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Detecting structural cracks is critical for quality control and maintenance of industrial materials, ensuring their safety and extending service life. This study enhances the automation and accuracy of crack detection in microscopic images using advanced image processing and deep learning techniques, particularly the YOLOv8 model. A comprehensive review of relevant literature was carried out to compare traditional image-processing methods with modern machine-learning approaches. The YOLOv8 model was optimized by incorporating the Wise Intersection over Union (WIoU) loss function and the bidirectional feature pyramid network (BiFPN) technique, achieving precise detection results with mean average precision (mAP@0.5) of 0.895 and a precision rate of 0.859, demonstrating its superiority in detecting fine cracks even in complex and noisy backgrounds. Experimental findings confirmed the model's high accuracy in identifying cracks, even under challenging conditions. Despite these advancements, detecting very small or overlapping cracks in complex backgrounds remains challenging. Our future work will focus on optimizing and extending the model's generalisation capabilities. The findings of this study provide a solid foundation for automatic and rapid crack detection in industrial applications and indicate potential for broader applications across various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete structure damage and severity are determined by examining the width of cracks in various forms. This categorisation of cracks is based on their specific types, which is crucial for engineers and professionals. It allows them to efficiently prioritise maintenance and repair efforts, extending the lifespan of concrete structures. Thus, the classification of cracks is based on the type of cracks needed. This study combines a wall-climbing robot equipped with imaging capabilities to automate the detection and classification of cracks in concrete surfaces. We used machine learning to classify the crack orientation and OTSU to segment the crack shapes. Based on this study, four experiments were carried out using machine learning methods to classify types of cracks, which are SVM, Random Forest, KNN, and Decision Tree. These experiments were categorised using multiclass classification with types of the orientation of crack such as Not crack, Crocodile, Transverse, and Longitudinal. The classification one-class results show that the Decision Tree achieved 86.50%, SVM 99.50%, Random Forest 97%, and KNN 40%. In multiclass classification, Decision Tree achieved 64%, Random Forest 80%, and KNN 37%. The higher accuracy from SVM is achieved at 87%.

Abstract In the inspection and diagnosis of concrete construction, crack detection is highly recommended in the earliest phases to prevent any potential risks later. However, the flaws in concrete surfaces cannot be reliably and effectively identified using traditional crack detection techniques. The suggested algorithm is a supportive tool for agents or authorities to use in crack detection mechanisms to monitor and assess the current condition of buildings or bridges. The researchers aim to establish an intelligent model for automatic crack detection on different concrete surfaces based on image processing technology. Three different concrete surfaces—bridge decks, walls, and concrete cubes—are used to test the model. A subset of the public dataset of bridge decks and walls from SDNET (2018) and 150*150*150 mm of concrete cubes taken from the material laboratory of the faculty of engineering at Ain Shams University are applied to the model. The model F1-score measures are 98.87%, 97.43%, and 74.11% for detecting cracks in bridges, walls, and concrete cubes, respectively. The validation of the applicability of the suggested novel approach is based on a comparison with recent methods for crack recognition. The contribution of this study is that it could be applied to detect cracks efficiently on three different types of concrete surfaces, including uneven concrete surfaces, random noise, voids, dents, colour changes, and stain marks. The proposed method is transparent in its workflow and has a lower computational cost compared with deep learning frameworks. Thus, the outcomes of this model demonstrate its effectiveness in concrete defect field investigation.

