Deep Learning-Based Intelligent Detection Algorithm for Surface Disease in Concrete Buildings

In this study, the extent of concrete building distress is used to determine whether a building needs to be demolished and maintained, and the study focuses on accurately identifying target distress in different complex contexts and accurately distinguishing between their categories. To solve the problem of insufficient feature extraction of small targets in bridge disease images under complex backgrounds and noise, we propose the YOLOv8 Dynamic Plus model. First, we enhanced attention on multi-scale disease features by implementing structural reparameterization with parallel small-kernel expansion convolution. Next, we reconstructed the relationship between localization and classification tasks in the detection head and implemented dynamic selection of interactive features using a feature extractor to improve the accuracy of classification and recognition. Finally, to address problems of missed detection, such as inadequate extraction of small targets, we extended the original YOLOv8 architecture by adding a layer in the feature extraction phase dedicated to small-target detection. This modification integrated the neck part more effectively with the shallow features of the original three-layer YOLOv8 feature extraction stage. The improved YOLOv8 Dynamic Plus model demonstrated a 7.4 percentage-point increase in performance compared to the original model, validating the feasibility of our approach and enhancing its capability for building disease detection. In practice, this improvement has led to more accurate maintenance and safety assessments of concrete buildings and earlier detection of potential structural problems, resulting in lower maintenance costs and longer building life. This not only improves the safety of buildings but also brings significant economic benefits and social value to the industries involved.