Microwave Subsurface Imaging Technology for Damage Detection

This paper presents a technology for detecting invisible damage inside concrete, which is based on reconstruction of dielectric profile (image) of the concrete illuminated with microwaves sent from and received by antenna arrays controlled by specialized software. The imaging system developed in this study consists of an 8×8 transmitting and an 8×8 receiving arrays, an innovative numerical bifocusing operator for improving image resolution, and imaging software for reconstructing a two-dimensional image from the scattered field. The effectiveness of the developed technology in detecting steel and voids inside concrete has been demonstrated through numerical simulation and experiments.     

Structural Damage Diagnosis and Assessment under Seismic Excitations

This study proposes a method of detecting, locating, and quantifying structural damage by directly using structural vibration measurements in the time domain. In this method, the coupling effect of the damage at different locations in the structure on the structural vibratory responses is eliminated by projecting these measured quantities onto some specific subspaces. As a result, the structural system, generally modeled with multiple degree of freedom, is decomposed into several independent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems, every one of which is only associated with the damage at one certain location or region. A monitor is designed as an observer to detect the structural damage related to each SDOF system. A decision-making scheme is developed to correlate the monitor’s output to the occurrence of the damage. The severity of the damage is estimated with a traditional system identification method in an iterative way. The analysis of the effects of measurement noise is also included. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Imaging Concrete Structures Using Air-Coupled Impact-Echo

In this paper, air-coupled impact-echo is successfully applied for nondestructive evaluation of concrete. The air-coupled sensor is a small (6.3?mm diameter) measurement microphone located several centimeters above the top surface of the concrete being evaluated. Unwanted ambient acoustic noise is attenuated by a specially designed sound insulation enclosure. Test results show that air-coupled sensors are effective for impact-echo when appropriate impactors are used. Impact-echo data obtained by air-coupled sensors are equivalent to those obtained by conventional contact sensors. Test results from concrete slabs containing artificial delaminations and voids are reported, where an air-coupled impact-echo scan is conducted over the entire slab area. Defects are located in the generated two-dimensional contour image. The areal size of defects are accurately determined when the measurement point spacing in the scan is smaller than half of the expected defect size. Test results from air-coupled impact-echo scans carried out over internal metal and plastic ducts within another concrete slab are also reported. The goal of the experiment is to investigate the grouting condition inside the ducts. Impact-echo line scan images differentiate poorly grouted sections from the well-grouted sections within the metal duct.     

Nondestructive Assessment of Damage in Concrete Bridge Decks

Impact-echo tests were performed on a precast, reinforced concrete bridge slab that was removed from a maintenance bridge built in 1953 in South Carolina. Impact-echo tests were first performed to nondestructively assess the initial condition and the distribution of damage throughout the slab by analyzing the variation in propagation wave velocity. It was found that the velocity varied by as much as 900?m/s throughout the slab. After the in-service condition was assessed, the slab was subjected to a full-scale static load test in the laboratory and impact-echo tests were again performed, this time to evaluate the initiation and progression of damage (stiffness loss and crack development) within the slab. After structural failure of the slab, a reduction in propagation wave velocity up to 6% was observed correlating to a reduction in slab stiffness. Cracks were detected within the concrete slab that were not visible from the surface. Areas with preexisting damage experienced more crack growth when subjected to the load test than those that were initially intact. Locations exhibiting stiffness loss, crack propagation, and localized damage can be differentiated such that the method can be used to make decisions between rehabilitating and replacing concrete bridge decks depending upon the severity of damage.     

Assessment of Fire Damage to a Reinforced Concrete Structure during Construction

This article summarizes an engineering evaluation of the extent of fire damage to a concrete structure under construction. The fire occurred in a portion of the reinforced concrete structure and visibly damaged a load bearing exterior foundation wall. The purpose of the assessment was to promptly evaluate the in situ condition of the wall and recommend necessary repair or replacement options prior to commencement of backfilling and the concrete construction to be supported by the subject wall. The engineering assessment of the damaged wall included a nondestructive evaluation phase consisting of ultrasonic pulse velocity testing and a laboratory testing phase on the concrete cores removed from the damaged wall. Dynamic Young’s modulus of elasticity and an air permeability index of 25?mm (1?in.) thick disks sawed from the cores were determined. Analysis of properties of 25?mm (1?in.) concrete specimens permitted assessment of the presence and degree of any damage in smaller depth increments compared to the size of a compressive strength core. Significant differences were not indicated by compressive strength of cores, however, the in situ nondestructive testing and laboratory testing of the disks were effective in determining the depth of damage, as a result of the fire. The results of the nondestructive and laboratory evaluation indicated that the distressed zone of the concrete was limited to a near-surface layer. Repair recommendations were based on removal and replacement of the affected concrete sections identified by the testing program.     

Damage Assessment and Ductility Evaluation of Post Tensioned Beams with Hybrid FRP Tendons

The study presented in this article concentrated on investigating the ductility and characterization of damage in concrete beams post tensioned with hybrid carbon-glass fiber-reinforced polymer (HFRP) composites. The investigation included an approach for design of flexural members with HFRP tendons and characterization of damage, load deformation response, ultimate strength, and failure modes. Direct tensile tests of hybrid FRP rods in a previous study had indicated elastoplastic response, enhanced ductility, and increased strain capacity. In this context, the current study focused on design and fabrication of post tensioned beams using glass or steel rebars for partial prestressing. All the beams were tested in flexure under four-point bending configuration. Results of the study are presented in terms of ductility index and enhanced load-deflection response in comparison with the conventional FRP materials. Damage characterization involved evaluating the specific features of the acoustic emissions for detecting the elastoplastic transition in the hybrid tendons. The method involved use of a high-resolution fiber-optic interferometer for detection and separation of acoustic emissions. By using the time domain response, it was possible to spatially localize the damage at various stages of the loading. Spectral energy of the acoustic emissions facilitated separation of carbon and glass fiber fractures.     

Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Monitoring Streambank Retreat: Comparison with Traditional Surveying Techniques

Data concerning streambank retreat (SBR) rates are important for many different engineering applications such as stream restoration and total maximum daily load (TMDL) development. However, measurement of SBR can be time-consuming and is often characterized by large measurement and interpolation errors. These errors propagate into the calculation of sediment budgets for the development of TMDLs, creating uncertainty in source partitioning and overall load estimates. We compared two techniques for measuring SBR: (1) traditional surveying with a total station and (2) terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). An 11-m streambank on Stroubles Creek in Blacksburg, Virgina was surveyed six times over a 2-year period. The average SBR along the entire bank was estimated to be ?0.15 m/year with TLS and ?0.18 m/year with total station surveying. The resulting differences in median SBR estimates along five distinct cross sections between each of the survey dates ranged from ?0.11 to +0.06?m. This error in SBR due to total station surveying would be significant when extrapolating to a reach- or watershed-scale estimate of sediment load due to SBR. In addition, TLS collects data across the entire streambank surface, rather than just at distinct cross sections, providing much more information concerning SBR volumes and spatial variability.     

Characterization of Damage in Triaxial Braided Composites under Tensile Loading

Carbon fiber composites that utilize flattened, large tow yarns in woven or braided forms are being used in many aerospace applications. The complex fiber architecture and large unit cell size in these materials present challenges for both understanding the deformation process and measuring reliable material properties. In this paper composites made using flattened 12k and 24k (referring to the number of fibers in the fiber tow) standard modulus carbon fiber yarns in a 0°/+60°/?60° triaxial braided architecture are examined. Standard straight-sided tensile coupons were tested with the 0° axial braid fibers either parallel to (axial tensile test) or perpendicular to (transverse tensile test) the applied tensile load. The nonuniform surface strain resulting from the triaxial braided architecture was examined using photogrammetry. Local regions of high strain concentration were examined to identify where failure initiates and to determine the local strain at the time of failure initiation. Splitting within fiber bundles was the first failure mode observed at low to intermediate strains. For axial tensile tests the splitting was primarily in the ±60° bias fibers, which were oriented 60° to the applied load. At higher strains in the axial tensile test, out-of-plane deformation associated with localized delamination between fiber bundles or damage within fiber bundles was observed. For transverse tensile tests, the splitting was primarily in the 0° axial fibers, which were oriented transverse to the applied load. The initiation and accumulation of local damage caused the global transverse stress-strain curves to become nonlinear and caused failure to occur at a reduced ultimate strain for both the axial and transverse tensile tests. Extensive delamination at the specimen edges was also observed. Modifications to the standard straight-sided coupon geometry are needed to minimize these edge effects when testing the large unit cell type of material examined in this work.     

Damage Detection in Concrete by Fourier and Wavelet Analyses

The effectiveness of vibration-based methods in damage detection of a typical highway structure is investigated. Two types of full-scale concrete structures subjected to fatigue loads are studied: (1) Portland cement concrete pavements on grade; and (2) a simply supported prestressed concrete beams. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) are used in the analysis of the structures’ dynamic response to impact, and results from both techniques are compared. Both FFT and CWT can identify which frequency components exist in a signal. However, only the wavelet transform can show when a particular frequency occurs. Results of this research are such that FFT can detect the progression of damage in the beam but not in the slab. In contrast, the CWT analysis yielded a clear difference between the initial and damaged states for both structures. These findings confirm the conclusions of previous studies conducted on small-scale specimens that wavelet analysis has a great potential in the damage detection of concrete. The study also demonstrates that the approach is applicable to full-scale components of sizes similar or close to actual in-service structures.     

Impedance-Based Method for Nondestructive Damage Identification

A structural damage identification technique based on the impedance method is presented in this paper using smart piezoelectric transducer (PZT) patches. A modeling framework is developed to determine the structural impedance response and the dynamic output forces of PZT patches from the electric admittance measurements. A damage identification scheme for solving the nonlinear optimization problem is proposed to locate and quantify the structural damage through the minimization of the discrepancy between the structural impedance response and the numerically computed frequency response. The proposed technique does not use modal analysis or model reduction, and only the electric admittance measurements of PZT patches and the analytical system matrices are required. A beam example has been employed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm numerically. Furthermore, the influence of the measurement noise on the results has been investigated.     

Diagnosis of Reinforced Concrete Structural Damage Base on Displacement Time History using the Back-Propagation Neural Network Technique

A state-of-the-art methodology is proposed for damage diagnosis of structures, such methodology being presented in the example of a simply supported reinforced concrete (RC) beam. The severity and location of defects within the RC structures can be assessed much more conveniently by using the back-propagation neural network technique. A simply supported RC beam with specified size (i.e., rectangular cross section and 4 m span) and assumed defects is theoretically analyzed by a finite-element program to generate training and the testing of numerical examples necessary to assess the damaged RC structure by using the neural network (NN). Numerical examples are then generated according to the displacement time history of the defected beams loaded by an impact force at the beam center. In addition, 10 sets of test beam with the assumed damage and same specified size of the numerical examples are constructed in full scale. The damage scenario of each test beam is also diagnosed by using the well-trained NN according to the displacement time history, which is the history of the responses caused by the impact loading acting at the beam centers. Based on the study and test results, the damage scenarios of the 10 sets of test beams are successfully classified.     

Condition Assessment of a Deteriorated Cement Works

This paper describes the condition assessment of a 30 year old cement works, where some of the structures were clearly deteriorated. It was carried out for the purpose of obtaining material properties needed for evaluating strength and integrity, and for establishing durability. This was done by sampling the structures using the nondestructive techniques of visual inspection, perusal of drawings, ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements, covermeter surveys, and core testing. Core testing gave information not only about strength but also about sorptivity, carbonation, chlorides, and sulfates, and about the variation of some of these properties with depth from the concrete surface. Some new approaches were used to estimate the grade of concrete and the partial safety factor for reinforcement. The use of “twin cores” (surface and internal) indicated that the surface quality of the concrete was actually better than the internal quality. Recommendations for repair and maintenance dealt with (1) accumulated cement dust; (2) concrete deterioration; (3) areas experiencing elevated temperatures; and (4) waterproofing of the concrete surface.     

Using Scanning Lasers to Determine the Thickness of Concrete Pavement

Due to limited budgets and reduced inspection staff, state departments of transportation are in need of innovative approaches for providing more efficient quality assurance on concrete paving projects. In Iowa, the current technique is to take core samples of the pavement, which is a labor intensive, destructive process. Due to these limitations, a limited number of cores are used to estimate the pavement thickness. Any method that can reduce or eliminate cores and increase the statistical accuracy of the thickness estimate will be beneficial. One method, which uses a laser to scan the surface of the base prior to paving and then to scan the surface after paving can determine the thickness at any point. Also, scanning lasers provide thorough data coverage that can be used to calculate thickness variance accurately and identify any areas where the thickness is below tolerance. The laser scanning methodology for this study involved the following: (1) investigating characteristics of the paving process; (2) using a laser scanner on three different sites; (3) processing the data to create clean surface models; (4) performing statistical analyses to determine thickness variability; and (5) summarizing the results.     

Benefits and Barriers of Construction Project Monitoring Using High-Resolution Automated Cameras

A more rapid and widespread use and implementation of technology in construction often fails since its benefits and limitations remain somewhat unclear. Project control is one of the most variable and time consuming task of construction project managers and superintendents and yet continues to be mostly a manual task. Controlling tasks such as tracking and updating project schedules can be assisted through remotely operating technology such as high-resolution cameras that can provide construction management and other users with imaging feeds of job site activities. Although construction cameras have been around for many years, the costs, benefits, and barriers of their use have not been investigated nor quantified in detail. Subsequently, definitions and understanding vary widely, making it difficult for decision makers at the organizational level to decide on the investment in camera technology. This paper reviews the status of high-resolution cameras and their present use in construction. Results of a multiphased survey to industry professionals were collected in order to identify benefits and barriers and develop a cost-benefit model that can be used for implementation technology in construction.     

Inspection and Condition Assessment Using Ground Penetrating Radar

The nondestructive mapping of anomalies and voids under roadway pavements is critical to highway authorities because of the potential loss of support that would lead to safety hazards. 400 MHz ground-coupled penetrating radar (GCPR) was used in this study to characterize the subsurface conditions of three roadway pavements (SH359, IH40, and U.S. 290). The extents of the anomalies in horizontal and vertical directions were visible in GCPR images. Coring, boring, and lab testing were performed to verify the settlement and source of the moisture on SH359. The source of the moisture was from the leaking water pipe, as indicated by the high chloride and chlorite contents. A 1.8-m deep void (3.8?m3 in volume) under IH40 and a 1.8?m×4.6?m×3.7?m (30.6?m3 in volume) void under U.S. 290’s reinforced concrete pavements were successfully identified by GCPR and verified by field boring and coring. Fortunately, the voids near the drainpipes were detected by GCPR in time. Otherwise, the void would have increased in size, and that could have led to a severe hazard. This study has successfully demonstrated that the GCPR is able to identify anomalies and voids. Therefore, engineers can utilize the information from GCPR to undertake remedial actions with confidence.     

Nondestructive and Laboratory Evaluation of Damage Gradients in Concrete Structure Exposed to Cryogenic Temperatures

This paper discusses the use of pulse velocity, dynamic Young’s modulus of elasticity, and air permeability of concrete to evaluate the extent of damage and damage gradients to a concrete structure exposed to thermal shock and subsequent cryogenic temperatures. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is maintained in liquid form at cryogenic temperatures typically below ?160°C (?260°F). The elevated concrete pedestal and precast concrete piles supporting a LNG storage tank were exposed to cryogenic temperatures following a leak of the LNG. The engineering assessment of the concrete structure consisted of a nondestructive evaluation phase using ultrasonic pulse velocity and a subsequent laboratory phase based on concrete cores. Dynamic Young’s modulus of elasticity and air permeability index of 25?mm (1?in.) thick disks sawed from the cores were determined. Analyzing concrete disks at 25?mm (1?in.) increments permitted assessment of changes in these properties with depth and enabled evaluation of depth of damage and damage gradients. The laboratory study confirmed that the distressed zone was limited to a near-surface area of concrete as suggested by the results of pulse velocity testing.     

Damage Localization and Finite-Element Model Updating Using Multiresponse NDT Data

New techniques for both finite-element model updating and damage localization are presented using multiresponse nondestructive test (NDT) data. A new protocol for combining multiple parameter estimation algorithms for model updating is presented along with an illustrative example. This approach allows for the simultaneous use of both static and modal NDT data to perform model updating at the element level. A new damage index based on multiresponse NDT data is presented for damage localization of structures. This index is based on static and modal strain energy changes in a structure as a result of damage. This method depicts changes in physical properties of each structural element compared to its initial state using NDT data. Deficient or potentially damaged structural elements are then selected as the unknown parameters to be updated by parameter estimation. Error function normalization, error function stacking, and multiresponse parameter estimation methods are proposed for using multiple data types for simultaneous stiffness and mass parameter estimation. Also, multiple sets of measurements with various sizes and missing data points can be utilized. This paper uses a laboratory grid model of a bridge deck built at the University of Cincinnati Infrastructure Institute and the corresponding NDT data for validation of the above damage localization and model updating methods. Multiresponse parameter estimation has been utilized to update the stiffness of bearing pads, and both the stiffness and mass of the connections, using static and dynamic NDT data. The static and modal responses of the updated grid model presented a closer match with the NDT data than the responses from the initial model.