TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Coda Wave Interferometry for Monitoring Bridges with Embedded Ultrasonic Transducers – Lessons Learned at the Gänstorbrücke Bridge Ulm, Germany N2 - Ultrasonic Coda Wave interferometry has the potential to detect minute changes in scattering materials like concrete. By permanently installing ultrasonic transducers in concrete, DFG Research unit CoDA aims to develop methods for concrete damage assessment in Germany's aging infrastructure. To test the methods developed in simulations and laboratory experiments on a large scale, we have implemented several ultrasonic transducers at the Gänstorbrücke Ulm, one of Germany's most monitored road bridges. Since fall 2020 we are monitoring parts of the center of the Bridge, as well as an abutment, and compare the results to the commercial monitoring system. All data is recorded with a self-made data collection device, the so-called W-Box, and analyzed with different coda wave-based algorithms to detect signal and volumetric velocity changes. The long-term measurements show that the influence of temperature changes on strains and therefore ultrasound velocity changes calculated with coda waves can be monitored. The capabilities and limitations of the coda wave-based monitoring system are tested in a controlled experiment. Static loading using a truck with varying loads at several positions allows the calibration of the system to improve the detectability of possibly damaging loads and changes induced by this loading. A map of velocity change analyzing data from this load experiment shows that the influence of load on the material and strain distribution can be detected with array measurements. T2 - NDT-CE 2022 - The International Symposium on Nondestructive Testing in Civil Engineering CY - Zurich, Switzerland DA - 16.08.2022 KW - Coda Wave Interferometry KW - Ultrasound KW - Embedded sensors KW - Bridge Monitoring KW - Load Experiment PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56454 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Maack, Stefan A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Imaging of Ultrasonic Echo Measurements for Reconstruction of Technical Data of Bridges – Possibilities, Limitations and Outlook N2 - When reassessing existing concrete bridges, the challenge is often to obtain missing or incomplete information on the internal structure. In particular, the number and position of the existing reinforcement as well as the geometric dimensions of the components are of interest. Non-destructive testing methods, like radar or ultrasound, which work on the basis of the pulse-echo method, have been established for this purpose, as they only require access to the component from one side. The measurement data recorded on the structure require pre-processing to be able to reproduce the internal structure geometrically accurately. Besides different steps of data processing, the geometrical reconstruction of the measured data based on the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) is state of the art today. In this paper, the technical possibilities of the ultrasonic echo method are presented based on measurements in the laboratory and on a real bridge structure. The precision of the reconstruction and its limitations are shown. In addition to the state of the art SAFT technique, open questions and the latest research approaches, such as imaging by reverse time migration (RTM) including initial results are discussed. T2 - 13th German-Japanese Bridge Symposium CY - Osaka, Japan DA - 29.08.2023 KW - Bridge KW - Non destructive testing and evaluation KW - Concrete KW - Validation PY - 2023 SP - 1 EP - 8 AN - OPUS4-58327 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Lay, Vera T1 - Advanced analysis of ultrasonic investigations at sealing structures N2 - Engineering barrier systems are a crucial part of the safe underground disposal of radioactive waste, particularly in salt as a host rock. Sealing structures made of tailored concrete are under test at various sites in Germany. To characterise the material properties of the concrete and potentially also the bonding to the host rock as part of the necessary subsurface structures, we apply non-destructive testing making use of advanced geophysical imaging methods. Ultrasonic investigations have been carried out at underground concrete structures in the Teutschenthal mine in Germany. Here, we show results from two distinct constructions produced in a shotcrete procedure. Our goal is to analyse the performance of ultrasonics to be used as quality assurance for sealing structures made from shotcrete. First, a ~10 m long shotcrete structure is investigated with the help of a unique Large Aperture Ultrasonic System (LAUS) allowing for depth penetration of > 9 m. We perform measurements at the front and from the side of the construction. Second, we obtain results from a 1 m thick shotcrete body containing several artificial defects (width up to 8 cm). Ultrasonic testing data were acquired using a commercial multi-static device. Additionally, a new device measuring with 3D mode instead of line mode is applied and preliminary results will be shown. Generally, the acquired ultrasonic data are