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Information about an existing structure can be collected at certain costs to evaluate the reliability and condition as realistically as necessary. This information can be relevant or irrelevant, true or biased, precise or imprecise. The incorporation of relevant and quality-assessed measured information into reliability reassessment offers the chance to extend remaining lifetimes and support decision making about optimal actions or maintenance strategies. This paper shows recent developments in a national research project that aims to produce a guideline on the NDT-based, structure-specific modification of partial safety factors. The general methodology, results from recalculations according to the Eurocodes and metrologically solvable testing tasks relevant in the recalculation of the concrete bridges are shown and compared with the non-destructive testing methods applicable to concrete bridges. A case study is used to demonstrate that as-built drawings, in this case of the positions of tendons and shear reinforcement, can be verified using the radar method.
Existing concrete structures were usually designed for lifetimes of several decades. The current and urgently required efforts to increase sustainability and protect the environment will likely result in extended service lives up to 100 years. To achieve such objectives, it is required to assess structures over their entire lifecycles. Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods can reliably support the assessment of existing structures during the construction, operational, and decommissioning phases. One of the most important and safety-relevant components of a prestressed concrete structure are the tendons. NDT methods such as the ultrasonic echo method are suitable for both the detection and the localization of the tendons, i.e., the measurement of their geometrical position inside the component. The uniqueness of structures, concrete heterogeneity, and varying amounts of secondary components such as the reinforcement represent obstacles in the application of these methods in practice. The aim of this contribution is to demonstrate a practicable procedure, that can be used in the field to determine the parameters required for the measuring data analysis without extensive knowledge about the investigated components. For this purpose, a polyamide reference specimen is used to show which steps are required to obtain reliable imaging information on the position of tendons from the measurement data. The procedure is then demonstrated on a concrete test specimen that covers various relevant and practice-oriented test scenarios, such as varying tendon depths and component thicknesses.
Elastic wave propagation of ultrasound in bituminous road surfaces - simulations and measurements
(2015)
Maintenance costs of road infrastructure are increasing steadily. The main cause of this is the nearly exponential increase of traffic during the last decades. Adverse environmental impacts on infrastructure get more and more important as well. Therefore, it is important to determine how limited financial resources can be directed with an optimum pay-out. Often a decision has to be made whether existing structures have to be rebuilt or repaired based on the condition of the structures. The present study takes first steps towards the usage of low-frequency ultrasound as a tool to evaluate the road condition. The overall aim is to derive a prediction model for future road conditions. In order to better understand and interpret recorded wave fields simulations of elastic wave propagation in layered and scattering road models have been performed. The study combined investigations in the laboratory with field measurements. In a series of extensive laboratory tests with different asphalt mixtures characteristic wave properties have been derived. Travel time (resp. velocity) as important material parameter has been investigated for different wave types, different centre frequencies and at various temperatures. An investigation of the directivity of wave radiation in the heterogeneous asphalt bodies led to an estimate of the related disturbing influences. Based on the laboratory results field measurements were performed on a real road and the records were processed to identify layers, propagation speeds and attenuation. The results were verified by a series of simulations.