I-Corps: Translation potential of a digital workflow for steel infrastructure corrosion inspection, analysis, and repair

This I-Corps project is based on the development of a technology for corrosion management. Corrosion, or metal decay, affects all industries using structural steel and is a significant problem that affects steel infrastructure in many essential industries including transportation, energy production, and logistics systems. Conventional repair methods take weeks-to-months and typically involve installing large plates of steel or total asset replacement. Because of the cost and complexity of these interventions, repairs are deferred until they reach critical urgency. This technology addresses corrosion management in two key areas: Improved corrosion damage assessment, performance estimation, and rehabilitation planning through computer models and high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) sensors, and improved corrosion repair through a precisely controlled, field portable 3D printing technology. This technology may reduce corrosion management costs in industries such as bridge infrastructure, offshore oil and gas, railway assets, shipping and maritime, and defense. This may restore corrosion management capacity and extend infrastructure asset life without the high cost or delay. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translational potential of a digitally enabled, computational analysis and repair workflow for metal corrosion. Currently, most infrastructure inspection is performed visually by expert inspectors, who then complete hand-drawn reports. This technology uses high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) scanning with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), or structured light to characterize the corrosion profile of a given structure. Point-cloud data from the scan is then mapped to an “as-built” geometry for the structure, resulting in two-dimensional (2D) and 3D profiles representing corrosion damage. These profiles are then analyzed using finite element models for a structure performance estimation. The 2D and 3D profiles are converted into machine instructions for precise deposition of structural steel to restore structural integrity, using a process called cold spray. High-resolution spatial modulation of the deposition toolpath is required for high-quality bonding, integrally coupling the 3D scanning to material deposition outcomes. Prior research has demonstrated the feasibility of equaling conventional repair methods in strength at a fraction of the time and cost. This technology may provide a more precise, minimally invasive approach due to high-precision steel deposition as an alternative to fundamental replacement. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.