Automated condition assessment of buried sewer pipes based on digital imaging techniques

Abstract

Assessing the condition of underground pipelines such as water lines, sewer pipes, and telecommunication conduitsvin an automated and reliable manner is vital to the safety and maintenance of buried public infrastructure. In order to fully automate the condition assessment of buried pipes, it is necessary to develop a robust defect analysis and interpretation system. This paper presents the development of an automated defect detection system for sanitary sewer pipelines using digital imaging techniques like contrast enhancement, mathematical morphology and curvature evaluation.