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Active infrared thermography in civil engineering - quantitative analysis by numerical simulation
(2003)
The cooling-down process of building structures after heating-up with an external radiation source was analysed to detect voids inside and below the surface. Quantitative results of concrete test specimen containing voids with different sizes at various depths will be presented here. The experimental results were compared to numerical simulations performed with a Finite Difference program developed at BAM.
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.
Impulse-thermography is an active method for quantitative investigation of the near surface region of various structures which has recently been applied to civil engineering. It is well suited for the detection of voids and honeycombing in concrete up to concrete covers of 10 cm and more. For quantitative analysis, a computer program for numerical simulation of the heating up and cooling down processes was developed based on Finite Differences. With this program parameter studies have been performed for investigating the influence of environmental conditions, material parameters and geometry on the thermal behaviour. The comparison between experimental and simulated results enables the Inverse Solution.
The applicability of pulse phase thermography (PPT) for the investigation of structures is studied systematically on concrete test specimens and on a plastered sandstone column. In the test specimens, voids and delaminations are implemented in different depths and with different sizes, modelling real voids, honeycombing and debonding. Delaminations of plaster in concrete and masonry and behind tiles on concrete are investigated. PPT is based on the frequency analysis of the cooling down process of actively heated surfaces. Therefore, it is contactless and thus completely non-destructive (if overheating of the surface is prevented), fast and allows the inspection of large surface areas. The interpretation of amplitude and phase images gives semi-quantitative information about the observed defects. The phase images provide a deeper probing up to 1015 cm in relation to the interpretation of the thermograms and to the amplitude images. In addition, the influence of surface inhomogeneities and non-uniform heating is reduced.
An advanced quantitative approach of pulse-phase-thermography for nondestructive
testing in civil engineering is described in this contribution. The
characteristic frequency of the maximum phase-contrast between defects and sound
areas is used as a means for the characterization of its depth.
The new approach is tested in the laboratory on concrete structures with defects of
polystyrene. The surfaces of the structures were heated with IR-radiators for varying
time periods.
The presented investigations were funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
(DFG) and were carried out in co-operation with the Technical University of Berlin
(TUB).
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.
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.
Impulse-thermography has been established as a fast and reliable tool in many areas of non-destructive testing. In recent years several investigations have been done to apply active thermography to civil engineering. For quantitative investigations in this area of application, finite difference calculations have been performed for systematic studies on the influence of environmental conditions, heating power and time, defect depth and size and thermal properties of the bulk material (concrete). The comparison of simulated and experimental data enables the quantitative analysis of defects.
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.
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.
Influence of concret properties on the calibration of radar, ultrasonics and active thermography
(2008)
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).
Impulse-thermography is an active method for quantitative investigations of the near surface region of various structures. It has recently been applied and optimised to applications in civil engineering. By using either an internal or external heat source, parts of the structure under investigation are heated up and the transient heat flux is observed by recording the temperature change at the surface as a function of time. This method is very well suited for the detection of voids and honeycombing in concrete, up to concrete covers of 10 cm as well as for the location of delaminations in multi-layered systems (e.g. plaster on concrete, CFRP-laminates on concrete, asphalt on concrete). Also safety relevant defects like voids in tendon ducts and cracks in concrete could be recognised.
The delamination of a plaster layer, which covers a concrete structure, can be detected by active thermography. In this paper, a systematic series of measurements is described, where the gap between plaster and concrete was varied. These investigations were compared to FEM-simulations. The experimental and simulated data were in good agreement. It was found that the used experimental setup yields only marginal differences between fixed and lose plaster in the thermal behavior. However, significant characteristics within the temperature decays could be resolved, which are clearly related to the air gap.
Impulse thermography is an active method for quantitative investigations of the near
surface region of various structures. It has recently been applied and optimized to applications in civil
engineering. For quantitative analysis of data recorded on the building site, the problems are manifold.
Here, the influence of the different surface properties on the detection and characterization of voids
and honeycombing simulated by polystyrene cubes and cubes prepared of porous concrete are
demonstrated.
Monitoring of cracks in historic concrete structures using optical, thermal and acoustical methods
(2015)
Cracks are a major issue in the field of cultural heritage. In order to evaluate the significance of a crack, a long term monitoring of the damaged region is required. However, there is a lack of easy to operate tools for such monitoring measures. Therefore, new or existing methods for other applications have to be optimised for cultural heritage investigation. The paper describes the application of such crack observation methods on a historic concrete sculpture. Beside conventional methods, like mapping by hand and ultrasonic depth profiling, a novel tracking system is presented. Furthermore, the suitability of active thermography for the investigation of cracks was investigated. The results show promising prospects for these non-destructive techniques.
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.