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Ultrasound sensors should be embedded into concrete for monitoring concrete properties. These new longitudinal wave sensors with a center frequency of 60 kHz were examined regarding their suitability for ultrasonic measurements in concrete structures in terms of emission characteristics, sensitivity and frequency ränge.
For the measurement of the radiation patterns, the sensors were embedded vertically and horizontally in concrete cylinders. The directivity pattern was measured using a laser vibrometer.
The sensitivity of the sensor was determined in water using different sensors of the same type. It shows changes in the signal amplitude as well as variations in the frequency ränge for different transmitter-receiver combinations.
The attenuation of the concrete affects the achievable resolution of the measurements and thus, the maximum possible spacing of the sensors within a concrete element. Experimental tests helped optimizing the distances with respect to the required resolution and the effort of embedding the sensors. The signal attenuation in the concrete was measured in the frequency ränge of 60 kHz in response to various degrees of reinforcement and grain size. For this purpose, the sensors were cast at different distances in the specimens studied. The recorded Signals were evaluated for their amplitude and frequency spectrum.
An in-depth investigation of tunnel linings is performed at Eisenhower Tunnel, 60 miles west of Denver, Colorado, using a combination of four nondestructive testing methods: air- and ground-coupled ground penetrating radar (GPR), ultrasonic echo (US echo), ultrasonic tomography (UST), and impact echo (IE). A robotic frame with pneumatically operated vacuum plates is used to automate GPR, US echo, and IE. UST was performed manually. These techniques are used to identify and locate the reinforcement mesh and structural steel ribs. Local changes in ultrasonic phase are calculated by phase analysis processing techniques and apparent relationships between positive and negative phase shifts and steel and air interfaces are observed. According to previous laboratory research, these relationships indicate the bonded state between the concrete and the embedded steel, but without ground truth verification this can only be suggested. It is shown that this combination of methods can be used synergistically to provide tunnel owners with the layout and possible condition of tunnel lining reinforcement and structural components.
Tunnel lining evaluation is performed in the Hanging Lake Tunnel near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, using variations of four nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods: air- and ground-coupled ground penetrating radar (GPR), ultrasonic echo (US echo), ultrasonic tomography (UST), and impact echo (IE). Potential regions of interest are identified using high-speed air-coupled GPR and visual inspection. A robotic frame with pneumatically-operated vacuum plates was used to automate the ground-coupled GPR, US echo, and IE tests, while the UST technique was used manually. This study shows that a particular combination of NDE techniques is a powerful tool for assessing the condition of tunnel linings and can detect potential anomalies such as delamination, depth of surface cracks, reinforcement depth and layout, and lining thickness. By mapping the phase shift of the ultrasonic pulses at detected interface, the potential bonding of layer interfaces and reinforcement is assessed.
Innovative admixture technology has significantly widened up the ränge of possibilities of concrete engineers. For many decades the water to cement ratio (w/c) was the major influencing factor for the performance of concrete. Due to the need to adjust a consistency, which still allowed reasonable workability, the w/c was typically significantly higher than technologically reasonable. Rheology modifying admixtures Support adjusting the concrete consistency largely independent of the w/c. It was only after the invention of the first superplasticizers that modern concrete technology significantly evolved in terms of flowability, strength, and durability, and only due to the steady evolution of the technology modern innovations, such as Self-Compacting Concrete, Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, or Engineered Cementitious Composites were made possible. Today’s superplasticizers are extremely versatile and can be adjusted to individual technologicalspecifications. However, the other side of the coin of versatility is that cementitious Systems incorporating superplasticizers have become more sensitive against environmental influences, such as the environmental temperature, which may cause unwanted effects or demand for supplementary admixture use such as stabilizing admixtures. Hence, concrete mixture composition with admixtures demands for a high level of expertise and offen there is lack of awareness about the mode of Operation of rheology modifying admixtures among concrete technologists. The paper gives a comprehensive overview about rheology modifying admixtures such as superplasticizers or stabilizing agents, and how they can be used depending upon the application in the most favourable way. Based on experiences with the sub-Saharan African concreting boundary conditions, which exhibit many challenges in terms of environmental boundary conditions and construction site logistics, conclusions are finally drawn, how admixtures can be used in the most beneficial way to improve the concrete casting Situation.
Portland cement, as we know it today, has its origin in Great Britain approximately 170 years ago. Since then, concrete technology has spread out to Europe, the United States, and Japan, where it became a key component for rapid industrial development. Europe, the Unites States and many Asian countries today have developed a high level of technology regarding concrete construction.
However, each of them has a unique history and as a result, different “concrete philosophy” depending upon the social, environmental and financial boundary conditions, as well as their evolution throughout the years and local construction traditions. As a result, the word concrete may refer to rather different materials in America, Europe, and Asia.
Apart from South Africa, most sub-Saharan African countries cannot look back on a similarly long cement and concrete history. Cement and concrete are rather new materials and not yet well established. This gives African engineers the unique opportunity to learn from past mistakes and to develop a concrete technology, which refers to the best available practice. However, in many sub-Saharan African countries, standards and regulations are adopted (preferably from Europe or the US) without consideration of the historical background of these standards. Although this practice helps saving resources for the implementation, it does not necessarily yield the best result in the African environment, and also from an economic point of view it might come back disadvantageously due to unnecessary overdesigning.
By comparing the differing states-of-the-art in North America, Europe, and Asia, this paper emphasizes, how regional conditions determine the practice of concrete technology in the sub-Saharan area. It is therefore important for Africa to develop a unique African concrete technology, which is perfectly fitted to the specific local conditions, even if it may vary distinctively from the established practice elsewhere. The paper concludes that African nations should effort into adapting existing principles that have proved to function well rather than adopting existing standards.
The aim of this project is to get deeper insight into the fatigue behaviour of concrete under cyclic compressive loading. It focuses on the evaluation and modelling of the entire damage process during life-cycle by means of various non-destructive measuring techniques. In numerous tests on cylinders h/d = 30/10 cm under different cyclic loading conditions, the crack development and the damage evolution are monitored using acoustic emission analysis and ultrasonic velocity measurement. The final aim will be the definition of a damage descriptor D based on experimental observations, which can be implemented into a numerical model on a meso-mechanical level.
Ultrasonic methods are valuable tools for quality assessment and structural imaging of concrete. In such applications, accurate and reliable determination of ultrasonic wave velocities is essential, as they are affected by various experimental and environmental factors. In this research coda wave interferometry (CWI) was used to determine the influence of temperature (0 to 50 °C) on ultrasonic wave velocity in concrete samples. A resolution of better than 10-4 was achieved in the measurement of relative velocity changes. Reversibility and repeatability as well as the influence of moisture were taken into account. In addition the influence of sensor (transmitter and receiver) positioning errors on the results of the interferometric algorithm was evaluated as well as the benefit of newly developed, permanently embedded sensors. The presented results can be used to evaluate and refine data from ultrasonic monitoring systems.
Active thermography is sensitive to inhomogeneities at and below the surface of objects investigated. Thus, it should be useful for detecting plaster delaminations on concrete. In this paper, the results of field and laboratory investigations into plaster-covered concrete were compared. For evaluating the bonding state of the plaster it is not sufficient to study only the thermal contrasts at the surface of the investigated objects. The experimental results suggest that the overall thermal behaviour has to be considered.
Most of the previous studies on reinforced concrete columns with elastically restrained thermal elongation were carried out on square, rectangular or ‘+’-shaped cross sections. The fire resistance of these columns is probably more compromised than in circular columns due to the phenomenon of concrete detachment in the corners of the cross-section. In order to examine the influence of several parameters on the behaviour in fire of circular reinforced concrete columns with restrained thermal elongation, several fire resistance tests were carried out. The parameters tested were load, restraint level, slenderness of the column and the longitudinal reinforcement ratio. In the fire resistance tests the specimens were exposed to the ISO 834 Standard fire curve and the critical time and temperature and failure modes were determined. The test results mainly indicated that the spalling phenomenon may also occur in circular columns and so reducing its fire resistance. The restrained level might not so much relevant concerning the fire resistance of circular reinforced concrete columns.
In this research, laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the feasibility of using ground penetrating radar (GPR) for corrosion detection and/or monitoring, and the mechanism of corrosion caused GPR signal changes, taking into account the influence of several parameters: Chloride, rebar size and cover depth. With the understanding of the mechanism, a novel method for detecting reinforcement corrosion in concrete with GPR is proposed, together with a series of signal processing toolkits for corrosion visualization and image comparison.