analysed by the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique that is commonly applied in non-destructive testing. As a result, reflectors in the analysed shotcrete structures are imaged. Individual reflections from internal features and particularly the opposite wall are identified. An unexpected delamination wider than 30 cm is clearly imaged and later verified by boreholes. Thus, the method is – in general – suitable to serve as a quality measure. However, particularly the small and deep artificial defects can hardly be identified in the resulting images. Thus, we use advanced geophysical imaging methods to further enhance the quality of the obtained images. The recorded ultrasonic energy is focused to the physically reflective origin in the analysed volume. First results clearly show that we successfully improve the image quality regarding noise level and artifacts and hence facilitate the detection of objects. In total, we present a valuable experiment under realistic conditions for underground sealing structures made from shotcrete, where the locations of artificial reflectors are partly known. This experiment serves as a unique basis to analyse the performance of advanced analysis methods to obtain high-quality images of the structure’s interior. Hence, the developed ultrasonic testing and analysis schemes can serve as a part of quality assurance that will help to enable safe sealing structures for nuclear waste disposal. T2 - SafeND2023: Interdisciplinary research symposium on the safety of nuclear disposal practices CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 13.09.2023 KW - Ultrasound KW - Imaging KW - Engineered barrier systems KW - Shotcrete PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.5194/sand-2-67-2023 AN - OPUS4-58497 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Maack, Stefan A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Imaging of Ultrasonic Echo Measurements for Reconstruction of Technical Data of Bridges – Possibilities, Limitations and Outlook N2 - When reassessing existing concrete bridges, the challenge is often to obtain missing or incomplete information on the internal structure. In particular, the number and position of the existing reinforcement as well as the geometric dimensions of the components are of interest. Non-destructive testing methods, like radar or ultrasound, which work on the basis of the pulse-echo method, have been established for this purpose, as they only require access to the component from one side. The measurement data recorded on the structure require pre-processing to be able to reproduce the internal structure geometrically accurately. Besides different steps of data processing, the geometrical reconstruction of the measured data based on the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) is state of the art today. In this paper, the technical possibilities of the ultrasonic echo method are presented based on measurements in the laboratory and on a real bridge structure. The precision of the reconstruction and its limitations are shown. In addition to the state of the art SAFT technique, open questions and the latest research approaches, such as imaging by reverse time migration (RTM) including initial results are discussed. T2 - 13th German-Japanese Bridge Symposium CY - Osaka, Japan DA - 29.08.2023 KW - Bridge KW - Non destructive testing and evaluation KW - Concrete KW - Validation PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58328 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Maack, Stefan A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Low frequency ultrasonic dataset for comparison and validation of signal processing and imaging techniques in civil engineering N2 - The evaluation of technical components and materials in terms of condition and quality with the aid of non-destructive testing methods plays an outstanding role both in industrial serial production and in the individual assessment of components. The ultrasonic echo method is used for a wide variety of testing tasks, such as measuring the thickness of a component. At the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) in Berlin, test methods are developed and their performance is demonstrated. For this purpose, references such as materials, test procedures or data sets are generated, which are used to evaluate these developed test methods. An important component of these references are data sets that are created according to the BAM Data Policy and made available to the scientific community and users of test methods in practice on the basis of the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse). T2 - The International Symposium on Nondestructive Testing in Civil Engineering (NDT-CE) 2022 CY - Zurich, Switzerland DA - 16.08.2022 KW - Reference data KW - Non destructive testing and evaluation KW - Ultrasonic KW - Civil engineering PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-58440 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Current Use of NDT-CE For Infrastructure Inspection and Monitoring in Germany N2 - This presentation gives an overview on current use of NDT-CE for infrastructure inspection and monitoring in Germany. It reflects on challenges, applied