The H2020 C-BORD Project: Feedback and Conclusion of an Advanced Non-Destructive Techniques to Improve Control of Cargo Containers

During 42 months the C-BORD project (effective Container inspection at BORDer control points), part of the framework of the 2014 European Horizon 2020 research program, was coordinated by CEA LIST and finalized after the deployment of different techniques in three real environments located in three different countries (The Netherlands, Poland and Hungary). This project addressed different technological topics, in order to improve the non-destructive control of containers with the final goal to decrease the false alarms. A large set of passive and active nondestructive techniques have been developed, improved and associated. Concerning the passive nondestructive methods, two categories of techniques have been improved and deployed: Evaporation based detection techniques and RPM solutions based on large size plastic scintillators. Concerning the active non-destructive methods, three categories of techniques have been studied: X-ray techniques by Smiths Detection, techniques based on neutron interrogation and advanced photofission techniques. All these technological developments have been merged in a global enriched end-user interface, based on the X-ray image, in order to constitute an optimization solution to maximize the information level. The paper integrates all feedback and three field tries results provided from a big port (Rotterdam Site), container terminals (Gdańsk site). (author)