Crack detection using image processing: A critical review and analysis

Cracks on the concrete surface are one of the earliest indications of degradation of the structure which is critical for the maintenance as well the continuous exposure will lead to the severe damage to the environment. Manual inspection is the acclaimed method for the crack inspection. In the manual inspection, the sketch of the crack is prepared manually, and the conditions of the irregularities are noted. Since the manual approach completely depends on the specialist’s knowledge and experience, it lacks objectivity in the quantitative analysis. So, automatic image-based crack detection is proposed as a replacement. Literature presents different techniques to automatically identify the crack and its depth using image processing techniques. In this research, a detailed survey is conducted to identify the research challenges and the achievements till in this field. Accordingly, 50 research papers are taken related to crack detection, and those research papers are reviewed. Based on the review, analysis is provided based on the image processing techniques, objectives, accuracy level, error level, and the image data sets. Finally, we present the various research issues which can be useful for the researchers to accomplish further research on the crack detection. Keywords: Crack detection, Image processing, Median filter, Segmentation, Feature extraction