Advancements in image processing and deep learning offer considerable opportunities for automated defect assessment in civil structures. However, these systems cannot work interactively with human inspectors. Mixed reality (MR) can be adopted to address this by involving inspectors in various stages of the assessment process. This paper integrates You Only Look Once (YOLO) v5n and YOLO v5m with the Canny algorithm for real-time concrete crack detection and skeleton extraction with a Microsoft HoloLens 2 MR device. The YOLO v5n demonstrates a superior mean average precision (mAP) 0.5 and speed, while YOLO v5m achieves the highest mAP 0.5 0.95 among the other YOLO v5 structures. The Canny algorithm also outperforms the Sobel and Prewitt edge detectors with the highest F1 score. The developed MR-based system could not only be employed for real-time defect assessment but also be utilized for the automatic recording of the location and other specifications of the cracks for further analysis and future re-inspections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Cracks are a common defect in civil infrastructures, and their occurrence is often closely related to structural loading conditions, material properties, design and construction, and other factors. Therefore, detecting and analyzing cracks in civil infrastructures can effectively determine the extent of damage, which is crucial for safe operation. In this paper, Web of Science (WOS) and Google Scholar were used as literature search tools and "crack", "civil infrastructure", and "computer vision" were selected as search terms. With the keyword "computer vision", 325 relevant documents were found in the study period from 2020 to 2024. A total of 325 documents were searched again and matched with the keywords, and 120 documents were selected for analysis and research. Based on the main research methods of the 120 documents, we classify them into three crack detection methods: fusion of traditional methods and deep learning, multimodal data fusion, and semantic image understanding. We examine the application characteristics of each method in crack detection and discuss its advantages, challenges, and future development trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the backbone of transportation networks, the structural integrity of bridges is paramount for ensuring public safety and the efficient flow of goods and people. The traditional method that is Manual inspection methods for crack detection are labor intensive and often subjected to human error. This research explores an innovative approach to address this challenge by leveraging Convolutional Neural Networks for automated crack identification in bridge infrastructure. The proposed model employs a dataset encompassing concrete bridge conditions, and crack manifestations to train and evaluate the selected model. The accuracy of the prediction was verified by the test sets. The introduced model demonstrated a crack detection accuracy of 99% without relying on pre-training. Experimental results indicated that, when compared to existing classification models, the suggested model exhibited superior performance. Notably, the proposed model surpassed the ResNet50 model in terms of effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting cracks is vital for inspecting and maintaining concrete structures, enabling early intervention and preventing potential damage. The advent of computer vision and image processing in civil engineering has ushered in deep learning-based semi-automatic/automatic techniques, replacing traditional visual inspections. These methods, driven by autonomous diagnosis, have applications across various sectors, fostering rapid progress in civil engineering. In this study, we present an approach that combines vision transformers and convolutional neural networks (CNN) for autonomously diagnosing cracks in bridges, roads, and walls. Performance enhancement was achieved through transfer learning, data augmentation, and optimized hyperparameters, utilizing popular CNN and vision transformers (ViT) architectures. The proposed method was tested on the SDNET2018 dataset, comprising over 56,000 images. Experimental results demonstrated the approach's effectiveness, achieving high accuracy in detecting road cracks at 96.41%, wall cracks at 92.76%, and bridge cracks at 92.81%. These findings highlight the promising potential of deep learning in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crack detection method based on image processing has been a new achievement in the field of civil engineering inspection in recent years. Column piers are generally used in bridge structures. When a digital camera collects cracks on the pier surface, the loss of crack dimension information leads to errors in crack detection results. In this paper, an image stitching method based on Speed-Up Robust Features (SURFs) is adopted to stitch the surface crack images captured from different angles into a complete crack image to improve the accuracy of the crack detection method based on image processing in curved structures. Based on the proposed method, simulated crack tests of vertical, inclined, and transverse cracks on five different structural surfaces were conducted. The results showed that the influence of structural curvature on the measurement results of vertical cracks is very small and can be ignored. Nevertheless, the loss of depth information at both ends of curved cracks will lead to errors in crack measurement outcomes, and the factors that affect the precision of crack detection include the curvature of the surface and the length of the crack. Compared with inclined cracks, the structural curvature significantly influences the measurement results of transverse cracks, especially the length measurement results of transverse cracks. The image stitching method can effectively reduce the errors caused by the structural curved surface, and the stitching effect of three images is better than that of two images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of road pavements due to environmental factors is a pressing issue in infrastructure maintenance, necessitating precise identification of pavement distresses. The pavement condition index (PCI) serves as a critical metric for evaluating pavement conditions, essential for effective budget allocation and performance tracking. Traditional manual PCI assessment methods are limited by labor intensity, subjectivity, and susceptibility to human error. Addressing these challenges, this paper presents a novel, end-to-end automated method for PCI calculation, integrating deep learning and image processing technologies. The first stage employs a deep learning