standards and guideline including currently developed upgrades. Ways to select proper NDT methods are shown as well as a way how to use NDT results in quantitative, probabilistic strctural assessment. T2 - ISNT NDE2024 Pre-Conference Tutorial on NDT-CE CY - Chennai, India DA - 11.12.2024 KW - NDT-CE KW - Inspection KW - Assessment KW - Standards KW - Guidelines PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62197 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - NDT-CE Qualification and Certification in Germany and Elsewhere N2 - Recently first qualification and certification schemes for NDT-CE testing personnel have been introduced and are well booked. The presentation focuses on the two level scheme recently put into standards in Germany. International activities, which favor the traditional three level ISO 9712 scheme, are also discussed. T2 - ISNT NDE2024 Pre-Conference Tutorial on NDT-CE CY - Chennai, India DA - 11.12.2024 KW - NDT-CE KW - Inspection KW - Qualification KW - Certification PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62198 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Paths towards digitalization in NDT for Civil Engineering N2 - This presentation shows the concepzual way how to intergrate NDT results into BIM, Digital Twins and more. The concept of BIM, Digital Twins and exchange data formats such as DICONDE and IFC (industry Foundation Classes) are explained. Two examples for Digital Twins are shown. T2 - ISNT NDE 2024 CY - Chennai, India DA - 12.12.2024 KW - NDT-CE KW - Digitalization KW - BIM KW - Digital Twin KW - DICONDE PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62202 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst ED - Meyendorf, Norbert ED - Ida, Nathan ED - Singh, Ripi ED - Vrana, Johannes T1 - NDE 4.0 in Civil Engineering N2 - There is a tremendous potential for NDE-CE due to the current changes in the construction industry. On the way to a digitized and digitalized way of work, including a shift from traditional ways of planning towards building information modeling, NDE-CE can be of help by providing quality assurance data during and directly after construction, condition data during operation, and missing information about older constructions before rehabilitation or demolition. However, to be successful, NDE-CE methods must be integrated into the data structures used by designers, planners, builders, owners, and users: it must go digital as well. Formats,interfaces, and reliable trusted storage sites for NDE-CE data are urgently required. A working group at DGZfP (“AG ZfPBau 4.0”) and various research project and initiatives are working on these issues but still must get more momentum. KW - NDT-CE KW - NDE 4.0 KW - Digitalization KW - BIM KW - Diconde PY - 2024 SN - 978-3-030-48200-8 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48200-8_1-2 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Springer CY - Cham AN - OPUS4-62199 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dominguez-Bureos, Marco A1 - Sens-Schönfelder, Christoph A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst A1 - Hadziioannou, Céline T1 - Stress- and Time-dependent Variations of Elastic Properties for Integrity Assessment in a Reinforced Concrete Test Bridge N2 - In lab experiments, it has been observed that the stress–and time-dependent elastic properties of a complex material at a structural scale perform accordingly to its composition at a microstructural level. We seek complementary practices to the current wavefield-based non-destructive testing techniques to assess not only the integrity level of civil structures but also the microstructural elements that contribute to it. In this paper, we study the systematic evolution of elastic properties of concrete as an alternative to investigate the density of micro imperfections in an outdoor-conditioned concrete structure. We estimate 5-second relative velocity changes in four locations on a Test bridge subjected to the action of vertical impulsive sources, at different prestressing levels (dynamic effects at different static conditions). We describe the structure’s stress- and time-dependent elastic response by means of acoustoelastic effect and Slow-dynamic processes, respectively. We also estimate the conventional ultrasound pulse velocity and perform a cooperative integrity analysis of the structure using the three elastic phenomena. Our findings reveal: 1) The presence of soft microstructures and their orientation’s influence on the acoustoelastic effect and Slow-dynamics in field-conditioned concrete structures. 2) The relation of low ultrasound pulse velocities with high acoustoelastic effect and high magnitudes and variability of Slow-dynamics. 3) Different elastic behaviours on the north and south spans of the bridge, suggesting different heterogeneity levels on the analysed locations of the concrete beam. KW - Concrete KW - Ultrasound KW - Nonlinear KW - Elastic properties KW - Damage PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-640064 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01257-y SN - 0195-9298 VL - 44 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-64006 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -