A crack detection and quantification method using matched filter and photograph reconstruction

Crack detection is a critical task for bridge maintenance and management. While popular deep learning algorithms have shown promise, their reliance on large, high-quality training datasets, which are often unavailable in engineering practice, limits their applicability. By contrast, traditional digital image processing methods offer low computational costs and strong interpretability, making continued research in this area highly valuable. This study proposes an automatic crack detection and quantification approach based on digital image processing combined with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight parameters. First, the characteristics of the bridge images collected by the UAVs were thoroughly analyzed. An enhanced matched-filter algorithm was designed to achieve crack segmentation. Morphological methods were employed to extract the skeletons of the segmented cracks, enabling the calculation of actual crack lengths. Finally, a 3D model was constructed by integrating the detection results with the image-shooting parameters. This 3D model, annotated with detected cracks, provides an intuitive and comprehensive representation of bridge damage, facilitating informed decision making in maintenance planning and resource allocation. To verify the accuracy of the enhanced matched filter algorithm, it was compared with other digital image processing methods on public datasets, achieving average results of 97.9% for Pixel Accuracy (PA), 72.5% for the F1-score, and 58.1% for Intersection over Union (Iou) across three typical sub-datasets. Moreover, the proposed methodologies were successfully applied to an arch bridge with an error of only 2%, thereby demonstrating their applicability to real-world scenarios.