algorithm for accurate detection of pavement cracks, followed by the application of a segmentation-based skeleton algorithm in image processing to estimate crack width precisely. This integrated approach enhances the assessment process, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of pavement integrity. The validation results demonstrate a 95% accuracy in crack detection and 90% accuracy in crack width estimation. Leveraging these results, the automated PCI rating is achieved, aligned with standards, showcasing significant improvements in the efficiency and reliability of PCI evaluations. This method offers advancements in pavement maintenance strategies and potential applications in broader road infrastructure management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic field measurements play a vital role in various industries, particularly in the detection of cracks using magnetic field images, also known as magnetic field leakage testing. This paper presents an approach to automate the extraction of crack signals in magnetic field imaging by using neural networks. The proposed method relies on simulation-based training using the lightweight Python library Magpylib to calculate the three-dimensional static magnetic field of permanent magnets with surface defects. This approach has numerous advantages. It allows control of training data set variance by tuning simulation input parameters such as sample magnetization, measurement parameters, and defect properties to cover a wide range of cracks in size and position. Starting data acquisition before system operation allows investigating potential changes in sample shape or measurement parameters. Importantly, simulation-based data generation eliminates the need for physical measurements, leading to significant time savings. The study presents and discusses results obtained on two different ferromagnetic samples with surface cracks, a hollow cylinder and a steel sheet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular crack inspection plays a significant role in the maintenance of concrete structures. However, most deep-learning-based methods suffer from the heavy workload of pixel-level labeling and the poor performance of crack segmentation with the presence of background interferences. To address these problems, the Deformable Oriented YOLOv4 (DO-YOLOv4) is first developed for crack detection based on the traditional YOLOv4, in which crack features can be effectively extracted by deformable convolutional layers, and the crack regions can be tightly enclosed by a series of oriented bounding boxes. Then, the proposed DO-YOLOv4 is further utilized in combination with the image processing techniques (IPTs), leading to a novel hybrid approach, termed DO-YOLOv4-IPTs, for crack segmentation. The experimental results show that, owing to the high precision of DO-YOLOv4 for crack detection under background noise, the present hybrid approach DO-YOLOv4-IPTs outperforms the widely used Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based crack segmentation methods with less labeling work and superior segmentation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to maintain serviceability and reliability of concrete structures, it is essential to assess their condition as concrete structures deteriorate in time. Cracks develop in concrete due to several reasons such as severe loading, environmental effects, chemical effects etc. and cause durability loss in the structure which may also lead to loss of stability. In this research, crack detection is realized by machine learning and an infrared image. The effects of infrared images on crack detection are confirmed by random forest algorithm to select useful explanatory features. Selected features are applied to random forest algorithm and neural network algorithm. Effective filters are selected as a feature selection technique to improve the accuracy. Crack detection is also conducted by U-Net with RGB and infrared images, and the detection characteristics are compared to conventional methods. The performance of two conventional machine learning methods, random forest and neural network, are evaluated based on F1 score and false positives. Applying selected features improves the accuracy of the crack detection from an infrared image. False positives decreased due to monitoring conditions and camera specifications in the infrared image. The most effective image processing filter is the blur filter for each algorithm. Comparing algorithms for crack detection using selected features, different accuracy values are obtained. U-Net enables more accurate crack detection compared to conventional methods. The number of false positives is reduced compare to conventional method. In the detection results by three algorithms, infrared image affects the balance of false negatives and false positives.

This study aims to recognize fluorescent excitation images of microcracks in concrete components through the adoption of an Attention Mechanism-based Deep Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) model, thereby enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of crack detection. Considering the significance of concrete crack detection and the limitations in efficiency and accuracy of existing methods, this paper proposes an innovative image processing technique that combines fluorescent excitation methods with deep learning models to achieve earlier and more accurate identification of concrete microcracks. C30 concrete specimens were prepared experimentally and treated with fluorescent solution spray. Fluorescent images of cracks under UV light excitation were collected and processed using a segmented attention mechanism deep RNN model. Various performance evaluation metrics, including mean Intersection over Union (mIoU), mean Image Intersection over Union (miIoU), mean Image Dice Coefficient (miDice), and F1 score, were employed to comprehensively assess the model's performance. The results demonstrate that the proposed model achieved significant effectiveness in concrete crack image recognition, showing higher mIoU, miIoU, miDice, and F1 scores compared to other representative deep learning models, thus proving its advantages in recognition accuracy and efficiency. Particularly, by introducing the segmented attention mechanism, the model could capture microcrack features more effectively, significantly improving the accuracy of crack identification. This method not only provides a new technical approach for the early detection of concrete cracks but also lays the foundation for further development of efficient and accurate crack detection technologies to accommodate more complex engineering application scenarios.

