As infrastructure continues to age worldwide, the demand for effective assessment methods and proactive maintenance strategies becomes increasingly urgent. Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) has emerged as a valuable non-destructive testing (NDT) technique for evaluating the condition of bridge decks, offering critical insights that support both immediate assessment and have the potential to become a maintenance tool. This paper investigates the practical application of GPR in the context of bridge deck evaluation, tracing its technological evolution, alignment with current industry standards, and performance in real-world field scenarios. A detailed case study is presented to illustrate the method’s effectiveness. This work proposes the application of a novel technology—Multi-Channel Ground-Penetrating Radar (MCGPR) with enhanced data resolution—combined with a new methodological approach for rapid, high-precision scanning. The aim is to generate consistent, repeatable results that enable the transition from sporadic inspections to continuous monitoring. This advancement positions GPR as a viable component of a broader Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) strategy for effective bridge management.
Matteini et al. (Thu,) studied this question.