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The LAUS: First Applications of a New System for Ultrasonic Imaging of Very Concrete Structures
(2019)
The LAUS (Large Aperture Ultrasonic System) has been developed to image very thick concrete structures, which are not accessible for commercial systems. The device and the corresponding software is the result of joint Research of BAM, an ultrasonic instrument manufacturer and University of Kassel, Germany. It consists of 12 separate Arrays of 32 point-contact shear wave transducers each, which can be deployed in flexible configurations. Each array is combined with battery and transmitter, receiver and wireless communication electronics.
Three case histories are presented. First the system was deployed on a 5-m thick heavily reinforced foundation slab.
The reflection of the slab’s bottom was imaged clearly. In addition, a multiple reflection was registered, thus giving hope that even thicker elements might be imaged by the instrument. Second, the LAUS was used to investigate a massive bridge girder where a heavy rainstorm during concreting had led to imperfections that were visible after removing the formwork was removed. The LAUS could image tendon ducts in 1.8m depth and the backwall closely behind them. Some limited areas showed blurred reflections and were checked by drill holes; these areas were affected by diffuse damage which could be repaired by injections. Third, a large retaining wall was checked for thickness.
Meanwhile, the LAUS has been used in underground waste deposits (nuclear and other) for quality assurance of sealing plugs. A confirmed penetration depth of about 7 m has been reached.
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a combination of laser ablation and optical emission spectroscopy. Due to the possibility of direct measurements on the sample surface with a minimum of sample preparation investigations of building materials can be conducted quite fast. In combination with a scanning technique (translation stage or scanning mirrors head) 2D element distributions of harmful species like chlorides and alkalis are evaluated with a sub-mm resolution. By scanning a surface of typically 100 mm x 100 mm the heterogeneity of the material may be considered. LIBS is capable to identify hot spots in element concentration with a resolution of 0.1 mm or even smaller. A LIBS-system for the on-site application on building materials is, in cooperation with system developers and companies which will use this technique for investigation on real structures, under test at BAM. We present an example. Further work will focus on providing guidelines to establish LIBS as a standard procedure for chemical investigations of building materials.
The research project "Ultrasonic Net for Concrete Monitoring (UNeCOM)" aims at developing a methodology for an embedded ultrasonic network for the condition assessment of infrastructure constructions. Civil engineering structures made of concrete, which are located in tectonically active regions or undergo special loading conditions, may require continuous monitoring. It is important to assess the condition of the building and its stability to recognise and classify the effect of a seismic event or evolving damage at early stages before failure occurs. Embedded ultrasonic sensors offer the possibility to detect changes in the material and degradation mechanisms from inside the structure in areas which are difficult or impossible to inspect otherwise. In contrast to conventional ultrasonic testing methods, where the concrete surfaces are scanned with ultrasound probes, this new approach uses sensors, which are embedded into concrete, eliminating the effect of variable coupling conditions between sensors and concrete. This method allows an integral detection of changes in the concrete structure, for example due to seismic activities, to detect mechanical impacts, as well as degradation of the material due to overloading. Such methods have great relevance especially for the monitoring of constructions like power plants, bridges, offshore structures and other structures with high technical safety requirements. The sensor network can be controlled remotely through the internet which is also being used for data transfer. The embedded sensor network is designed to monitor structural damage and concrete degradation globally with high sensitivity.
Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) - visualization of ion transport processes in concrete
(2014)
Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a combination of laser ablation and optical emission spectroscopy. Due to the possibility of direct measurements on the sample surface and a minimum of sample preparation investigations of building materials can be conducted quite fast. In combination with a scanning technique (translation stage or scanning mirrors head) the element distributions are evaluated with mm resolution. Thus the heterogeneity of the material may be considered. This is a significant advantage compared to standard procedures. LIBS measurements are also time and cost saving in comparison to standard methods. The automated measurement procedures minimize the liability for errors. All elements are detectable. Results can be quantified after calibration. At BAM LIBS has been successfully applied for the investigation of distribution and transport of different ions in building materials. Quantitative measurements are performed for chlorine, sodium, potassium, sulfur, lithium and hydrogen. In addition the identification of substances and the evaluation of quantitative ratios by means of an integrated marker are possible. An overview about the principle and the possibilities of LIBS investigations of building materials is presented and typical applications are shown. The LIBS technique is close to practical application on-site.
The changes in the sonic surface wave velocity of concrete under stress were investigated in this paper. Surface wave velocities at
sonic frequency range were measured on a prismatic concrete specimen undergoing several cycles of uniaxial compression. The
loading was applied (or removed) gradually in predefined small steps (stress-controlled). The surface wave velocity was measured
at every load step during both loading and unloading phases. Acoustic Emission (AE) test was conducted simultaneously to
monitor the microcracking activities at different levels of loading. It was found that the sonic surface wave velocity is highly stress
dependent and the velocity-stress relationship follows a particular trend. The observed trend could be explained by a combination
of acoustoelasticity and microcracking theories, each valid over a certain range of applied stresses. Having measured the velocities
while unloading, when the material suffers no further damage, the effect of stress and damage could be differentiated. The slope
of the velocity-stress curves over the elastic region was calculated for different load cycles. This quantity was normalized to yield a
dimensionless nonlinear parameter. This parameter generally increases with the level of induced damage in concrete.