TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Kapteina, Gesa A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Reichling, Kenji T1 - Neues DGZfP-Merkblatt B14: Quantifizierung von Chlorid in Beton mittels LIBS N2 - Bei der Erhaltung von Stahlbetonbauwerken ist der Chloridgehalt im Beton ein wichtiger Parameter zur Festlegung geeigneter Instandsetzungsmaßnahmen. Die bisher etablierten Verfahren basieren auf der nasschemischen Analyse einer Probe, Bohrmehl oder aufgemahlener Segmente eines Bohrkerns. Das Verfahren liefert einen Chloridgehalt je Tiefensegment, was mit einer starken Homogenisierung der Probe einhergeht, wodurch detaillierte Informationen zu Chloridunterschieden im Millimeterbereich verloren gehen. Eine alternative Methode ist die laserinduzierte Plasmaspektroskopie (LIBS), die nicht nur die quantitative ortsaufgelöste Bestimmung des Chloridgehalts im Bezug zur Zementmasse ermöglicht, sondern auch simultan detaillierte Informationen über die Verteilung vieler anderer chemischer Elemente liefert. Die räumliche Auflösung liegt in der Regel im Bereich von einigen Millimetern, kann aber bei Bedarf auf 0,1 mm oder weniger erhöht werden. Das neue Merkblatt B14 „Quantifizierung von Chlorid in Beton mit der laserinduzierten Plasmaspektroskopie (LIBS)“ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfungen (DGZfP) regelt und vereinheitlicht erstmals die zuverlässige und reproduzierbare Ermittlung des Chloridgehalts mit LIBS. In diesem Beitrag wird das Merkblatt vorgestellt und anhand praktischer Anwendungsbeispiele das Potenzial von LIBS für Fragestellungen in der Betonerhaltung verdeutlicht. KW - LIBS KW - Chlor KW - Chlorid KW - Beton KW - Bauwerksdiagnostik PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/best.202400014 SP - 1 EP - 7 AN - OPUS4-60005 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Application of two calibration-free LIBS techniques N2 - Two calibration-free (CF) LIBS approaches are used for the quantitative analysis of cement samples: the CF-LIBS based on the Boltzmann plot method and the Monte Carlo (MC) LIBS based on the iterative spectrum fitting. In CF-LIBS, the inverse problem is solved, i.e. the elemental concentrations are determined by the reconstruction of plasma parameters from spectra. The MC-LIBS technique solves the direct problem by finding the highest correlation between the model-generated and experimental spectrum. The accuracy of both calibration-free LIBS methods suffers from factors such as inaccurately determined instrumental function, the deviation of experimental plasma from the mathematical model used, not taking into account the collection geometry, and from the uncertainty of spectroscopic data. The both calibration-free LIBS approaches are first applied to synthetic spectra which perfectly suit the mathematical model of the method, i.e. the model of the uniform, isothermal, and stationary plasma. This test yields the accuracy of both the approaches for the ideal case. In addition, the accuracy of both the methods is investigated for non-uniform and non-isothermal plasma, because real laser-induced plasma often has high gradients in temperature and particle number densities. Finally, both calibration-free LIBS approaches are applied to experimental spectra obtained from cement samples. The figures of merits of two approaches are compared when working with both synthetic and experimental spectra. T2 - LIBS 2018 at SciX 2018 CY - Atlanta, GA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - Plasma diagnostics KW - Laser induced plasma KW - LIBS KW - Plasma modeling PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46931 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Application of two calibration-free LIBS techniques for synthetic spectra of cement samples N2 - Two calibration-free LIBS techniques are used for the quantitative analysis of synthetic cement samples: the CF-LIBS based on the Boltzmann plot method and the Monte Carlo (MC) LIBS based on the iterative spectrum fitting. In CF-LIBS, the inverse problem is solved, i.e. the elemental concentrations are determined by the reconstruction of plasma parameters from spectra. The MC-LIBS technique solves the direct problem by finding the highest correlation between the model-generated and experimental spectrum. The accuracy of both calibration-free LIBS methods suffers from factors such as inaccurately determined instrumental function, the deviation of experimental plasma from the mathematical model used, not taking into account the collection geometry and from the uncertainty of spectroscopic data. Therefore, the both calibration-free LIBS approaches are applied to synthetic spectra which perfectly suit the mathematical model of the method. This test yields the accuracy of both the approaches for the ideal case. In addition, the accuracy of both methods is investigated for non-isothermal plasma, because real laser-induced plasma often has high gradients in temperature. Both methods assume an isothermal plasma. T2 - Xth international conference on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Atlanta, GA, USA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - Cement KW - MC-LIBS KW - LIBS KW - CF-LIBS PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46774 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 - JOUR A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Kazakov, Alexander Ya. T1 - Extension and investigation by numerical simulations of algorithm for calibration-free laser induced breakdown spectroscopy N2 - Accuracy of calibration-free (CF) methods