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The ultrasonic echo technique is broadly applied in non‐destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures involving tasks such as measuring thickness, determining geometry and locating built‐in elements. To address the challenge of enhancing ultrasonic imaging for complex concrete constructions, we adapted a seismic imaging algorithm – reverse time migration (RTM) – for NDT in civil engineering. Unlike the traditionally applied synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT), RTM takes into account the full wavefield including primary and reflected arrivals as well as multiples. This capability enables RTM to effectively handle all wave phenomena, unlimited by changes in velocity and reflector inclinations. This paper concentrates on applying and evaluating a two‐dimensional elastic RTM algorithm that specifically addresses horizontally polarized shear (SH) waves only, as these are predominantly used in ultrasonic NDT of concrete structures. The elastic SH RTM algorithm was deployed for imaging real ultrasonic echo SH‐wave data obtained at a concrete specimen exhibiting a complex back wall geometry and containing four tendon ducts. As these features are frequently encountered in practical NDT scenarios, their precise imaging holds significant importance. By applying the elastic SH RTM algorithm, we successfully reproduced nearly all reflectors within the concrete specimen. In particular, we were capable of accurately reconstructing all vertically oriented reflectors as well as the circular cross sections of three tendon ducts, which was not achievable with traditional SAFT imaging. These findings demonstrate that elastic SH RTM holds the ability to considerably improve the imaging of complex concrete geometries, marking a crucial advancement for accurate, high‐quality ultrasonic NDT in civil engineering.
The Alpine Fault zone in New Zealand marks a major transpressional plate boundary that is late in its typical earthquake cycle. Understanding the subsurface structures is crucial to understand the tectonic processes taking place. A unique seismic survey including 2D lines, a 3D array, and borehole recordings, has been performed in the Whataroa Valley and provides new insights into the Alpine Fault zone down to ∼2 km depth at the location of the Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP)-2 drill site. Seismic images are obtained by focusing prestack depth migration approaches. Despite the challenging conditions for seismic imaging within a sediment filled glacial valley and steeply dipping valley flanks, several structures related to the valley itself as well as the tectonic fault system are imaged. A set of several reflectors dipping 40°–56° to the southeast are identified in a ∼600 m wide zone that is interpreted to be the minimum extent of the damage zone. Different approaches image one distinct reflector dipping at ∼40°, which is interpreted to be the main Alpine Fault reflector located only ∼100 m beneath the maximum drilled depth of the DFDP-2B borehole. At shallower depths (z < 0.5 km), additional reflectors are identified as fault segments with generally steeper dips up to 56°. Additionally, a glacially over-deepened trough with nearly horizontally layered sediments and a major fault (z < 0.5 km) are identified 0.5–1 km south of the DFDP-2B borehole. Thus, a complex structural environment is seismically imaged and shows the complexity of the Alpine Fault at Whataroa.
In this study, we use and extend a recently developed zonal cooperative inversion approach and apply it to the inversion of three independent geophysical field data sets. We invert crosshole P-wave, S-wave, and georadar data sets acquired in sand and gravel dominated unconsolidated sediments to detect and characterize different sedimentary units relevant for an engineering or hydrological site characterization. The zonal cooperative inversion of the three traveltime data sets results in a single subsurface model, which is a geophysical three-parameter model (P-wave, S-wave, and georadar velocity) outlining the major subsurface zonation while explaining all input data sets. Comparing our zonal model to direct push (DP) logging data (tip resistance, sleeve friction, and dielectric permittivity) shows good agreement; i.e., the zones in our geophysical model largely correspond to major DP parameter changes. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the sparse DP data can be inter- and extrapolated to the entire tomographic plane which allows for further geotechnical and hydrological interpretations. This study illustrates that the zonal cooperative inversion approach is highly flexible and an excellent tool to characterize a variety of environments in terms of multiple physical parameters.