TY - JOUR A1 - Landis, E. A1 - Hassfras, Emiel A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Relating ultrasonic signals to concrete microstructure using X-ray computed tomography N2 - With a goal to improve our understanding of the relationships between microstructural features and ultrasonic signal behavior, concrete specimens of varying water-to-cement ratio were imaged using X-ray computed tomography (CT), and subsequently subjected to ultrasonic testing. From the CT scans, measurements were made of cement paste density and number of interfaces. Ultrasonic signals produced using a through-transmission configuration were analyzed and fit to a diffusion model to separate absorption from scattering attenuation. The results showed that at the frequencies tested, ultrasonic dissipation rate correlated weakly with paste density, while diffusivity correlated well with number of interfaces, but only if entrained air is considered separately. Cement paste density was found to be very well predicted by diffusivity, leading to a clear power-law relationship between diffusivity and compressive strength. KW - Concrete KW - Ultrasound KW - Strength KW - CT PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121124 SN - 0950-0618 VL - 268 SP - Paper 121124, 1 EP - 12 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-52073 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ulbricht, Alexander A1 - Gollwitzer, Christian A1 - Kupsch, Andreas A1 - Léonard, Fabien A1 - Müller, Bernd R. A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Onel, Yener A1 - Thiede, Tobias A1 - Zscherpel, Uwe ED - Puente León, F. ED - Zagar, B. T1 - Moderne Methoden der CT-gestützten Strukturanalyse T1 - Modern techniques of CT based structure analysis N2 - Durch den großflächigen Einsatz der Computertomographie (CT) in unterschiedlichen Industriebereichen steigen auch die Anforderungen an die quantitative Bildanalyse. Subjektive Bildwahrnehmung muss durch objektive Algorithmen ersetzt werden. In diesem Artikel stellt die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), die seit den 1980er Jahren an der Entwicklung der industriellen CT beteiligt ist, anhand ausgewählter Beispiele den aktuellen Stand ihrer Analysemethoden an verschiedenen Anwendungsbeispielen der CT vor. N2 - The increasing use of computed tomography (CT) in various industrial sectors requires more sophisticated techniques of quantitative image analysis. Subjective image perception needs to be replaced by objective algorithms. The German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) has been involved in the development of industrial CT since the 1980s. This paper summarizes the current status of quantitative 3D image analysis techniques based on selected examples. KW - Computed tomography KW - Computertomographie KW - Röntgen-Refraktion KW - X-Ray refraction KW - Schadensanalyse KW - Damage analysis KW - Normung KW - standardization PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1515/teme-2019-0125 SN - 0171-8096 SN - 2196-7113 VL - 87 IS - 2 SP - 81 EP - 91 PB - de Gruyter CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-50337 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Oesch, Tyler T1 - Application of ultrasonic techniques for quality assurance of salt concrete engineered barriers: Shape, cracks and delamination N2 - The closure of underground nuclear waste disposal facilities requires reliable gas- and water-tight engineered barriers. In Germany, barriers made from salt concrete have been evaluated in full scale. While the barriers seem to fulfill the requirements regarding permeability, some unexpected cracks have been detected at the surface and at depth. In cooperation between the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), several experiments have been carried out to evaluate the applicability for ultrasonic measurements in crack detection and general quality assurance. Both commercial instruments and specially developed devices have been tested on site. Using commercial ultrasonic echo devices designed for concrete inspection it was possible to detect cracks and objects in salt concrete up to a depth of 2 m. The check for delamination in shotcrete is another field of application. A unique device available at BAM, the wide aperture, deep penetration instrument LAUS, was able to locate cracks and objects up to a depth of 8 m so far, which is thought to be a record for ultrasonic echo measurements in concrete. Adapted imaging procedures, partly adopted from geophysics, helped to reveal 3D structure at depth. In addition, we have developed ultrasonic probes to be deployed in boreholes, currently at up to 20 m depth. They can collect information on cracks and other features in a radius of about 1.5 m around the borehole in the current version and might be used in echo or transmission mode. Evaluation experiments have been performed at an experimental barrier at the ERAM site in Morsleben, Germany. The results showed several empty and injected cracks as well as built-in instrumentation. The results have been verified using borehole endoscopy as well as core examination and will be used to set up a reliable quality assurance system for engineered barriers. All instruments are based on ultrasonic shear wave transducers with a frequency range between 25 kHz and 100 kHz. Current research focuses on the improvement of the hardware (e. g. optimization of array characteristics) and imaging techniques such as Reverse Time Migration, both aiming at the improvement of depth of penetration, resolution and probability of detection. T2 - 2nd International Conference on Monitoring in Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste CY - Paris, France DA - 09.04.2019 KW - Morsleben Repository (ERAM) KW - Engineered Barrier System (EBS) KW - Large Aperture Ultrasonic System (LAUS) KW - Ultrasonic-Echo Borehole Probe KW - Reverse Time Migration (RTM) PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-47781 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Oesch, Tyler T1 - Proposed Project SealWasteSafe: Materials Technology, Quality Assurance and Monitoring Techniques for Safe Sealing Systems in Underground Repositories N2 - The proposed BAM project SealWasteSafe will advance the state of the art for the construction and monitoring of safe sealing systems for underground repositories of radioactive or toxic waste. During this project, a novel salt concrete exhibiting neither significant cracking nor shrinkage will be optimized for use in the sealing systems. The composition of this material will be based on alkali-activated materials, which are characterized by particularly small thermal deformations during the hardening reaction. Quality assurance and continuous monitoring systems developed during this project will be demonstrated not only for high reliability, but also for resistance to highly alkaline environments and to water intrusion along cables or at sensor locations. A variety of sensors will be used in combination with wireless Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to record moisture, temperature, and, if necessary, corrosion activity within the sealing system. Distributed Fibre Optic Sensor (FOS) technology will also be used for strain, temperature, and moisture content measurement. Ultrasound-based measuring methods will be utilized for the detection of cracks and delaminations. Additionally, digital image correlation and acoustic emission analysis will be used for deformation measurements and crack detection. A novel borehole probe and advanced ultrasound imaging techniques will be further developed to track cracks and delaminations within the host rock in 3D. The surface-based Large Aperture Ultrasound System (LAUS) will also be utilized to detect cracks and delaminations deep below the exterior surface of the sealing system. Although the focus of this project will be on the host rock salt, the resulting technologies will be intentionally developed in a way that facilitates their adaptation to other host rocks. T2 - 2nd International Conference on Monitoring in Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste CY - Paris, France DA - 09.04.2019 KW - SealWasteSafe KW - Radioactive Waste Disposal KW - Underground Repositories KW - Alkali-Activated Material KW - Monitoring PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-47776 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Stenzel, Ludwig A1 - Weise, Frank T1 - Non-destructive Evaluation of the Contribution of Polymer-Fibre Orientation and Distribution Characteristics to Concrete Performance during Fire N2 - Although concrete itself is not a combustible material, concrete mixtures with high density, such has high-performance concretes (HPCs), are susceptible to significant damage during fires due to explosive spalling. Past research has shown that the inclusion ofpolymer fibres in high density concrete can significantly mitigate this fire damage. The exact mechanisms causing this increased spalling resistance are not yet fully understood, but it is thought that the fibres facilitate moisture transport during fire exposure, which in turn contributes to relief of internal stresses in the spalling-susceptible region. In this study, X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was applied to observe the interaction between polymer fibres and cracking during thermal exposure. For this purpose, two concrete samples containing different polymer fibre types were subjected to incremental application of a defined thermal exposure. CT images were acquired before and after each thermal exposure and powerful image processing tools were used to segment the various material components. This enabled a detailed analysis of crack formation and propagation as well as the visualization and quantification of polymer fibre characteristics within the concrete. The results demonstrated that the orientation of both fibres and cracks in polymerfibre reinforced concrete tend to be anisotropic. The results also indicated that crack geometry characteristics may be correlated with fibre orientation, with cracks tending to run parallel to fibre beds. Clear quantitative relationships were also observed between heating and increasing cracking levels, expressed in terms of both crack surface area and crack volume. KW - Concrete KW - Fire resistance KW - Polymer fibre PY - 2019 SN - 978-3-030-00867-3 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00868-0_4 VL - 95 SP - 51 EP - 73 PB - Springer Nature Switzerland AG CY - Zürich AN - OPUS4-51077 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Weise, Frank A1 - Bruno, Giovanni T1 - Detection