| MALIGAON, Oct 30: Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, on 27th October 2026 for the "Development of Hybrid Crack Detection Methodology including Assessment of Residual Fatigue Life in Railway Steel Bridges." The initiative aims to strengthen the scientific assessment of ageing steel bridges through a combination of conventional inspection techniques, non-destructive evaluation (NDE), artificial intelligence (AI), material testing and advanced structural analysis. The initiative assumes significance in view of the ageing steel bridge infrastructure across Indian Railways, including bridges on NFR that have been in service for more than 50 years. Increasing train speeds, heavier loads and repeated movement of trains has warrant for fatigue analysis and accordingly all the welded joints, holes and other vulnerable parts of a bridge will be studied in details by IIT Roorkee. Although regular inspections are carried out as per established railway standards, conventional visual checks and testing methods may not always detect very small or hidden cracks. The project aims to strengthen existing inspection practices through a combination of visual inspection, advanced testing and AI-based technology. The project will focus on two key areas: improving crack detection if any and assessing the remaining service life of steel bridges. High-resolution images captured during inspections will be analysed using InfraDocT, an AI-based tool developed by the project team, to help identify cracks and other signs of damage at an early stage. |
