a major role in mitigating these failures. The following paper by Severns discusses modern underwater inspections that are increasingly reliant upon new technologies and nondestruc- tive testing methods beyond VT (such as UT, MT, and sonar in conjunction with remotely operated vehicles) to gain a broader picture of the asset and its condition, increasing efficiency while lowering risk in the process. The quality of a completed structure starts with good quality control during construction, and thus the use of quality control during construction to adhere to design specifications is paramount for durability and preserving expected service life. Sanayei, Yuan, Moreu, and Alampalli discuss the use of these new technologies for ensuring construction quality and digital history for future management. They illustrate the use of these technologies through a study conducted using an RGBD camera. While improving accuracy in the detection and character- ization of deterioration and defects using NDE methods is essential, improving the speed of NDE data collection and interpretation—allowing economical periodical evaluation—has potential to yield tools for better bridge management. Gucunski et al. provide an overview of the current practice of bridge eval- uation by NDE methods, recent efforts to improve the speed of NDE data collection through automation and robotics, and improved condition interpretation through advanced visualiza- tion and combined analysis of results of multiple NDE technol- ogies. Similarly, use of advanced multi-sensor robotic platforms, such as uncrewed ground-based systems (UGS) and uncrewed water-based systems (UWS), are also being used increasingly for similar purposes. A futuristic view of using drone-based NDE for elevated structures (bridges, buildings, dams, power plants, tunnels, etc.) is discussed by Chen et al. These systems, including human-robot systems, have potential to transform bridge inspections in the future to minimize impact to traffic at bridge sites. I consider the next decade to be a golden era for develop- ment and use of NDE technologies in highway infrastructure, including bridges, and am glad to share recent policy and technological changes with all of you. It was great working with ASNT Director of Publications Jill Ross and the authors in this issue. I thank them for their enthusiasm and hard work in bringing this issue to all of you, and I hope you enjoy reading the articles as much as we did in preparing them. We look forward to hearing your comments and opinions on these arti- cles and on this topic in general. SCANNER | UPFRONT 8 M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 2301 ME Jan New.indd 8 12/20/22 8:14 AM

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