and Quantification of Cracking in Concrete Aggregate through Virtual Data Fusion of X-ray Computed Tomography Images N2 - In this work, which is part of a larger research program, a framework called “virtual data fusion“ was developed to provide an automated and consistent crack detection method that allows for the cross-comparison of results from large quantities of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data. A partial implementation of this method in a custom program was developed for use in research focused on crack quantification in Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR)-sensitive concrete aggregates. During the CT image processing, a series of image analyses tailored for detecting specific, individual crack-like characteristics were completed. The results of these analyses were then “fused” in order to identify crack-like objects within the images with much higher accuracy than that yielded by any individual image analysis procedure. The results of this strategy demonstrated the success of the program in effectively identifying crack-like structures and quantifying characteristics, such as surface area and volume. The results demonstrated that the source of aggregate has a very significant impact on the amount of internal cracking, even when the mineralogical characteristics remain very similar. River gravels, for instance, were found to contain significantly higher levels of internal cracking than quarried stone aggregates of the same mineralogical type. KW - X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) KW - Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) KW - Crack Detection KW - Damage Quantification KW - ASR-Sensitive Aggregate PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-512170 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13183921 VL - 13 IS - 18 SP - Paper 3921 PB - MDPI CY - Basel, Switzerland AN - OPUS4-51217 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Buljak, V. A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Bruno, Giovanni T1 - Simulating fiber-reinforced concrete mechanical performance using CT-based fiber orientation data N2 - The main hindrance to realistic models of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is the local materials property variation, which does not yet reliably allow simulations at the structural level. The idea presented in this paper makes use of an existing constitutive model, but resolves the problem of localized material variation through X-ray computed tomography (CT)-based pre-processing. First, a three-point bending test of a notched beam is considered, where pre-test fiber orientations are measured using CT. A numerical model is then built with the zone subjected to progressive damage, modeled using an orthotropic damage model. To each of the finite elements within this zone, a local coordinate system is assigned, with its longitudinal direction defined by local fiber orientations. Second, the parameters of the constitutive damage model are determined through inverse analysis using load-displacement data obtained from the test. These parameters are considered to clearly explain the material behavior for any arbitrary external action and fiber orientation, for the same geometrical properties and volumetric ratio of fibers. Third, the effectiveness of the resulting model is demonstrated using a second, “control” experiment. The results of the “control” experiment analyzed in this research compare well with the model results. The ultimate strength was predicted with an error of about 6%, while the work-of-load was predicted within 4%. It demonstrates the potential of this method for accurately predicting the mechanical performance of FRC components. KW - Fiber-reinforced concrete KW - X-ray computed tomography (CT) KW - Anisotropic fiber orientation KW - Inverse analysis PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-474728 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12050717 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 12 IS - 5 SP - 717, 1 EP - 16 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-47472 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stelzner, Ludwig A1 - Powierza, Bartosz A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Dlugosch, R. A1 - Weise, Frank T1 - Thermally-induced moisture transport in high-performance concrete studied by X-ray-CT and 1H-NMR N2 - The thermohydraulic damage mechanism is one of the primary causes for explosive spalling of highperformance concrete. This paper presents the spatially- and temporally-resolved analysis of the thermally-induced moisture transport and reconfiguration processes by means of X-ray-CT and 1HNMR. Thermal testing results for a high-performance concrete, which is sensitive to explosive spalling and which was prepared with and without added polypropylene fibres, are presented in this paper. These results indicate that the addition of fibres leads to a faster and deeper migration of the drying front and, thus, to a lower likelihood of vapour-pressure induced explosive spalling. KW - Explosive spalling KW - Thermally-induced moisture transport KW - X-ray-CT KW - 1H-NMR KW - High-performance concrete PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.07.065 SN - 0950-0618 VL - 224 SP - 600 EP - 609 