Effects of the Ground Resolution and Thresholding on Crack Width Measurements

Abstract

When diagnosing the condition of a structure, it is necessary to measure the widths of any existing cracks in the structure. To ensure safety when relying on images of cracks, the selected imaging parameters and processing technology must be well understood. In this study, the effects of the ground sample distance and threshold values on the crack width measurement error are analyzed from a theoretical perspective. Here, the main source of such errors is assumed to be due to the mixed pixel phenomena in the left and right boundary pixels. Thus, a mathematical model is proposed in which the intensity changes in these pixels are computed via an equation. In addition, the relationship between the error and error probability distribution is represented with an equation based on the threshold values and mean error. Upon analysis, it was found that the threshold value that minimizes the error is at the mid-point between the background and foreground, and the probabilistic nature of the error indicates that it is theoretically possible to predict both the error and its probability distribution. The proposed model was validated using artificial images.