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Non-contact imaging for surface-opening cracks in concrete with air-coupled sensors

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Abstract

Rapid and accurate non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques are needed to assess the in-place condition of concrete structures. However the time and effort required to perform NDE tests using conventional surface-mounted contact sensors hinder rapid evaluation of large full-scale structures. The suitability of surface waves and non-contact sensing techniques to detect the presence of concrete defects is examined here. First, the ability to detect leaky surface waves in concrete with air-coupled sensors is demonstrated. Surface waves in a concrete slab specimen are generated by an electrically-controlled impact source. Next, the data and signal processing needed to improve leaky surface wave data, with respect to eventual application to velocity and attenuation images, are demonstrated. Finally velocity and wave attenuation data collected from a concrete slab specimen that exhibits surface cracking are presented. Test results show that the proposed energy ratio (attenuation) criterion is more sensitive to existence of cracks than the velocity criterion.

Résumé

Les techniques rapides et précises d'évaluation non destructive (END) permettent d'évaluer la condition in-situ d'ouvrages en béton. Cependant, le temps et les efforts nécessaires pour effectuer ces essais non destructifs à l'aide de capteurs de contact conventionnels montés en surface empêchent une évaluation rapide des constructions à grande échelle. On étudie ici le caractère approprié des ondes de surface et des techniques de capteurs sans contact permettant de détecter la présence de défauts dans le béton. Tout d'abord, on démontre la capacité à détecter des ondes de surface perméable dans le béton au moyen de transducteurs à couplage par air. Les ondes de surface dans un échantillon de dalle en béton sont générées par un impact contrôlé électriquement. Ensuite, on démontre le traitement des données et signaux nécessaires à l'amélioration des données extérieures de vague, en ce qui concerne l'application finale des images de la vitesse et de l'atténuation. Enfin, les données des images de la vitesse et de l'atténuation produite à partir d'un échantillon de dalle en béton montrant la fissuration de la surface sont présentées. Les résultats des essais démontrent que le critère proposé pour le rapport d'énergie (atténuation) est plus sensible à l'existence de fissures que celui de la vitesse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA

    J. Zhu & J. S. Popovics

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  1. J. Zhu
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  2. J. S. Popovics
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Editorial Note Prof. John Popovics is a RILEM Senior Member. He participates in RILEM TCs ACD ‘Acoustic emission and related NDE techniques for crack detection and damage evaluation in concrete’ and INR ‘Interpretation of NDT results and assessment of RC structures’.

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Zhu, J., Popovics, J.S. Non-contact imaging for surface-opening cracks in concrete with air-coupled sensors. Mat. Struct. 38, 801–806 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02481652

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02481652

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