Cracks on highway pavement surfaces are among the most critical problems affecting expressway maintenance. A pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) camera‐based crack detection method was proposed, owing to the intelligent traffic system (ITS) development of an expressway network in China. However, the quality of the crack image decreased at distant PTZ camera distances, resulting in a low mean average precision (MVP) for crack detection, which is difficult to implement in civil engineering. A weighted superposition‐based crack enhancement algorithm for crack detection was proposed to enhance crack images collected by PTZ cameras. Compared with the poor generalization ability of using a single image enhancement method, this method combines the advantages and characteristics of multiple image enhancement methods, thereby ensuring the quality of crack images. This enhances the visual characteristics of the cracks to adapt to various illuminations, thereby improving the crack detection rate and providing scientific and technological reserves for its application in highway maintenance engineering. Further comparison tests on crack detection for pavement crack images collected from the China G4/Jingshi Highway demonstrated that the proposed method was efficient in detecting is efficiently to detect cracks, achieving 96% MAP and 94% F1 values after enhancing the crack images, thereby providing an objective and promising means of crack detection using PTZ cameras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates image processing techniques for detecting surface cracks in spring steel components, with a focus on applications like Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) in industries such as railways and automotive. The research details a comprehensive methodology that covers data collection, software tools, and image processing methods. Various techniques, including Canny edge detection, Hough Transform, Gabor Filters, and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), are evaluated for their effectiveness in crack detection. The study identifies the most successful methods, providing valuable insights into their performance. The paper also introduces a novel batch processing approach for efficient and automated crack detection across multiple images. The trade-offs between detection accuracy and processing speed are analyzed for the Morphological Top-hat filter and Canny edge filter methods. The Top-hat method, with thresholding after filtering, excelled in crack detection, with no false positives in tested images. The Canny edge filter, while efficient with adjusted parameters, needs further optimization for reducing false positives. In conclusion, the Top-hat method offers an efficient approach for crack detection during MPI. This research offers a foundation for developing advanced automated crack detection system, not only to spring sector but also extends to various industrial processes such as casting and forging tools and products, thereby widening the scope of applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridge cracks are one of the key factor for the service performance of bridges. Crack detection is crucial to bridge maintenance. At present, most of the bridge crack detection is manual detection. The cracks are usually inspected by personnel visually inspection and manually recording. It is costly in time. Automated algorithms of crack identification based on machine vision are adopted in bridge crack detection by bridge surface images. Recently, the speed and accuracy of automatic crack identification is greatly improved by artificial intelligence technology. The bridge crack detection system based on machine vision and its application were introduced in detail. The advantages of this technology in bridge crack detection and the need for improvement are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crack detection method based on image processing has been a new achievement in the field of civil engineering inspection in recent years. Column piers are generally used in bridge structures. When a digital camera collects cracks on the pier surface, the loss of crack dimension information leads to errors in crack detection results. In this paper, an image stitching method based on Speed-Up Robust Features (SURFs) is adopted to stitch the surface crack images captured from different angles into a complete crack image to improve the accuracy of the crack detection method based on image processing in curved structures. Based on the proposed method, simulated crack tests of vertical, inclined, and transverse cracks on five different structural surfaces were conducted. The results showed that the influence of structural curvature on the measurement results of vertical cracks is very small and can be ignored. Nevertheless, the loss of depth information at both ends of curved cracks will lead to errors in crack measurement outcomes, and the factors that affect the precision of crack detection include the curvature of the surface and the length of the crack. Compared with inclined cracks, the structural curvature significantly influences the measurement results of transverse cracks, especially the length measurement results of transverse cracks. The image stitching method can effectively reduce the errors caused by the structural curved surface, and the stitching effect of three images is better than that of two images.

Road crack detection is an important indicator of road detection. In real life, it is very meaningful work to detect road cracks. With the rapid development of science and technology, especially computer science and technology, quite a lot of methods have been applied to crack detection. Traditional detection methods rely on manual identification, which is inefficient and prone to errors. In addition, the commonly used image processing methods are affected by many factors, such as illumination, road stains, etc., so the results are unstable. In the research on pavement crack detection, many research studies mainly focus on the recognition and classification of cracks, lacking the analysis of the specific characteristics of cracks, and the feature values of cracks cannot be measured. Starting from the deep learning method in computer science and technology, this paper proposes a road crack detection technology based on deep learning. It relies on a new deep dictionary learning and encoding network DDLCN, establishes a new activation function MeLU, and adopts a new differentiable calculation method. The technology relies on the traditional Mask-RCNN algorithm and is implemented after improvement. In the comparison of evaluation indicators, the values of recall, precision, and F1-score