in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) depends on experimental conditions and instrumental parameters that must match a CF LIBS model. Here, the numerical study is performed to investigate effects of various factors, such as the optical density, plasma uniformity, line overlap, noise, spectral resolution, electron density and path length on the results of CF-LIBS analyses. The effects are examined one-by-one using synthetic spectra of steel slag samples that fully comply with the mathematical model of the method. Also, the algorithm includes several new features in comparison with previously proposed CF algorithms. In particular, it removes limits on the optical thickness of spectral lines that are used for the construction of the Saha-Boltzmann plot; it retrieves the absorption path length (Plasma diameter) directly from spectral lines; it uses the more realistic Voigt line profile function instead of the Lorentzian function; and it employs the pre-calculated and tabulated thin-to-thick line ratios instead of approximating functions for selfabsorption correction. KW - Laser induced plasma KW - LIBS KW - Plasma modeling KW - Plasma diagnostics KW - Calibration free LIBS PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2018.06.011 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 147 SP - 149 EP - 163 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-45340 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Mensing, Friedrich A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Estimation of cement content in concrete by spatially resolved laser induced breakdown spectroscopy N2 - The cement content in concrete significantly influences critical properties such as durability, permeability, strength, and workability. Traditional methods for estimating the cement content face limitations. These include the need for comprehensive chemical and solubility knowledge, extensive sample preparation, and their time-consuming and destructive nature. This study investigates the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as an alternative method. It involves probing concrete samples with high spatial resolution and analyzing the resultant spectra. The methodology is first tested on mesoscale concrete models to assess limitations and inherent errors. Subsequently, the methodology is applied to actual concrete samples with varying cement content and aggregate size distributions. The results demonstrate a promising accuracy, with an average relative error of approximately 8%. This paper offers a comprehensive evaluation of the method's advantages, limitations, and factors influencing its practical applicability in field conditions. KW - LIBS KW - Spectroscopy KW - Cement content KW - Elemental mapping PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-620112 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2024.107714 SN - 1873-3948 VL - 189 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-62011 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Mensing, Friedrich A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Estimation of cement content in concrete by spatially resolved laser induced breakdown spectroscopy – Dataset N2 - This dataset includes both simulated and raw measurement data as detailed in the journal paper [1]. File names follow the format SampleNo_Type, where SampleNo corresponds to the sample identifier listed in Table 1, and Type specifies the data type: either syn (synthetic) or exp (experimental). For experimental data, a slice index is appended to the file name in the format SampleNo_Type_Slice, identifying the specific subsample. [1] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2024.107714 KW - LIBS KW - Spectroscopy KW - Cement content KW - Elemental mapping PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14246581 PB - Zenodo CY - Geneva AN - OPUS4-62394 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 - Tan, Yi A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Klack, Patrick A1 - Kukofka, Tobias A1 - Ruder, J. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Durability of the flame retardance of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer cables: Comparing different flame retardants exposed to different weathering conditions N2 - Scientific publications addressing the durability of the flame retardance of cables during their long-term application are rare and our understanding lacks. Three commercial flame retardants, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum diethyl phosphinate (AlPi-Et), and intumescent flame retardant based on ammonium polyphosphate, applied in ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) model cables, are investigated. Different artificial aging scenarios were applied: accelerated weathering (UV-irradiation/temperature/rain phases), humidity exposure (elevated temperature/humidity), and salt spray exposure. The deterioration of cables’ surface and flame retardancy were monitored through imaging, color measurements, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and cone calorimeter investigations. Significant degradation of the materials’ surface occurred. The flame retardant EVA cables are most sensitive to humidity exposure; the cable with AlPi-Et is the most sensitive to the artificial aging scenarios. Nevertheless, substantial flame retardance persisted after being subjected for 2000 h, which indicates that the equivalent influence of natural exposure is limited for several years, but less so for long-term use. KW - Durability KW - Flame retardant KW - Cable KW - Weathering KW - Cone calorimeter PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/APP.47548 SN - 0021-8995 VL - 137 IS - 1 SP - 47548 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-50237 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Strangfeld, Christoph A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Identification of type of cement through laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy N2 - The composition of concrete determines its resistance to various degradation mechanisms such as ingress of ions, carbonation or reinforcement corrosion. Knowledge of the composition of the hardened concrete is therefore helpful to assess the remaining service life of an existing structure or evaluate the damage observed during inspections. For example, for most existing concrete structures the type of cement originally used is not known and must therefore be determined afterwards. This paper presents a preliminary study on the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to identify the type of cement. For this purpose, ten different types of cement were investigated. For every type, three cement paste prisms were produced: (i) prisms dried, ground and pressed into tablets, (ii) prisms dried and (iii) prisms untreated. LIBS measurements were performed with a diode-pumped low energy laser (1064 nm, 3 mJ, 1.5 ns, 100 Hz) in combination with two compact spectrometers which cover the UV and NIR spectral range. A reduced subset of spectral features was used to build a classification model based on linear discriminant analysis. The results show that the classification of homogenized pressed cement powder samples provides a high accuracy, however, factors such as a different sample matrix and moisture content can affect the accuracy of the classification. The study demonstrates that LIBS is a promising tool to identify the type of cement. KW - Spectroscopy KW - LIBS KW - Cement KW - Classification KW - Identification PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120345 VL - 258 SP - 120345 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-51157 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Mass and mole fractions in calibration-free LIBS N2 - This technical note highlights the fact that CF-LIBS algorithms work in mole fractions, while results of spectrochemical analysis are usually reported in mass fractions or mass percent. Ignoring this difference and not converting mole fractions to mass fractions can lead to errors in reported concentrations determined by the CF-LIBS method and inadequate comparison of these concentrations with certified concentrations. Here, the key points of the CF-LIBS algorithm are reproduced and the formulae for converting a mole fraction to a mass fraction and vice versa are given. Several numerical examples are also given, which show that the greater the difference between the molar mass of an individual element in a sample and the average molar mass, the greater the discrepancy between the mole and mass fractions. KW - Spectroscopy KW - Analytical Chemistry KW - LIBS KW - Calibration PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-598611 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ja00028e SN - 0267-9477 VL - 39 IS - 4 SP - 1030 EP - 1032 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-59861 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Maack, Stefan A1 - Torrent, R. A1 - Ebell, Gino A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Küttenbaum, Stefan T1 - Testing to reassess – Corrosion activity assessment based on NDT using a prestressed concrete bridge as case-study N2 - Corrosion of concrete reinforcement is one of the major damage mechanisms affecting both the load-bearing capacity and the serviceability of re-inforced concrete structures significantly. When externally discernible damages are observed during visual inspections on the structure, the extent of the damage inside the concrete is often already significant. Corrosion caused by carbonation often leads to severe discoloration of the surface or even large-area spalling of the concrete cover. In contrast, chloride-induced corrosion is usually difficult to observe visually but can cause much more serious damage in less time. The effect occurs locally and can lead to weakening of the cross-section of the reinforce-ment. This, in turn, can cause sudden structural collapses without prior notice. In the meanwhile, various non-destructive and minimally invasive testing methods are available to evaluate the resistance to penetration of corrosion-pro-moting pollutants and to detect active corrosion. In this paper, a bridge crossing the river Regen is used as a case-study to demonstrate how the information ob-tained applying different testing methods can be combined and evaluated in the context of structural reassessments. Both the results of the permeability testing and the electrical resistance measurement are considered, as well as active corro-sion areas are localized using the half-cell potential mapping combined with the concrete cover measurement with the eddy current method and ground penetrat-ing radar. The results are evaluated using drill cores and in addition laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy was applied to obtain information about possible chlo-ride ion transport into the concrete. T2 - EUROSTRUCT 2021 – 1ST conference of the european association on quality control of bridges and structures - Eurostruct CY - Padova, Italy DA - 30.08.2021 KW - Nondestructive testing KW - Corrosion KW - Bridge KW - Durability assessment KW - Civil engineering PY - 2022 SN - 978-3-030-91876-7 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Springer International Publishing AN - OPUS4-54006 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schwarz, W. A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Katsumi, N. A1 - Ebell, Gino A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Ion distribution in concrete overlay, mapped by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), modified by an embedded zinc anode N2 - Galvanic corrosion protection by embedded zinc anodes is an accepted technique for the corrosion protection of reinforcing steel in concrete. Galvanic currents flow between the zinc anode and the steel reinforcement due to the potential difference that is in the range of a few hundred mV. The ion distribution was studied on two steel reinforced concrete specimens admixed with 3 wt.% chloride/wt. cement and galvanically protected by a surface applied EZ-anode. On both specimens, a zinc anode was embedded and glued to the concrete surface by a geo-polymer-based chloride-free binder. At one specimen, the EZ-anode was operated for 2,5 years, the EZ-anode at the other specimen was not electrically connected to the reinforcement, this specimen serves as a reference. Both specimens have been stored under identical conditions. The ion distribution between the anode (EZ-anode) and cathode (steel reinforcement) was studied by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years. Results of the LIBS studies on the specimen with activated EZ-anode after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years and of the reference specimen after 2,5 years are reported. Results show that diffusion of ions contributes to the changes in the ion distribution but migration, especially of chlorides towards the EZ-anode is significant despite the weak electric field – several hundred millivolts - generated by the galvanic current. Results show that chloride ions accumulate near the zinc-anode as in water-insoluble zinc-hydroxy chlorides - Simonkolleit. T2 - ICCRRR 2022 CY - Capetown, South Africa DA - 03.10.2022 KW - Korrosion KW - Corrosion KW - LIBS KW - Zinc PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55948 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwarz, W. A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Katsumi, N. A1 - Ebell, Gino A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Ion distribution in concrete overlay, mapped by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), modified by an embedded zinc anode N2 - Galvanic corrosion protection by embedded zinc anodes is an accepted technique for the corrosion protection of reinforcing steel in concrete. Galvanic currents flow between the zinc anode and the steel reinforcement due to the potential difference that is in the range of a few hundred mV. The ion distribution was studied on two steel reinforced concrete specimens admixed with 3 wt.% chloride/wt. cement and galvanically protected by a surface applied EZ-anode. On both specimens, a zinc anode was embedded and glued to the concrete surface by a geo-polymer-based chloride-free binder. At one specimen, the EZ-anode was operated for 2,5 years, the EZ-anode at the other specimen was not electrically connected to the reinforcement, this specimen serves as a reference. Both specimens have been stored under identical conditions. The ion distribution between the anode (EZ-ANODE) and cathode (steel reinforcement) was studied by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years. Results of the LIBS studies on the specimen with activated EZ-anode after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years and of the reference specimen after 2,5 years are reported. Results show that diffusion of ions contributes to the changes in the ion distribution but migration, especially of chlorides towards the EZ-anode is significant despite the weak electric field – several hundred millivolts - generated by the galvanic current. Results show that chloride ions accumulate near the zinc-anode as in water-insoluble zinc-hydroxy chlorides - Simonkollite. T2 - ICCRRR 2022 CY - Capetown, South Africa KW - Corrosion KW - LIBS KW - Zinc KW - Anode PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-560576 DO - https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202236404023 SN - 2261-236X VL - 364 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis AN - OPUS4-56057 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dalichow, Dirk A1 - Blaschke, Jil A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Revolutionizing Concrete Analysis and Maintenance with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy N2 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a valuable complement to established methods for the chemical analysis of concrete. Compared to conventional techniques, LIBS enables spatially resolved imaging of harmful ion distributions within the cementitious matrix. It allows the simultaneous detection of all relevant ions and degradation mechanisms, facilitating a better understanding of interacting processes. The benefits of multi-element analysis are illustrated through selected examples that highlight the method’s superior information content. Ion penetration profiles are recorded at a resolution of 0.25 mm, providing high-quality input data for service life modelling. Instead of drill dust, a 50 mm core sample is used. The measurement is automated, requires no chemical reagents or elaborate sample preparation, and is completed within minutes. KW - LIBS KW - Durability KW - Ion transport profiling KW - Concrete analysis KW - Service life assessment PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-642846 