The thermography is a technique for non-destructive analysis which is based on the acquisition of images in the infrared. Thermographic cameras detect radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (roughly 9,000–14,000 nanometers or 9–14 µm) and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms. Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects above absolute zero according to the black body radiation law, thermography makes it possible to see one's environment with or without visible illumination. The thermographic measurement is based on the measurement of infrared radiation (heat intensity) emitted by a body shot in natural light; it has been shown, in fact, a fundamental support for the knowledge also of structural aspect of architectural sites. This kind of measurement gives a thermal image of the object, or a map in “false color”, which represents the “thermal state” of the surfaces investigated because the process associates to each surface temperature in a different color.
Published in Chapter:
Digital and Mechatronic Technologies Applied to the Survey of Brownfields
Assunta Pelliccio (University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Italy),
Erika Ottaviano (University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Italy), and
Pierluigi Rea (University of Cagliari, Italy)
Copyright: © 2015
|Pages: 17
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-8379-2.ch027
Abstract
The brownfields are amongst the most relevant historical evidences of the socio-economic heritage of populations. The rehabilitation of these sites, often aimed at inserting them in a newly conceived connective tissue of the cities, requires complete and accurate knowledge of their historical and architectural value: the former use of spaces, constructive technologies, environmental conditions and present deterioration must be investigated. The width and complexity of these architectural/urban areas requires complex survey methodologies. These analyses take advantage from digital mechatronic tools such as hybrid rover equipped with sensors to provide information on the damage of structures, degradation of plaster and in general on the state of the materials forming the different parts of the brownfield. This Chapter analyze a procedure combining traditional survey with mobile robot technology, aimed at recovering the geometrical and architectural features of these complex sites. The mechatronic survey is schematized as composed by main five tasks, which are described in the Chapter.