reflect certain superiority. Experiments show that the proposed method has good implementability and performance in road crack detection and crack feature measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image processing is a powerful tool that allows for rapid and automated data parsing in settings that occupy large variable spaces and require large data sets. Feature detection on difficultly discerned backgrounds is a subset of image processing that facilitates the extraction of quantitative metrics from otherwise subjective data. Crack detection and quantification is an important capability in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell quality control, failure analysis, and optimization. This work presents a technique to perform crack detection and quantification which overcomes challenges faced by commonly used image segmentation techniques. We demonstrate the use of a geometrically filtered noise‐level detection technique to select a binary threshold value from which we then quantify how cracked a sample is. We demonstrate the accuracy of our technique using programmatically generated test images of known crack amounts and their performance on real‐world fuel cell catalyst layer samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro cracks in solar cells lower the overall performance of the solar panel. These cracks result from poor handling during transportation, fabrication, and installation. Another reason could be the harsh environmental conditions under which they are deployed. Identifying micro-cracks and their replacement is always needed to get the best performance out of available solar panels. Image processing and machine learning are two commonly used schemes for detecting the same. The former techniques cannot produce accurate results because they perform segmentation using fixed equations, whereas the latter techniques learn complex nonlinear features that are difficult for the human mind to process. This paper uses a Support Vector Machines (SVM) model for detecting micro-cracks in solar cells. An image processing technique is proposed to train the SVM model and to generate ground truth for segmentation on Electro-Luminescence Photo-Voltaic (elpv)-dataset, which was used by researchers for defect percentage classification and contains 2624 images in total. The proposed SVM model performed exceptionally well in terms of accuracy (91.079%), precision (87.289%), recall (96.314%), and F1 score (94.678%) in comparison to other available machine learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracks in concrete cause structural damage, and it is important to identify and classify them. The objective of the research was to describe the behavior and predict the type of failure in concrete cylinders using convolutional neural networks. The methodology consisted of creating a database of 2650 images of failure types in concrete cylinders tested in compression at the Laboratory of Testing and Strength of Materials of the National University of Jaen, Cajamarca, Peru. To identify cracks on the concrete surface, the database was divided into training (60%), validation (20%), and testing (20%), and a transfer learning approach was developed using the MobileNet, DenseNet121, ResNet50, and VGG16 algorithms from the Keras library, programmed in Python. To validate the performance of each model, the following indicators were used: recall, precision, and F1 score. The results show that the models studied correctly classified the type of failure in concrete with accuracies of 96, 91, 86, and 90%, with the MobileNet algorithm being the best predictor with 96%. The novelty of the study was the development of deep learning algorithms with different architectures that can be used in structural health assessment as an automated and reliable method compared to traditional ones. In addition, these trained algorithms can be used as source code in drones for structural monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface cracks on high-speed railway ballastless track slabs directly influence their lifespan, while the efficiency of damage detection and maintenance is crucial for ensuring operational safety. Leveraging deep learning image processing technology can significantly enhance detection efficiency. Therefore, in response to the specific attributes of ballastless track slab crack detection, this paper introduces the RSG-YOLO model. By implementing a reparameterized dual-fused feature pyramid structure, we bolster the network’s feature extraction capacity and curtail the loss of crack features during extraction. SIoU is used to replace CIoU to optimize the bounding box regression loss function, reduce the degrees of freedom of the loss function, and improve the convergence speed The GAM attention mechanism is integrated to heighten the model’s responsiveness to diverse channel information. The proposed RSG-YOLO model was evaluated against mainstream models in the field of crack detection. The results demonstrated improved detection accuracy and recall rates. Specifically, when compared to baseline models, our approach exhibited significant advancements in reducing both missed detections and false alarms. These improvements were quantified by a 4.34% increase in crack detection accuracy and a 3.08% rise in mAP_0.5. Consequently, the RSG-YOLO model effectively enables precise detection of track slab cracks.

The occurrence of cracks in brown rice kernels has a substantial impact on grain quality. The timely and accurate detection of rice grains with cracks is crucial for enhancing the overall quality and flavor of processed rice. In this study, we developed an optical observation platform and optimized the original ResNet-18 neural network structure to improve the detection and classification of grain cracks. We established image datasets for japonica and indica rice varieties, and employed image augmentation and model migration techniques during training. In addition, we compared the performance of the optimized model with DenseNet-121 and GoogLeNet. The results demonstrate a notable enhancement in crack detection accuracy for japonica, reaching 96%, which is a 3.67% improvement over the original model. Furthermore, we achieved a substantial reduction in average training time, reduced by 58.66%. For indica rice, after model optimization and migration, the accuracy reached 96.67%. It’s important to note that the optimized model has limitations and is not suitable for mixed datasets with limited training data. This technology offers the capability to accurately identify and detect cracks in brown rice kernels under visible light conditions, presenting a promising solution for enhancing grain quality during processing.

