determined.