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Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (56)
The active approach for non-destructive-testing in Civil Engineering (NDT-CE) with infraredthermography (IR), developed at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), is described in part one of this contribution. The active IR-approach is based on the principles of impulse- (IT) and pulse-phase-thermography (PPT). The concept is a direct result of a research project at the BAM in cooperation with the Technical University of Berlin (TUB) and was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). In the second part results of the new thermography-scanning system (thermo-scanner) of BAM on debonding of multi-layered structures, especially carbon fibre reinforced plates (CFRP) on concrete are presented. Both, the thermo-scanner developed at BAM, and the investigations carried out, are part of the
EU-Project Sustainable Bridges. In the third part of the paper the characteristic frequency of the optimum phase-contrast as a means for the characterization of defects depth in CE by means of PPT is introduced. A new quantitative approach is tested and discussed on concrete structures with defects of polystyrene and gas concrete.
Berlin Main Station is the largest multi-level station in Europe. Its daily passenger number amounts to over 300.000. Structures built for such a large number of people require a high-level safety standard. The station was built on the inner city site of the historic Lehrter Bahnhof. The conditions for building and start of operation were challenging by several reasons. The typical sandy ground with a high level of groundwater makes the permanent static stability of such a complex structure difficult. Several completed, ongoing, and planned construction activities in the immediate vicinity of the station influence the ground settlement of the whole area. On basis of the structural design an impact prediction was calculated, which expected certain vertical displacements particularly between the single columns of the outer concrete bridges of the building. These columns support the glass roof construction, which only allows a defined limit of displacement. In order to avoid damage, a concept for monitoring and adjusting potentially occurring displacements was developed for installation at the outer bridges of the station.
Condition assessment of old railway bridges, a scientific cooperation between Berlin and Wroclaw
(2009)
Two years ago, the East Prussian and the Low-Silesian Railway lines celebrated their 160th anniversaries. The history of both first railway connections in the Eastern railway network development in the whole region in the 19th century is presented together with information about the railway between Berlin and Wroclaw. Special attention is paid to the railway bridges built in this period. The first large iron bridges and typical masonry arch structures are presented. Special attention is paid to masonry arches. The condition appraisal of existing masonry arches requires new developed technical methodologies, effective tools and procedures for the description of the bridges current state and function. Their current technical condition as well as service-ability is described.
Für den Entwurf neuer Bauwerke gewährleistet die Einhaltung aktuell gültiger Normenwerke eine ausreichende Sicherheit. Diese Normen und die zugehörigen Lieferbedingungen gelten ausschließlich für Neubauten aus heute produzierten Stählen. Technische Regeln für die Begutachtung alter Materialien, wie sie zuletzt im Beiblatt 2-"Altstahl im Hochbau" von 1948 zur DIN 1050 "Stahl im Hochbau" [35] verankert waren, sind zurückgezogen worden. Bei der Bewertung alter Baukonstruktionen greift man häufig auf vorhandene Materialinformationen aus Bauwerksunterlagen, Vorschriften und Berechnungen, z.B. im Verantwortungsbereich der Deutschen Bahn AG, zurück. Die geltende Richtlinie der Modulfamilie 805.001 der Deutschen Bahn AG [21] erlaubt in Abschnitt 2, Absatz (2) sogar ausdrücklich die Nutzung alter Berechnungen und Vorschriften, wenn bei gleich bleibender Nutzung nur Eingriffe von untergeordneter Bedeutung, wie kleine Reparaturen oder lokale Verstärkungen, vorgenommen werden. Ein Eingriff in die Tragsicherheit des Bauwerkes ist nicht zulässig. Für umfassendere Maßnahmen und für Bauwerke außerhalb des Zuständigkeitsbereiches der Deutschen Bahn AG oder für die Bewertung der Konstruktionen bei Umnutzung bzw. bei umfangreichen Maßnahmen ist diese Ausnahme nicht anwendbar. Daraus ergibt sich für den auf die Beurteilung und Bewertung von bestehenden Bauwerken spezialisierten Ingenieur der Bedarf, alte Materialien, Bauweisen und Vorschriften zu kennen und zu verstehen. Aufwändige Versuchsserien an originalen Vollwand- und Fachwerkträgern zur Ermittlung von Schadensmechanismen im einstufigen Ermüdungsversuch werden vorgestellt. Sie resultieren in erweiterten Kenntnissen über Versagenskriterien für genietete Bauteile. Die Weiterentwicklung und Erprobung einander ergänzender zerstörungsfreier und minimal-invasiver (zerstörungsarmer) Verfahren verbessert die Schadensfrüherkennung an ermüdungsbeanspruchten Stahlkonstruktionen, z.B. bei Inspektionen. Intensive Materialuntersuchungen zur Mikrostruktur und zu mechanischen Materialparametern tragen zum Verständnis bestimmter, für moderne Stähle untypischer, Schadensmechanismen bei. Die interdisziplinäre Kooperation mit den Laboratorien der Abteilungen V, VIII und S bei der Analyse von Rissentstehung und Risswachstum erweitert die verfügbaren Kenntnisse über das Versagensverhalten alter Stähle und Stahlverbindungen. Aufbauend auf einer Darstellung der Entwicklung alter Bauweisen und Bauwerke, einer Literatur- und Normenanalyse zu Lieferbedingungen von Stahl für das Bauwesen und zu konstruktiven Details, so wie sie um die Jahrhundertwende zwischen dem 19. und 20. Jh. üblich waren, werden Materialuntersuchungen an alten Stählen, Ermüdungsversuche und Messungen an bestehenden Brückenbauwerken aus alten Stählen präsentiert. Innerhalb des Projektes gab es eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit Brückenbetreibern, die gewährleistete, dass die Ergebnisse aus Prüfungen, Forschung und Entwicklung direkt in die Praxis, aber auch in interne Vorschriften der Brückeneigner überführt werden konnten. So wurde in der Subgroup Remaining Fatigue Life of Bridge Structures der Gruppe ECOBRIDGE der Europäischen Eisenbahn Vereinigung UIC unter Beteiligung der BAM eine Machbarkeitsstudie [1] zusammengestellt. Auf dieser Basis erarbeitete ein bilaterales Konsortium der Schweiz und Deutschlands im Auftrag der Schweizerischen Bundesbahn und der Deutschen Bahn mit Ermüdungsspezialisten der RWTH Aachen, der EPFL Lausanne und der BAM einen Vereinheitlichten Sicherheitsnachweis für die Beurteilung alter Eisenbahnbrücken aus Stahl [2]. Der Abschlussbericht liegt seit 2001 im federführenden Institut für Stahlbau der RWTH Aachen vor. Die Überführung der Forschungsergebnisse in eine Richtlinie der Europäischen Konvention für Stahlbau (EKS) mit empfehlendem Charakter liegt als Entwurf [4] vor. Die Veröffentlichung nach abschließender Begutachtung durch namhafte auf Altstahl und Ermüdung spezialisierte Fachkollegen durch die EKS ist in Vorbereitung.
Acoustic measurement methods
(2008)
Measurements, NDT and laboratory testing of the wrought iron bridge at Berlin-Friedrichstraße
(2010)
Messungen und Laborversuche an der schweißeisernen Spreebrücke an der Berliner Friedrichstraße
(2010)
The Berlin Main Station was built between 2000 and 2006. At the occasion of the 10th anniversary after the Berlin Main Station was officially opened to train traffic, a view back on eight years of monitoring was given. For the period of the construction with different load cases, the monitoring system was required by the Railway Authorities (Eisenbahnbundesam, EBA) to survey differential vertical displacements between neighbouring supports of the glas roof and the partially prestressed middle bridges. 128 sensors were installed.The data was published in the Internet with access restricted to the BAM scientists and the owner of the station, the German Railways DB AG.
Civil engineers, who are involved in nondestructive testing have to solve an essential task: the transfer of the results of NDT-research into practice. NDT in civil Engineering is a quite new discipline. The results must meet the needs of the infrastructure owners to convince them about the usefulness of NDT. The issue of reliability of the NDT-data was discussed.
Opportunities and limitation of non-destructive testing in condition assessment of bridge structures
(2009)
Condition assessment of old railway bridges, a scientific cooperation between Berlin and Wroclaw
(2009)
Opportunities and Limitation of Non-destructive Testing in Condition Assessment of Bridge Structures
(2009)
In 1882, the East-West suburban train viaduct was built through Berlin as part of the public traffic solution in the late 19th Century. Today, the only left over iron arch bridge is a pair of two arches Crossing the Spree river in the middle of Berlin. Before dismantling the former parallel two original pairs of iron arches and rebuilding new arches for the high-speed railway line through Berlin in 1997, BAM was involved in an extensive test program of the heritage iron arch structure. Especially the estimation of accumulated damage in critical details and the verification of the old material properties at early stage was important information to the bridge owners. The testing program included two strain and displacement measurement campaigns, non-destructive testing, materials testing and microscale metallographic analysis of critical details. The measured strain cycles were significant lower in number and size than expected. Most of the cycles were compression stress cycles only. The work was planned in Cooperation with the Berlin consultancy Professor Hilbers that was responsible for the design and calculation of the reconstruction measures. Additionally, after calculation of the possible reuse of the old arches, we compared measured data from strain measurements with the results from calculation.
The measured data and the calculated data show a good qualitative correlation.
The construction process of the New Berlin Main Station, the former Lehrter Bahnhof, has been monitored from the beginning. In this station, the main European east-western railway connection crosses the northsouth railway lines. Four east-western bridges, built in the first construction phase, carry the platforms for international lines and suburban train tracks. The outer two bridges carry the supports of the relatively flat glass roof, too. Since the glass roof is very sensitive to vertical displacements, the authorities required a complex monitoring system. This case study describes long-term measurements with classical and enhanced innovative sensors to monitor vertical displacements of neighboring glass roof supports. Additionally, traditional strain gauges were embedded parallel to long-gauge length fiber-optic strain sensors in the near-surface concrete of the partial prestressed bridges to reliably survey possible changes.
The measurements on site go along with long-term laboratory tests on prestressed concrete beams. Researchers study load effects and long-term environmental influences on two large-scale model beams, inside and outside the laboratory.
The monitoring system has been working stable as an early warning system for any changes of the structural conditions since 2002. All data are available on line for both the project team and the owner.
The reliability of data, obtained from nondestructive testing depends on many different factors as e.g. the equipment, the human factor, the influence of material properties, geometrical accessibility of the given detail, the structure of the detail, but also from data acquisition, processing and interpretation. The presentation introduces to current possibilities for the quantification of measurement results received during nondestructive testing.
The amount of new knowledge about bridges, about the materials they are made of, deterioration processes for the different materials, typical defects, methods for early detection of them and related causes for damage increases day by day. Often the knowledge remains in the heads of ageing specialists leaving the inspection teams or universities. This paper presents a feasibility study about application of a new tool from artificial in-telligence, ontology, for modeling and organizing bridge engineering knowledge from a domain expert´s view. Exemplarily, knowledge and not only data from bridge testing in the field and in the laboratory were formalized for the presentation of the functionality of ontologies. The open source ontology editor Protégé was ap-plied to test the feasibility.
The amount of new knowledge about bridges, about the materials they are made of, deterioration processes for the different materials, typical defects, methods for early detection of them and related causes for damage increases day by day. Often the knowledge remains in the heads of ageing specialists leaving the inspection teams or universities. This paper presents a feasibility study about application of a new tool from artificial in-telligence, ontology, for modeling and organizing bridge engineering knowledge from a domain expert´s view. Exemplarily, knowledge and not only data from bridge testing in the field and in the laboratory were formalized for the presentation of the functionality of ontologies. The open source ontology editor Protégé was ap-plied to test the feasibility.
Cast iron arch bridges were built in the late 18th and early 19th century across Europe. After the famous Iron Bridge in the Ironbridge Gorge in Coalbrookdale in England, being now part of the UNESCO world heritage, many cast iron bridges followed and substituted timber bridges. A series of cast iron bridges has been built in central Europe, in Laasan, Breslau, (now Wrocław), in Berlin, Potsdam, Bad Muskau and Schwerin. The paper gives an overview about the current state of some remaining cast iron arch bridges, typical damage cases, material properties and rehabilitation. Most of the old cast iron arch bridges serve as pedestrian bridges. Some of these bridges have been strengthened to increase the traffic load. Different rehabilitation measures as substitution of parts of the bridges and strengthening using Carbon Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) are discussed.
Brücken zählen einerseits zu den ältesten Zeugnissen der Verkehrsgeschichte und sind andererseits ein wichtiger Bestandteil der Verkehrsinfrastruktur für unsere heutige Gesellschaft. Sie erfüllen eine wichtige Funktion bei Transport von Personen und Gütern und prägen das Stadtbild. Die Berliner Hoch- und Untergrundbahn, eröffnet im Februar 1902 nach 5 1/2 –jähriger Bauzeit, ist in der heutigen Berliner Denkmalliste als Denkmalbereich (Gesamtanlage) geschützt. Bereits seit 1980 waren die historischen Bahnhöfe entlang der Stammstrecke als Baudenkmale gelistet.
An der Stahlkonstruktion der Hochbahnviadukte zwischen Halleschem Tor und Prinzenstraße wurden während regulärer Inspektionen in den 1990ziger Jahren Risse dokumentiert. Die Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) bezogen die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) sowie Ingenieurbüros in eine Diskussion über die optimale Lösung zur Sanie-rung und zum Erhalt der Hochbahnviadukte ein. Zahlreiche Versuche im Labor und Messungen vor Ort dienten der Optimierung der bevorzugten Sanierungsvariante. Die BVG für eine Lösung mit relativ geringem Eingriff in die Konstruktion. Das äußere Erscheinungsbild der Hochbahnviadukte im Berliner Stadtbild konnte durch die Sanierungsvariante der BVG erhalten werden.
Bridges represent a crucial part of traffic infrastructure networks for both, freight transport and transport of people. None the less, sometimes it is not easy for infrastructure owners to manage or extract data and knowledge of interest about specific bridges from bridge management systems, e.g. along a line. In case of search for a special material parameter or for a recent strengthening measure, the selection of the wanted information may be time consuming. The search process depends on the complexity of the selected issue.
The paper presents the applicability of ontologies, a new tool from artificial intelligence transferred to bridge engineering issues. Current modern ontologies consider the rules from the World Wide Web consortium (W3C), use a defined Web Ontology Language (OWL) and the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI®) to describe the members of a domain and the relations between them in a machine readable manor. Any information, data as well as text information is broken down to a simple triple (RDF) in a subject- predicate- object relation to organize the link between them. Advantage over any type of data base is processibility due to the use of restrictions and axioms. Visualization plug-ins, as OntoGraph or GraphViz, can visualize the structure of the ontology or parts of it and the described relations.
In the recent years, ontology editors like e.g. Protégé, were developed to enable domain experts to structure a specific domain. The editor is still under development. None the less, the study shows exemplarily, how an ontology for riveted steel bridges could consider results from testing in the laboratory and in the field. Besides typical materials, typical damage processes defects and structures, applicable methods are formalized, classified and described. Queries using e.g. DL-Query may address tasks of interest and extract it from the ontology.
Active Thermography
(2016)
Active thermography is a nondestructive testing method for identification of near surface defects and signs of early deterioration. The presentation explains the potential and Limits of the method and the equipment for application to concrete structures. Advanced data analysis can increase the quality of imaging of the measurement. The method is usually applied once for analysis of the current condition. If applied periodically, the method can be used for observation of a deterioration process.
The amount of new knowledge about bridges, materials they are made of, deterioration processes for the different materials, resulting defects, methods for early detection of them and related causes for damage increases day by day. Often the knowledge remains in the heads of ageing specialists leaving the inspection teams or universities. This paper presents a feasibility study about application of a new tool from artificial intelligence to model and organize bridge engineering knowledge from a domain expert´s view. Exemplarily, knowledge and not only data from bridge testing in the field and in the laboratory were formalized for the presentation of the functionality of ontologies.
Active thermography
(2017)
Active thermography is introduced as tool for diagnostics in civil engineering structures. Aside from basic information, examples for applications of active thermography in different types of structures was presented. Active thermography was applied in historic structures to reveal former components or even ancient openings. Other examples present active thermography as a tool for nondestructive detection of debonding in CFRP strengthened structures. The way is explained, how the system was optimized for different materials.
Practical applications of recent BAM-research results of NDT and monitoring in civil engineering
(2018)
Nondestructive testing and monitoring was of mayor interest in BAM-research related to the survey of civil engineering structures during the last two decades. Three case studies about research projects carried out at BAM were presented. All three projects focussed on the survey of parameters and safety related tasks in bridge engineering and inspection. First, the monitoring of the Berlin main station was presented with focus on the sensors developed specifically for this project. The second case study presented and application of guided ultrasonic waves to CFRP-strengthened bridges. The method was sucsessully applied to two of four different strengthening measures carried out min. 10 years ago. The last project presented the feasibility study of a network consisting of simple Bluetooth modules to survey changes in the moisture content in sand and massive concrete.
The book chapter first analyses the history of higher education in Europe. Second step describes the current Bologna process. Finally, the rule of the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -Prüfung (BAM) in supporting PhD-students during their research and preparation of theire theses in cooperation with Universities is described
Current measurement methods for dertermination of moisture analyse near-surface moisture distribution. During an externally funded research project, microwaves in the Bluetooth(R) frequency band width were utilized for Setting-up a module network. Without additional sensors, the feasibility study confirmed that threedimensional data can collected to obtain a threedimensional data set as basis for the estimation of moisture distribution inside massive building materials.
Dokumentation von Ermüdungsversuchen an genieteten Querträgern einer schweißeisernen Trogbrücke
(2001)
Ermüdungsversuche an alten genieteten Stahlbrücken: Beurteilung der verbleibenden Restnutzungsdauer von Querträgern einer originalen schweißeisernen Trogbrücke nach fast einhundert jähriger Nutzung. Verbindungen und Elemente des alten Bauwerks sind zunächst unter Verkehr und nach dem Abriss der Brücke im Labor getestet worden. Es kamen sowohl Dehnungsmessungen als auch zerstörungsarme bzw. Zerstörungsfreie Prüfverfahren zur Anwendung. Materialuntersuchungen, auch neuartige, wie z. B. Rissfortschrittversuche, Gefügeuntersuchungen und Zugversuche ergänzten die Untersuchungen.
Following the long tradition of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) since Adolf Martens has created first routines in failure analysis (Ruske, 1971), BAM has been frequently called-in by the Berlin Traffic Association (BVG) to carry out root-cause analyses of the Berlin suburban train line (Frahm, 1902), reported in Helmerich and Herter (1999), Helmerich (2000), Nega and Winkler (1998), Helmerich et al. (2002) and Herter et al. (2002). This was also the case in the 1990s, when BVG-inspectors found cracks in hanging, barrel-like shaped ballast plates of the Berlin underground steel viaducts during regularly scheduled inspections. Cracks were located parallel to the riveted connection between the ballast plates and the upper chord of the viaduct cross girder steel profiles. For safety reasons, the operator BVG immediately stopped the cracks by means of drilling stop holes at the crack tips. As intermediate measures, longitudinal steel profiles were spanned below the rail axes between the cross girders affected to stabilize the track in longitudinal direction. The inspection period was shortened from years to few weeks. BAM was mandated to measure strains under regular train traffic to analyze the cause of the cracks. Strains were measured in identical connections as the damaged details, which did not suffer from cracks at the time of the measurement. The traffic-induced strain cycles and thus the resulting strain differences in the questionable cross sections were higher than expected and resulted in stresses of max. 85.8 MPa. Calculations showed that the credible remaining fatigue life for this particular structural detail was exceeded after 68 years according to nowadays standards. Extensive discussions, further field and laboratory tests followed to develop a rehabilitation plan for retrofitting the structure with minimum interference of the traffic. Finally, a method with minimum intervention to the structure was elaborated by a consortium of the operator BVG, BAM and producers based on further laboratory and field tests at BAM. Now, the viaduct is saved for the future.
Cast iron arch bridges were built in the late 18th and early 19th century across Europe. After the famous Iron Bridge in the Ironbridge Gorge in Coalbrookdale in England, being now part of the UNESCO world heritage, many cast iron bridges followed and substituted timber bridges. A series of cast iron bridges has been built in central Europe, in Laasan, Breslau, (now Wrocław), in Berlin, Potsdam, Bad Muskau and Schwerin. The paper gives an overview about the current state of some remaining cast iron arch bridges, typical damage cases, material properties and rehabilitation. Most of the old cast iron arch bridges serve as pedestrian bridges. Some of these bridges have been strengthened to increase the traffic load. Different rehabilitation measures as substitution of parts of the bridges and strengthening using Carbon Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) are discussed.
Assessment of existing steel structures - A guideline for estimation of the remaining fatigue life
(2007)
In many countries and regions, traffic infrastructure projects suffer from low funding. The budget is tight for new infrastructure building and, thus, the importance of inspection, maintenance and assessment of the existing traffic infrastructure increases. A new fatigue assessment guideline for the estimation of the remaining fatigue life of steel bridges has been written by technical committee 6 of the European Convention of Constructional Steelwork (ECCS). It will be a useful tool for the complementation of bridge management systems, used commonly for condition assessment.
Design specifications and rules are harmonised throughout Europe. They are under constant development, but there is still a lack of forwarding and concentrating experiences as well as developing rules for the fatigue assessment on existing steel structures. This paper presents a guideline with a proposed fatigue assessment procedure for existing steel structures embedded in information about old materials and non-destructive testing methods for the evaluation of details (ECCS 2004, Assessment of existing steel structures). Particular attention is paid on remedial measures which are proposed for weak details and damages caused by fatigue. The developed fatigue assessment procedure can be applied to existing steel structures under cyclic loading in general, but the guideline concentrates on the existing traffic infrastructure made from old steel, because of the public importance. The proposed procedure summarizes, regroups and arranges the knowledge in the field of assessment on existing steel to be applied by practicing engineers. The procedure is a milestone in knowledge transfer from a state of scientific knowledge to state-of-the-art.
Cracks perpendicular to the surface may be initial indicators for a deterioration process of concrete structures. Moisture penetrates inside the structure and transports adverse chemicals. The paper presents an investigation about the reliability of available commercial non-destructive evaluation techniques to reliably estimate the depth of surface-breaking cracks in reinforced concrete structures. Aim of the study was the investigation of surface-braking cracks under laboratory conditions. Commercial acoustic devices as impact echo equipment, single ultrasonic transducers and arrays were applied even if they have not been developed for this purpose. The commercial software and descriptions for application was followed strictly to compare the function, precision and repeatability of the measurements. Both, perpendicular notches and cracks have been considered. The study was completed with a discussion about reference specimens. The study was the basis for formulation of gaps in research. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has initiated and funded a Project.
For almost 15 years, carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates and sheets have been used for strengthening and repair of civil engineering structures. CFRP plates were applied to upgrade structures for change in use or increasing traffic load. CFRP laminates have also been used to repair deteriorated structures such as multi-storey parking or bridges. The execution quality and condition of the strengthening measure in terms of bond integrity were neither monitored nor tested systematically. Inspectors eventually applied simple hammer knocking during regular main inspection for subjective noise distinction as a measure for eventual insufficient bond. This paper presents the feasibility and the limitations of low-frequency transversal ultrasonic waves with dry-coupling point-contact sensors for inspection and defect detection between CFRP laminate and concrete surfaces. The German Centre of Competence in Civil Engineering (DIBt) has initiated a national research project [Helmerich et al. (2012). Condition analysis of bonded CFRP-applications on concrete structures by means of non-destructive testing [in German: Zustandsuntersuchung von CFK-Klebeverstärkungen an Betonbauteilen mittels zerstörungsfreier Prüfung (ZfP)]. Final, internal project report], carried out at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Germany. The aim of the project was to present a potential non-destructive testing method for bond defect detection as a measure for the durability of the strengthening system more than 10 years after application.
Trans-European corridors for transport of people and goods require strengthening of bridges to carry increased axle loads in terms of absolute axle loads and of their frequency. Most of the bridges along highways are reinforced or prestressed concrete bridges.
Since the late 1990s, CFRP laminates have been applied to box girder and T-beam bridges to increase the overall capacity. Although regular inspections are carried out, no special method was available to test the bond condition of CFRP laminates after being in Service for more than ten years. The German Center of Competence in Civil Engineering is aware of this need and funded a research project to investigate the bond condition by means of advanced non-destructive testing (NDT).
The vulnerability of low-quality concrete of some bridges to ageing and deterioration while they are exposed to environmental conditions during their service life, influence of growing population and climate changes, is a well-known effect and requires survey. For survey, the development of a low cost, cost-efficient sensor network to be embedded for continuous or attached to the surface for periodic monitoring is essential.
Changing ground water conditions, flood or even leakage in fresh or disposal of waste water can lead to in-creased moisture content in building materials and structural elements as walls or floors. Moisture allows the transport of other adverse chemicals that might reduce the durability of structures. The paper presents a feasibility study about the capability of microwave modules as bluetooth® or ZigBee with frequency range at 2,4 GHz to create advanced Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) for estimation and visualization of moisture distribution in infrastructure assets. It was found that the value of the received signal strength indication (RSSI) depends on the moisture content and can be the basis for the moisture distribution inside a massive structure.
The microwave modules may be used to compose networks outside and inside of building materials or structural elements. The higher the number of connections between BLE modules, the more precise and the more distant information can be obtained from the network. Mesh networking was applied to increase the quantitative information.
The European infrastructure asset has developed historically and is characterized by nation-specific construction processes. Inspection, condition assessment, and maintenance procedures differ from country to country. Because of historical and political circumstances, national infrastructure assets are maintained at different levels, too. Since the budget for maintaining the bridge infrastructure less and less meets the demands of a growing bridge stock, bridge inspection, maintenance, and life-cycle considerations gain higher importance. The need exists to develop effective diagnosis tools for early detection of construction faults, defects, and deterioration processes during inspection, to keep the bridge infrastructure at an acceptable level, from structural safety and economic viewpoints. An overview on the latest research projects and integrated bridge management systems in Europe is given. The potentials of nondestructive testing (NDT) are presented, with special focus on technical advances of NDT applications to reinforced concrete (RC) and posttensioned concrete bridges. Although NDT is not regularly integrated in these processes, the application brings valuable information on the current condition of the inner structure in called-in special inspections. NDT-automation and the application of imaging echo methods, combined with advanced data processing, produce a surprising level of information about the inner structure of massive RC slabs up to a depth of about 60 cm. Detected inhomogeneity and scatterers of acoustic or electromagnetic waves can be visualized in vertical or horizontal slices through the structure or animations. The fusion of different three-dimensional data sets of processed data improves the interpretability and accuracy of the results.