Crack detection in structures is an important and time-consuming element of monitoring the health of structures and ensuring structural safety. The traditional visual inspection of structures can be unsafe and may produce inconsistent results. Thus, there is a need for a method to easily and accurately identify and analyze cracks. In this study, algorithms for automatically detecting the size and location of cracks in concrete images were developed. Cracks were automatically detected in a total of 10 steps. In steps 5 and 9, two user algorithms were added to increase crack detection accuracy, where 1000 crack images and 1000 non-crack images were used, respectively. In the crack image, 100% of the cracks were detected, but 95.3% of the results were very good, even if the results that were not bad in terms of quality were excluded. In addition, the accuracy of detecting non-crack images was also very good (96.9%). Thus, it is expected that the crack detection algorithm presented in this study will be able to detect the location and size of cracks in concrete. Moreover, these algorithms will help in observing the soundness of structures and ensuring their safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a systematic literature review on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for detecting cracks in civil infrastructure, which is a critical issue affecting the performance and longevity of these structures. Traditional crack detection methods involve manual inspection, which is laborious and time-consuming, especially in urban areas. Therefore, automatic crack detection with AI technology has gained popularity due to its ability to identify degradation of roads in real-time, leading to increased safety and reliability. This review emphasizes two key approaches for crack detection: deep learning and traditional computer vision, with a focus on data-driven aspects that rely primarily on data from training datasets to detect and quantify the severity level of the crack. The article highlights the advantages and drawbacks of each approach and provides an overview of various crack detection models, feature extraction techniques, datasets, potential issues, and future directions. The research concludes that deep learning-based methods used for crack classification, localization and segmentation have shown better performance than traditional computer vision techniques, especially in terms of accuracy. However, deep learning methods require large amounts of training data and computational power, which can be a significant limitation. Additionally, the article identifies a lack of 3D datasets, unsupervised learning algorithms are rarely used to train crack detection model, and datasets having road images with variety of road textures such as asphalt and cement etc. as challenges for future research in this field. A need for 3D and combined texture datasets as challenges for future research in this field.

With the increase in urban rail transit construction, instances of tunnel disease are on the rise, and cracks have become the focus of tunnel maintenance and management. Therefore, it is essential to carry out crack detection in a timely and efficient manner to not only prolong the service life of the tunnel but also reduce the incidence of accidents. In this paper, the design and structure of a tunnel crack detection system are analyzed. On this basis, this paper proposes a new method for crack identification and feature detection using image processing technology. This method fully considers the characteristics of tunnel images and the combination of these characteristics with deep learning, while a deep convolutional network (Single-Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD)) is proposed based on deep learning for object detection in complex images. The experimental results show that the test set accuracy and training set accuracy of the support vector machine (SVM) in the classification comparison test are up to 88% and 87.8%, respectively; while the test accuracy of Alexnet's deep convolutional neural network-based classification and identification is up to 96.7%, and the training set accuracy is up to 97.5%. It can be seen that this deep convolutional network recognition algorithm based on deep learning and image processing is better and more suitable for the detection of cracks in subway tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Accurately detecting cracks is crucial for assessing the health of materials. Manual detection methods are time-consuming, leading to the development of automatic detection techniques based on image processing and machine learning. These methods utilize morphological image processing and material deformation analysis through Digital Image or Volume Correlation techniques (DIC/DVC) to identify cracks. The strain field derived from DIC/DVC tends to be noisy. Traditional denoising methods sacrifice spatial resolution, limiting their effectiveness in capturing abrupt structural deformations such as fractures. Method: In this study, a novel DVC regularization method is proposed to obtain a sharper and less noisy strain field. The method minimizes the total variation of spatial strain field components based on the assumption of approximate strain constancy within material phases. Results: The proposed methodology is validated using simulated data and actual 4D  μ -CT experimental data. Compared to classical denoising methods, the proposed DVC regularization method provides a more reliable crack detection with fewer false positives. Conclusions: These results highlight the possibility of estimating a low-noise strain field without relying on the spatial smoothness assumption, thereby improving accuracy and reliability in crack detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of bridge cracks is an important task in bridge maintenance. It can also reflect the health of the bridge. However, cracks are usually in the form of strips, which are different from the concrete surface. Most crack detection algorithms cannot adapt to this situation well. In this paper, the original image of bridge cracks is collected and the data set is obtained through image processing. A bridge crack detection method based on improving encoder-decoder and mixed pooling module is proposed in this article. The basic features of the crack images are extracted by an encoder with dilated convolution. In this way, the resolution of the feature image can be guaranteed, and large receptive field can be obtained. Then the feature picture through the mix pooling module, which helps to capture remote context information and establish a remote dependency. Finally, the decoder restores the picture to its original size and integrates the original features. In the comparison experiment with the same experimental conditions, we compared with the classic image segmentation methods such as PSPNet, U-Net, FCN, and DeepLabv3+. The results show that our method achieves 98.3%, 97.3%, 97.6%, and 84.5% in precision, recall, F1-score, and MIoU. The results show that our method does have certain advantages in the field of crack detection and segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracks in concrete surfaces are one of the most prominent causes of the degradation of concrete structures such as bridges, roads, buildings, etc. Hence, it is very crucial to detect cracks at an early stage to inspect the structural health of the concrete structure. To solve the drawbacks of manual inspection, Image Processing Techniques (IPTs), especially those based on Deep Learning (DL) methods, have been investigated for the past few years. Due to the groundbreaking development of this field, researchers have devoted their endeavors to detecting cracks using DL-based IPTs and as a result, the techniques have given answers to many challenging problems. However, to the best of our knowledge, a state-of-the-art systematic review paper is lacking in this field that would present a scientometric analysis as well as a critical survey of the existing works to document the research trends and summarize the prominent IPTs for detecting cracks in concrete structures. Therefore, this article comes forward to spur researchers with a systematic review of the relevant literature, which will present both scientometric and critical analysis of the papers published in this research area. The scientometric data that are brought out from the articles are analyzed and visualized by using VOSviewer and CiteSpace text mining tools in terms of some parameters. Furthermore, this article elucidates research from all over the world by highlighting and critically analyzing the incarnated essence of some of the most influential papers. Moreover, this research raises some common questions as well as extracts answers from the analyzed papers to highlight various features of the utilized methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents two crack detection techniques for a beam undergoing mode I fracture: (i) convolutional neural network approach and (ii) image processing using opensource computer vision library OpenCV and pixel count of cracks approach. The second method also includes crack segmentation and masking for visualization of the cracks. The study attempted to evaluate the accuracy of both methods at different crack mouth opening displacement of seven simply supported concrete beams being tested using three-point bend test. The novelty of the present work lies in quantification of the crack growth from captured images and evaluating the potential of applying computer vision techniques as a replacement for sensitive crack measuring instruments to create a robust computer vision based health monitoring system. Results suggest that both methods identified the cracks in the beam and are capable of generating a warning before the collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of concrete cracks in structures indicates possible structural deterioration, but it is quite difficult to measure crack width accurately. While much research has been conducted on crack detection using image processing, there is a gap in the accurate quantification of crack width in millimeters. Current methods either measure in pixels or require the attachment of scales or markers onto a measured surface, which can pose safety hazards in hard-to-reach areas. This paper addresses these issues by proposing a novel image-based method for measuring concrete crack width in millimeters using a laser beam and image processing. The proposed method was validated in the laboratory by capturing images of concrete cracks with two cameras of different resolutions, each attached with lasers. The lasers projected a circular laser beam onto the surface of the concrete under inspection. The images were then pre-processed, segmented, and skeletonized for crack width measurement in pixels. The relationship between the laser diameter and camera distance from the surface was used to convert the measured crack width from pixels to millimeters. The method was performed with high accuracy, as indicated by the absolute error. The largest absolute error was 0.57 mm, while the smallest absolute error was 0.02 mm. The proposed method allows real-world interpretation of results in millimeters. As a result, measured crack widths can easily be compared to allowable limits in international standards, which are typically expressed in metric or SI units. The proposed method can also promote safer inspections in areas of low accessibility by attaching the laser to devices such as drones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in semiconductor technology and wireless sensor networks have permitted the development of automated inspection at diverse scales (machine, human, infrastructure, environment, etc.). However, automated identification of road cracks is still in its early stages. This is largely owing to the difficulty obtaining pavement photographs and the tiny size of flaws (cracks). The existence of pavement cracks and potholes reduces the value of the infrastructure, thus the severity of the fracture must be estimated. Annually, operators in many nations must audit thousands of kilometers of road to locate this degradation. This procedure is costly, sluggish, and produces fairly subjective results. The goal of this work is to create an efficient automated system for crack identification, extraction, and 3D reconstruction. The creation of crack-free roads is critical to preventing traffic deaths and saving lives. The proposed method consists of five major stages: detection of flaws after processing the input picture with the Gaussian filter, contrast adjustment, and ultimately, threshold-based segmentation. We created a database of road cracks to assess the efficacy of our proposed method. The result obtained are commendable and outperform previous state-of-the-art studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tire sidewall is the weakest part of the entire tire. Although the tire sidewall is not directly in contact with the ground, it often undergoes great deformation. Weather, road conditions, and driving habits can also affect the tire life. Cracking is one of the earliest signs of tire aging and deterioration. If a driver does not regularly inspect their vehicle, damage to a tire may remain undetected and an uncontrolled tire explosion may occur. In this study, we use deeplearning-based artificial intelligence computer vision to train a deep neural network model using a large number of digital images to detect tire sidewall cracks instead of traditional sensors, inspection devices, or visual inspection methods. In this study, tire sidewall crack images were preprocessed and annotated using the annotation program VGG Image Annotator (VIA). Residual network 50 (ResNet50) is used as the backbone of mask-region-based convolutional neural networks (Mask R-CNNs). The preprocessing training and test results of our dataset show that the improved Mask R-CNN has better mean accuracy (mAP) and detection accuracy than the original Mask R-CNN and Faster-R-CNN and can not only reduce inspection costs and time, but also improve the efficiency of tire crack analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduces advanced optimizations to the YOLOv5s algorithm for faster and more accurate pavement crack detection. • Demonstrates significant improvements in detection speed and accuracy through rigorous field testing. • Explores novel attention mechanisms that enhance the model's ability to identify and classify diverse crack types. • Outlines potential future advancements for reducing computational requirements and enabling real-time detection on mobile devices. To enhance the safety and comfort of vehicle travel, detecting pavement cracks is a critical task in road management. This article introduces an advanced single-stage target detection method utilizing the YOLOv5s algorithm to enhance real-time performance and accuracy. Initially, Squeeze-and-Excitation Networks are integrated into the model to facilitate self-learning for improved crack characterization. Subsequently, anchors computed through the K-means clustering algorithm are closely aligned with the fracture dataset, achieving an adaptation rate of 99.9 % and enhancing the recall rate of the model. Furthermore, the inclusion of the SimSPPF module from YOLOv6 diminishes memory usage and expedites detection speed. By replacing the original nearest up-sampling method with transposed convolution, optimization of up-sampling for crack datasets is achieved. Performance assessments reveal that the refined YOLOv5s algorithm attains an F1 score of 91 %, a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 93.6 %, and a 1.54 % increase in frames per second (fps) for pavement crack detection. This enhancement in detection technology signifies a substantial advancement in the maintenance and longevity of road infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation and training of artificial neural networks with a given accuracy makes it possible to identify patterns and hidden relationships between physical and technological parameters in the production of unique building materials, predict mechanical properties, and solve the problem of detecting, classifying, and segmenting existing defects. The detection of defects of various kinds on elements of building materials at the primary stages of production can improve the quality of construction and identify the cause of particular damage. The technology for detecting cracks in building material samples is of great importance in building monitoring, in pre-venting the spread of defective material. In this paper, we consider the use of the YOLOv4 convolutional neural network for crack detection on building material samples. This was based on the creation of its own empirical database of images of samples of aerated concrete. The number of images was increased by applying our own augmentation algorithm. Optimization of the parameters of the intellectual model based on the YOLOv4 convolutional neural network was performed. Experimental results show that the YOLOv4 model developed in this article has high precision in defect detection problems: AP@50 = 85% and AP@75 = 68%. It should be noted that the model was trained on its own set of data obtained by simulating various shooting conditions, rotation angles, object deformations, and light distortions through image processing methods, which made it possible to apply the developed algorithm in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and allied disruptive technologies have revolutionized the scientific world. However, civil engineering, in general, and infrastructure management, in particular, are lagging behind the technology adoption curves. Crack identification and assessment are important indicators to assess and evaluate the structural health of critical city infrastructures such as bridges. Historically, such critical infrastructure has been monitored through manual visual inspection. This process is costly, time-consuming, and prone to errors as it relies on the inspector's knowledge and the gadgets' precision. To save time and cost, automatic crack and damage detection in bridges and similar infrastructure is required to ensure its efficacy and reliability. However, an automated and reliable system does not exist, particularly in developing countries, presenting a gap targeted in this study. Accordingly, we proposed a two-phased deep learning-based framework for smart infrastructure management to assess the conditions of bridges in developing countries. In the first part of the study, we detected cracks in bridges using the dataset from Pakistan and the online-accessible SDNET2018 dataset. You only look once version 5 (YOLOv5) has been used to locate and classify cracks in the dataset images. To determine the main indicators (precision, recall, and mAP (0.5)), we applied each of the YOLOv5 s, m, and l models to the dataset using a ratio of 7:2:1 for training, validation, and testing, respectively. The mAP (Mean average precision) values of all the models were compared to evaluate their performance. The results show mAP values for the test set of the YOLOv5 s, m, and l as 97.8%, 99.3%, and 99.1%, respectively, indicating the superior performance of the YOLOv5 m model compared to the two counterparts. In the second portion of the study, segmentation of the crack is carried out using the U-Net model to acquire their exact pixels. Using the segmentation mask allocated to the attribute extractor, the pixel's width, height, and area are measured and visualized on scatter plots and Boxplots to segregate different cracks. Furthermore, the segmentation part validated the output of the proposed YOLOv5 models. This study not only located and classified the cracks based on their severity level, but also segmented the crack pixels and measured their width, height, and area per pixel under different lighting conditions. It is one of the few studies targeting low-cost health assessment and damage detection in bridges of developing countries that otherwise struggle with regular maintenance and rehabilitation of such critical infrastructure. The proposed model can be used by local infrastructure monitoring and rehabilitation authorities for regular condition and health assessment of the bridges and similar infrastructure to move towards a smarter and automated damage assessment system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]