Infrared thermography’s application to infrastructure inspections

Abstract

Health monitoring and prediction in different types of structures is essential in order to maintain optimal conditions. Some of the pathologies that affect their structural stability are characterized by distinct thermal properties compared to unaltered areas. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a technique based on the acquisition of the thermal radiation of the bodies using thermal sensors of infrared (IR) cameras, which produce an image of the thermal infrared radiation captured through the conversion of the radiation values to temperature values. Therefore, this technique can be used in different studies to analyse structures with one or more pathologies based on their anomalous thermal behaviour with regard to the unaltered surroundings. As a consequence, this review presents various IRT applications to infrastructure inspections, showing the utility of the technique.