DO - https://doi.org/10.58286/31656 SN - 1435-4934 VL - 30 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - NDT.net GmbH & Co. KG AN - OPUS4-64284 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 - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Blaschke, Jil A1 - Lierenfeld, Matthias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Dalichow, Dirk A1 - Truffer, Philipp A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Aktuelle Anwendungsbeispiele der laserinduzierten Plasmaspektroskopie in der Bauwerksdiagnostik N2 - Die Zustandsbewertung und Instandhaltung von Betonbauwerken erfordert zuverlässige und effiziente Analysemethoden, um komplexe Schadensmechanismen frühzeitig erkennen und fundiert bewerten zu können. Klassische chemisch-analytische Verfahren in der Betonanalytik liefern zwar präzise Ergebnisse bezogen auf die Probenmasse, sind jedoch mit erheblichem Laboraufwand verbunden, in ihrer räumlichen Auflösung durch die Probenahme begrenzt und hinsichtlich der Ergebnisinterpretation mit Unsicherheiten behaftet. Die laserinduzierte Plasmaspektroskopie (LIBS) bietet hier ein hohes Potenzial als schnelle, bildgebende und weitgehend zerstörungsarme Alternative. In den vergangenen Jahren hat sich das Verfahren zunehmend in der Bauwerksdiagnostik etabliert und wird heute für ein breites Spektrum an Anwendungen eingesetzt. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der LIBS-Anwendungen und zeigt anhand ausgewählter Praxisbeispiele die Leistungsfähigkeit, den Mehrwert, die Grenzen und die zukünftigen Entwicklungsperspektiven des Verfahrens auf. KW - LIBS KW - Spektroskopie KW - Chemische Analyse KW - Infrastruktur KW - Bauwerksdiagnostik PY - 2026 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/best.70078 SN - 1437-1006 SP - 1 EP - 13 AN - OPUS4-65445 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schwarz, W. A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Pichelhöfer, A. A1 - Ebell, Gino A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Galvanic chloride extraction by an embedded zinc anode: Ion distribution mapped by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) N2 - An important aspect with regard to the service life of zinc based galvanic anodes and the durability of the corrosion protection of steel in concrete is the “galvanic chloride extraction”. Chloride ions move in the electric field generated by the current, flowing between the galvanic anode and the cathodic steel. Migration leads to an accumulation of anions, e.g. chloride ions, at the anode and depletion of chlorides near the steel rebar surface. The ion migration was studied on steel reinforced concrete specimens admixed with 3 wt.% chloride/wt. cement and galvanically protected by a surface applied embedded zinc anode (EZA). The zinc anode was embedded and glued to the concrete surface by a geo-polymer based chloride free binder. The EZA was operated over a period of 1 year and the ion distribution between anode (EZA) and cathode (steel reinforcement) was studied by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) after 5 months, 7 months and 12 months. The results show that chloride ions efficiently migrate in the direction of the zinc-anode and accumulate there. Chloride distribution in the EZA correlates with the distribution of zinc ions generated by the anodic dissolution of the zinc anode in the binder matrix. The microstructure of the binder matrix and its interface to the zinc-anode are studied by REM/EDX – preliminary results will be reported. T2 - Concrete Solutions 2019 CY - Cluj Napoca, Romania DA - 30.09.2019 KW - Galvanic corrosion KW - Corrosion KW - Chloride extraction PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-488189 DO - https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201928903010 VL - 289 SP - 03010, 1 EP - 5 PB - MATEC Web of Conferences AN - OPUS4-48818 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Classification of cement pastes with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy N2 - In civil engineering, the investigation of existing infrastructure is of major importance for maintaining and ensuring stability of the structures. To ensure durability, uniform regulations and standards apply e.g. the European standard EN 206-1. In some countries, the EN-standard is supplemented by additional standards, as in Germany with DIN 1045-2. Here, specific application rules are described, e.g. for the cement type, to ensure the resistant to different exposures. Therefore, the knowledge of the materials originally used is important in assessing the condition of existing concrete structure. Unfortunately, these are often unknown and must be determined retrospectively. Therefore, we present the application of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to distinguish between different types of cement. Spectral information’s are used to build a classification model. First, the accuracy of the classification is analyzed on ten pure laboratory cement samples. To investigate possible sources of error, the model was then applied to cement samples with different moisture content. The study shows that LIBS is a promising tool for distinguishing between cement types. For further industrial application, however, factors influencing the LIBS signal must be included to ensure a robust model. T2 - 10th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Brno, Czech Republic DA - 08.09.2019 KW - Spectroscopy KW - LIBS KW - Cement KW - Classification PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49253 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -