TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy A Tool for Imaging the Chemical Composition of Concrete N2 - One of the most common causes of damage is the ingress of harmful ions into the concrete, which can lead to deterioration processes and affect structural performance. Therefore, the increasingly aging infrastructure is regularly inspected to assess durability. Regular chemical analysis can be useful to determine the extent and evolution of ion ingress and to intervene in a timely manner. This could prove more economical than extensive repairs for major damage, particularly for critical infrastructure. In addition to already established elemental analysis techniques in civil engineering such as potentiometric titration or X-ray fluorescence analysis, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can provide further important complementary information and benefits. The possibilities of LIBS are demonstrated using the example of a drill core taken from a parking garage. T2 - 6th International Conference on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting CY - Cape Town, South Africa DA - 03.10.2022 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Cement KW - Chlorine PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56061 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Klewe, Tim A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy – A Tool for Imaging the Chemical Composition of Concrete N2 - One of the most common causes of damage is the ingress of harmful ions into the concrete, which can lead to deterioration processes and affect structural performance. Therefore, the increasingly aging infrastructure is regularly inspected to assess durability. Regular chemical analysis can be useful to determine the extent and evolution of ion ingress and to intervene in a timely manner. This could prove more economical than extensive repairs for major damage, particularly for critical infrastructure. In addition to already established elemental analysis techniques in civil engineering such as potentiometric titration or X-ray fluorescence analysis, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can provide further important complementary information and benefits. The possibilities of LIBS are demonstrated using the example of a drill core taken from a parking garage. T2 - 6th International Conference on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting CY - Kapstadt, South Africa DA - 03.10.2022 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chlorine PY - 2022 UR - https://iccrrr2022.org/downloads SP - 126 EP - 127 AN - OPUS4-56062 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Klewe, Tim A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to investigate the chemical composition of concrete N2 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a spectroscopic method for the analysis of the chemical composition of sample materials. Generally, the measurement of all elements of the periodic table is possible. In particular, light elements such as H, Li, Be, S, C, O, N and halogens can be measured. Calibration with matrix-matching standards allows the quantification of element concentrations. In combination with scanner systems, the two-dimensional element distribution can be determined. Even rough surfaces can be measured by online adjustment of the laser focus. LIBS can also be used on-site with mobile systems. Hand-held systems are available for point measurements. Common applications include the investigation of material deterioration due to the ingress of harmful ions and their interaction in porous building materials. Due to the high spatial resolution of LIBS and the consideration of the heterogeneity of concrete, the determination of precise input parameters for simulation and modelling of the remaining lifetime of a structure is possible. In addition to the identification of materials, it is also possible to assess the composition for example of hardened concrete, which involves the cement or aggregate type used. Other important fields of application are the detection of environmentally hazardous elements or the material classification for sorting heterogeneous material waste streams during dismantling. Non-contact NDT for “difficult to assess” structures as an example application through safety glass or in combination with robotics and automation are also possible. In this work, an overview of LIBS investigations on concrete is given based on exemplary laboratory and on-site applications. T2 - NDE NucCon 2023 CY - Espoo, Finland DA - 25.01.2023 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chemical analysis PY - 2023 UR - https://www.aalto.fi/en/nde-nuccon-2023 SP - 351 EP - 359 AN - OPUS4-57303 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Quantitative on-site analysis of harmful elements in building structures with a mobile LIBS-System N2 - Environmental influences and damage processes drastically reduce the durability of concrete and reinforced concrete structures. Much of this damage can be traced back to the penetration of harmful elements into the concrete. These elements cause damage processes such as the chlorine-induced corrosion, the alkali-silica reaction or the carbonization. For the maintenance the knowledge of the element concentration and the penetration depth of these harmful elements is essential. Based on this data, a maintenance concept can be developed and an estimation of the remaining service life-time can be carried out. Typically, chemical analyzes are used to determine harmful elements in concrete, which are costly and time consuming. As an alternative method LIBS is used. On-site measurements were carried out with a mobile LIBS-System to determine harmful elements in a parking garage. A scanner is used to obtain a two-dimensional element mapping. For the quantitative analysis, a calibration of the system is carried out with 15 reference samples based on cement with NaCl with a concentration range of chlorine of 0.05 to 2.5 wt.%. To determine the penetration profile of the harmful element chlorine, concrete cores were drilled, split and analyzed directly on-site. T2 - Xth international conference on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Atlanta, GA, USA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Mobile-LIBS KW - On-site analysis KW - Concrete PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46790 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Concrete Analysis: Applications and Practical Benefits N2 - Reinforced concrete structures are exposed not only to mechanical loads but also to chemical degradation, which can significantly impact their longevity and performance. Effective assessment and maintenance require a detailed understanding of the ingress of harmful species, such as chlorides or sulfates. Traditional analysis methods, like wet chemical analysis of drill dust or ground core samples, often require homogenization leading to the loss of crucial spatial information in sub-millimeter regions such as localized high concentrations of elements, e.g. in cracks. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers a cutting-edge solution, providing rapid, multi-element analysis with high spatial resolution from micrometer to millimeter scales. LIBS is capable of detecting both light and heavy elements, making it a powerful tool for detailed concrete analysis. Despite its clear advantages, LIBS is not commonly used in civil engineering. This presentation will showcase practical examples demonstrating the effectiveness and advantages of LIBS in concrete analysis, highlighting real-world applications provided by members of the “LIBS” subcommittee of the technical committee “Civil-Engineering” of the German Society for Non-Destructive Testing (DGZfP). Key examples will be discussed, including measurements from car parks or bridges, alongside an introduction to the newly released DGZfP leaflet B14 providing guidelines for the quantitative determination of chlorine content in concrete by LIBS. Furthermore, prospective applications of LIBS including material identification and classification for concrete recycling, and other emerging uses in civil engineering, will also be presented, showcasing the versatility and future potential of this technology. T2 - Conference on durability of building materials and systems in the transportation infrastructure CY - Mendrisio, Switzerland DA - 22.03.2025 KW - LIBS KW - Spectroscopy KW - Concrete KW - Structural Diagnostics PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62822 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Dalichow, Dirk A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for the Chemical Investigation of Concrete—Status of Practical Application N2 - The assessment and maintenance of reinforced concrete structures depends largely on knowledge of the chloride content and chloride ingress. Common methods are the wet chemical analysis of drill dust or powder from ground drill core segments. However, due to the homogenization process, this approach often fails to detect locally elevated chloride levels. A state-of-the-art alternative method is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), which offers rapid analysis and the possibility of detecting several chemical elements simultaneously. This method is particularly characterized by its ability to measure light elements such as hydrogen, carbon or sodium. The spatial resolution of LIBS is usually 0.25 mm but can be increased to 0.1 mm or less if required. BARG, is the first commercial building materials laboratory in Germany to use LIBS in practice. The current LIBS setup enables rapid, spatial quantification of the chlorine content and at the same time the creation of element maps that visually represent the distribution of essential elements in the concrete. This method can be used to localize areas of elevated chlorine content, particularly in cracks or near reinforcing bars. With the ability to analyze several elements simultaneously, LIBS can determine measurement points associated with the cement phase and, taking into account the water content, relate the measured contents directly to the cement mass. The detailed ingress profiles determined by LIBS provide essential data for the estimation of accurate chlorine diffusion coefficients, which are crucial for probabilistic lifetime predictions. The estimation of the carbon distribution enables the localization of carbonated regions and their effect on the chloride distribution. The possibility of quantitatively determining the sulfur distribution also indicates areas that are affected by a possible sulfate attack. The presentation uses practical examples to demonstrate the possibilities and advantages of the LIBS method. In addition, the newly published leaflet B14 of the German Society for Non-Destructive Testing (DGZfP) will be presented, which describes the use of LIBS for the quantitative determination of chloride content in concrete. T2 - ICCRRR 2024 CY - Cape Town, South Africa DA - 04.11.2024 KW - Concrete KW - Chloride KW - Corrosion KW - Repair KW - Maintenance PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-75507-1_40 VL - 59 SP - 411 EP - 420 AN - OPUS4-62480 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ukrainczyk, Neven A1 - Bernard, Thomas A1 - Babaahmadi, Arezou A1 - Huang, Liming A1 - Zausinger, Christoph A1 - Soive, Anthony A1 - Bonnet, Stéphanie A1 - Georget, Fabien A1 - Mrak, Maruša A1 - Dolenec, Sabina A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Suraneni, Prannoy A1 - Wilson, William T1 - Test methods for chloride diffusivity of blended cement pastes: a review by RILEM TC 298-EBD N2 - The use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) is an important part of the roadmap for reducing CO2 emissions and extending the service life of reinforced concrete structures. To accelerate the adoption of SCMs, the RILEM Technical Committee 298-EBD evaluates scaled-down cement paste test methods to assess the effect of SCM on resistance to chloride and sulfate ingress and reactivity, which are critical to concrete durability. This review focuses on methods for measuring chloride diffusivity and is divided into four sections: diffusivity models and parameters, diffusion test methods (including NMR and chloride measurements), migration test methods and implications for future research. Key insights highlight the complexities of multi-species ionic and molecular diffusion/migration, including various binding interactions, and compares the different measurement methodologies. The review also addresses the test scale and aggregate effects, noting the pros and cons of testing at the paste, mortar, and concrete scales. The review underscores the need for further investigation into testing protocols and the influence of SCM on chloride diffusion, emphasizing that comprehensive testing across different scales provides complementary information for assessing durability performance. KW - Chloride ingress KW - Diffusion tests KW - Migration test KW - Cement paste KW - Concrete KW - Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645889 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02809-4 SN - 1359-5997 VL - 58 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 35 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-64588 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -