Non-destructive and minor destructive testing methods enable a classification of historic structures, building processes, applied building technologies and materials. Therefore, these methods should be part of the global investigation of historic buildings which is usually required before the planning of any building intervention. The case study presented herein encompasses experimental work carried out at the St. Servatius Church in Quedlinburg, Germany. Within a comprehensive restoration campaign, non-destructive on-site investigations were carried out with radar and ultrasonics. The results were combined with plans, views and cores recorded in advance.
Influence of concret properties on the calibration of radar, ultrasonics and active thermography
(2008)
Validation of non-destructive testing methods is necessary to create a common basis where different systems can be compared and their applications and limitations be identified. This can be achieved through comparing the measurements taken by several systems used for a common diagnostic purpose under practical but controlled testing conditions. Well-designed small and large laboratory or field specimens promise such conditions.
The special concrete specimen (LCS) at BAM was constructed for validation purposes, in particular, to be used for evaluating the performance of echo methods. The thickness of the specimen is varying and it contains carefully designed built-in faults, such as voids, honeycombs and tendon ducts with various degrees of grouting defects. Since the geometry and condition of the defects are known, it can be used to compare the performance of radar, ultrasonic, impact-echo. The research was conducted within the Research group FOR384, sponsored by the German Research Society DFG.
Strategies and methodologies for the assessment of historic masonry structures based on non-destructive and minor-destructive testing methods were developed in the European Research Project ONSITEFORMASONRY and were successfully applied to assess the structure and material properties of selected structural elements in the Altes Museum in Berlin-Mitte.
For the planning of a broad reconstruction within the framework of a master plan concerning the whole of Museum Island in Berlin, several questions arose which are also typical for other historic structures in general, thus the Altes Museum was chosen as a pilot site for the validation of non-destructive testing methods.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures plays an increasing role in civil engineering. This paper presents the results of systematic measurements carried out in the laboratory at BAM and on-site at several bridges using reconstructed and fused radar and ultrasonic echo data sets. For investigating the influence of concrete mixture, radar and ultrasonic measurements were performed at test specimens consisting of concrete mixtures with different pore content and distribution as well as with steel fibres. Further, it is demonstrated how the fusion of data sets recorded with different methods at the same structure (here: concrete bridges) enhances the information content in the fused data set. Different approaches for data fusion algorithms are discussed. The results of these investigations show the high potential of reconstruction and data fusion for the improvement and simplification of the interpretability of large data sets measured with impulse-echo methods. The presented results are based on the research project FOR384 funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft).
Radar und Datenfusion
(2007)
New thermography systems enable the application of active investigation techniques, i.e. the observation of the cooling down process after heating the surface of a structure under investigation. Defects like voids in concrete having a different thermal diffusivity in comparison to the bulk material are visualised by different surface temperatures. The differences between temperature transient curves above sound regions and above inhomogeneities are expected to include information about the defect parameters.
Experimental investigations with impulse thermography and radar on a concrete test specimen containing voids were analysed. Radar was used to determine the depth of the voids. The influence of size and depth of the voids on the temperature transient curves was studied for different heating times. The transient curves were also fitted with a simple semi-empirical model.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures is performed using pulse-echo methods. According to the type of the applied waves it can be classified as acoustic (Impact-Echo, Ultrasonics) and electromagnetic methods (Radar). The results are visualised through different imaging processes. This work is performed in the frame of a research project promoted by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (FOR384). The objective of data fusion is to use the complementary information of the different methods. Radar can detect metallic reflectors in concrete (metallic ducts and concrete reinforcement) very well. This method is not able to locate defects behind these reflectors (injecting defects, defects behind close concrete reinforcement), because the electromagnetic waves are completely reflected at metals. The acoustic methods are able to compensate this deficit i.e. Acoustic waves can penetrate through metal. But acoustic waves in the ultrasonic range are completely reflected by air layers. Air layers have smaller influence on radar propagation, so that both methods complement each other. In order to be able to combine the NDT-data from several methods records at the same volume, the different data setsmodes of signals must be adapted. The ultrasonic and radar data have to be reconstructed with programs based on the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) before data fusion. Subsequently, a conversion of the data into a uniform format has to be carried out. This is a prerequisite in order to keep the data exchange between the project partners as simple as possible. After the data sets are imported and transferred into a common reference system, they can be processed with operations according to the purpose of the investigation. Results, which have been achieved in concrete test specimen with radar and ultrasonics, will be presented and will show the feasibility of the data fusion method.
ONSITEFORMASONRY is a research project funded by the European Commission under the 5. Framework Programme 1998-2002 in the Thematic Programme: Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development and the Key Action: The City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage.
The main objective of the project is the development and improvement of methodologies for the evaluation of the structure of historic masonry Cultural Heritages. For effective restoration and conservation of historic buildings, a detailed assessment of the structural safety and physical damages of the masonry structure is required. Therefore, typical masonry damages and the most frequent pathologies in each region have been identified and summarised in a catalogue of problems and damages. Selected non-destructive (NDT) and minor-destructive (MDT) techniques are performed by the partners including the development of software packages for fast and automated data analysis. The strategy for an effective and useful combination of different NDT and MDT methods will be worked out considering the results of case studies and taking into account the experiences of the consortium members. Recommendations and guidelines for the application of the integrated methodologies will be developed in close co-operation with end-users.
The structural safety, durability and performance of the infrastructure is of primary interest in every country. An efficient system for early and regular structural assessment as well as for quality assurance during and after the construction of new structures and of reconstruction processes is urgently required. At BAM, NDT methods to be applied in civil engineering are developed and their application improved. From the experience of on-site assessments, quality assurance systems and methodologies for regular inspections are elaborated. This work is mainly performed in the frame of externally funded research projects.
We concentrate on appropriate algorithmic processing of microwave Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data obtained from concrete specimens containing tendon ducts below steel reinforcement bars either via simulations or via experiments. The goal is to understand the physical phenomena of electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering in detail in order to optimize imaging algorithms like SAFT (Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique as the NDT version of SAR) in its 3D diffraction tomographic FT-SAFT formulation (Fourier-Transform-SAFT). Therefore we start with the simulation of a "simple" specimen and switch to a more realistic one in order to check whether simulation and experiment can give comparable results. Basically, this could be confirmed, but, nevertheless, various parametric studies will still have to be performed in the future.
For the investigation of the complex inner structure of historic buildings, the application of radar has been increased during the last ten years. Although historic masonry in general is very inhomogeneous and although in some cases high absorption occurs due to enhanced moisture, radar has been successfully applied to get information on geometry, position of inclusions and about kind and size of existing damages. In this paper case studies will be presented concerning the localisation of metallic inclusions and the investigations of the structure of an exterior wall with a multiple leaf structure.
Ortung von Hohlstellen und Ablösungen in Betonkonstruktionen mit Radar und Impuls-Thermografie
(2003)
Non-destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures is performed using pulse-echo methods. According to the type of the applied waves it can be classified as acoustic (Impact-Echo, Ultrasonics) and electromagnetic methods (Radar). The results are visualised through different imaging processes. This work is performed in the frame of a research project promoted by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (FOR384).The objective of data fusion is to use the complementary information of the different methods. Radar can detect metallic reflectors in concrete (metallic ducts and concrete reinforcement) very well. This method is not able to locate defects behind these reflectors (injecting defects, defects behind close concrete reinforcement), because the electromagnetic waves are completely reflected at metals. The acoustic methods are able to compensate this deficit i.e. acoustic waves can penetrate through metal. But acoustic waves in the ultrasonic range are completely reflected by air layers. Air layers have smaller influence on radar propagation, so that both methods complement each other.In order to be able to combine the NDT-data from several methods records at the same volume, the different data setsmodes of signals must be adapted. The ultrasonic and radar data have to be reconstructed with programs based on the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) before data fusion. Subsequently, a conversion of the data into a uniform format has to be carried out. This is a prerequisite in order to keep the data exchange between the project partners as simple as possible. After the data sets are imported and transferred into a common reference system, they can be processed with operations according to the purpose of the investigation. Results, which have been achieved in concrete test specimen with radar and ultrasonics, will be presented and will show the feasibility of the data fusion method.
Today's civil engineering NDT needs are for quantitative, fast to apply and easy to interpret methods. They are required on site both for evaluation of existing structures/infrastructure and for quality control in new construction. With this purpose, BAM has carried out in-situ feasibility studies, using radar, impact-echo and ultrasonic-echo methods. Two examples are given of their combined application on different railway slab–track constructions, using high frequency radar, scanning impact-echo and ultrasonic array methods. The aim was to evaluate limitations and advantages, comparability and complementarity of these methods. The on-site measurements demonstrated the possibility to investigate, with good accuracy via NDT, the bonding conditions between sleepers and slab, to locate voids and measure layer thickness. The acoustic and electromagnetic methods used, were found to be complementary.
The application of impulse radar for structural investigation of concrete elements has been increased during the last years related to technical developments, i. e. of high frequency antennas. In this paper, case studies will be presented related to the location of reinforcing bars, tendon ducts and repaired concrete areas in concrete bridges, anchors and dowels in concrete highways and delaminations of layered structures as they are used for non-ballasted railway tracks. It is shown that impulse radar can be applied in case of regular inspection and for searching the cause of damages but also for quality assessment in civil engineering.
In this paper, a new method for the investigation of the degradation of ballast railway track beds is proposed. An array of antennas is used for simultaneous acquisition of reflected radar impulses, which have been transmitted from different sending positions. This array setup allows an automated CMP-measurement, which enables a direct calibration of the ballast thickness. These multiple offset measurements using the array setup are well suited for fast railway inspections. The method offers the possibility to visualize the state of degradation of the ballast in a velocity spectrum.