Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are using a more powerful form of x-ray vision to detect early-stage corrosion, the primary danger to the steel framework within bridges, roads and other aging physical infrastructure. So reports Science Daily.
The scientists have developed a noninvasive "spectral fingerprint" technique that provides images of corrosion within concrete-encased steel before it can cause significant degradation of the structure it supports. The system uses terahertz waves.