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-48727 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stelzner, Ludwig A1 - Weise, Frank A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Dlugosch, R. A1 - Powierza, Bartosz T1 - Transport and reconfiguration of moisture in HPC due to unilateral heating N2 - Explosive spalling is caused by, among others, the thermohydraulic spalling mechanism. During this process, vaporization, dehydration, moisture-transport and condensation processes interact. As a result, a drying and dehydration zone as well as a saturated zone, known as a moisture clog, are observed inside the unilaterally-heated concrete. The presented research is focused on the experimental investigation of the underlying thermohydraulic processes. To investigate these, a test methodology based on X-ray computed tomography (CT) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was developed. Thereby, the X-ray CT scans are carried out simultaneously during the application of a defined unilateral-heating regime on a specially-constructed specimen. This miniaturized specimen, equipped with a double-layer casing, reproduces the condition within a planar, unilaterally-heated building component. A preliminary test methodology and the first experimental results were presented at the 5th International Workshop on Concrete Spalling in Borås, Sweden (2017). The contribution for the upcoming workshop presents an improved version of this test methodology and new results for a high-performance concrete (HPC) mixture exposed to temperatures up to 500 °C. Regarding the CT measurements, a higher time-resolution of 15 min was achieved and a quantification of the moisture changes was implemented. Due to an increase in signal quality of the NMR measurements, a pore-size specific moisture distribution can now be resolved. This allows to conclude about the moisture reconfiguration between small gel pores and larger interhydrate pores. Additionally, the NMR measurement are no longer limited to first 2.5 cm below the heated surface but a one-dimensional moisture distribution can now be estimated over the whole 10 cm long specimen. The presented results demonstrate that the combination of X-ray CT and NMR measurements enables to image and quantify the thermally-induced moisture transport and reconfiguration from small gel pores up to macro pores. This provides important insights into the thermohydraulic damage mechanism and leads to a better understanding of spalling avoidance strategies, like the addition of polypropylene fibres. T2 - 6th International Workshop on Concrete Spalling due to fire exposure CY - Sheffield, UK DA - 19.09.2019 KW - Moisture clog KW - X-ray CT KW - NMR KW - Moisture transport KW - HPC PY - 2019 UR - https://firespallingworkshop2019.group.shef.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Fire-Spalling-Workshop_Proceedings.pdf SN - 978-1-5272-4135-0 SP - 181 EP - 190 CY - Sheffield AN - OPUS4-49161 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Stelzner, Ludwig A1 - Weise, Frank ED - Herrmann, H. ED - Schnell, J. T1 - Non-destructive evaluation of the contribution of polymer-fibre orientation and distribution characteristics to concrete performance during fire N2 - Although concrete itself is not a combustible material, concrete mixtures with high density, such has high-performance concretes (HPCs), are susceptible to significant damage during fires due to explosive spalling. Past research has shown that the inclusion of polymer fibres in high density concrete can significantly mitigate this fire damage. The exact mechanisms causing this increased spalling resistance are not yet fully under-stood, but it is thought that the fibres facilitate moisture transport during fire exposure, which in turn contributes to relief of internal stresses in the spalling-susceptible region. In this study, X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was applied to observe the interaction between polymer fibres and cracking during thermal exposure. For this purpose, two concrete samples containing different polymer fibre types were subjected to incremental application of a defined thermal exposure. CT images were acquired before and after each thermal exposure and powerful image processing tools were used to segment the various material components. This enabled a detailed analysis of crack formation and propagation as well as the visualization and quantification of polymer fibre characteristics within the concrete. The results demonstrated that the orientation of both fibres and cracks in polymer-fibre reinforced concrete tend to be anisotropic. The results also indicated that crack geometry characteristics may be correlated with fibre orientation, with cracks tending to run parallel to fibre beds. Clear quantitative relationships were also observed between heating and increasing cracking levels, expressed in terms of both crack surface area and crack volume. KW - X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) KW - Polypropylene Fibres KW - Fire Performance KW - Fibre-Reinforced Concrete (FRC) KW - Fibre Orientation Analysis PY - 2019 SN - 978-3-030-00868-0 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00868-0 SP - 51 EP - 73 PB - Springer Nature Switzerland AG AN - OPUS4-47206 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -