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Nuclear Power Plants have been in operation for ca. 50 years. Based on this experience, non-destructive testing tasks specific to thick and highly reinforced nuclear containment structures have materialized. The performance based Service life extension of existing NPPs also needs a measurement based decision to support continuing the service of the concrete part of the installations.
By nature, concrete is a very durable material and any natural Deterioration processes may take a long time to become critical to the structure. The experience of more than 50 years of service limits the testing tasks to a few ones which are not yet solved.
Research in NDT of concrete structures is performed by many research institutions all over the world with different technical and systematic approaches. Results are mainly obtained on laboratory specimens, sometimes additional field studies are reported. This research takes place independently without coordination and as a result, the outcomes mostly lack full comparability.
Software for data analysis has become indispensable and very powerful. This part of testing needs more attention when it comes to evaluate test results. Validation of NDE solutions is becoming a critical part in concrete structure testing.
Validation is by definition the proof that a customer´s requirements in the test are being met by the testing solution. This includes equipment, personnel qualification and data analysis. In the following tables, the research recommendation Validation is used in the sense, that proof of the performance of existing solutions needs to be adressed. In general, a validation methodology for NDE solutions for concrete testing in itself needs to be researched and established.
Comparability of research also needs an accepted and easily accessible reference. From experience, it is almost impossible to manufacture exact copies of test specimens at different locations. Round Robin tests are therefore needed to evaluate the performance of a test.
Data evaluation is generally done using dedicated software, sometimes Hardware dependant and not interchangeable between systems. Software is ever more increasingly becoming more powerful and sophisticated. An in-depth evaluation needs to address the comparability and validation of Software used for data analysis and evaluation. The vision of a unified software pool for NDE investigations would undoubtedly support research tremendously.
Quantitative NDE is mostly recommended to assess the condition of a structure. However, qualitative data can be very useful, especially for processes which change the material properties or deteriorate the structure (e.g. corrosion of reinforcement). The need for reliable baseline data is a key factor for such monitoring tasks.
A toolbox with non-destructive testing methods for the condition assessment of railway bridges
(2006)
The unified economic structure of the European market requires a unified transport infrastructure to ensure seamless and barrierfree transportation of passengers and goods. The European commission is funding the European Integrated Project Sustainable Bridges to comply with future traffic demands. The main objective of the project is to reliably assess and upgrade the bridge infrastructure for the required increase of axle loads and transport volume. 32 Institutes from 12 countries develop unified procedures for the assessment and improvement of the existing railway bridge stock under the guidance and review of six major European railway companies.
Non destructive testing (NDT) is given a high priority. One of the work packages concentrates on the potential of advanced NDT-methods and creates a toolbox with advisable methods for the condition assessment of all types of railway bridges. Although NDT-methods are implemented in the quality assurance process in many industries, their application in the railway infrastructure is not common. Only a few countries have included selected NDT-methods into advanced condition assessment procedures for the management of their bridge stock.
This paper describes also current activities to enhance pulse-phase thermography, impulse-radar and acoustic methods. The advanced methods enable infrastructure owners to verify construction plans, to assess structures, repair and strengthening quality or to identify in-service damages. Latest development is an automated scanning system for combined acoustic and electromagnetic measurements. The results are then combined through data fusion techniques to further increase their value for the bridge owners.