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"INFRASTAR aims to develop knowledge, expertise and skills for optimal and reliable management of structures. The generic methodology is applied to bridges and wind turbines in relation to fatigue offering the opportunity to deal with complementary notions (such as old and new asset management, unique and similar structures, wind and traffic actions) while addressing 3 major challenges: 1/ advanced modelling of concrete fatigue behaviour, 2/new non destructive testing methods for early aged damage detection and 3/probabilistic approach of structure reliability under fatigue. Benefit of cross-experience and inter-disciplinary synergies creates new knowledge. INFRASTAR proposes innovative solutions for civil infrastructure asset management so that young scientists acquire a high employment profile in close dialogue between industry and academic partners. Modern engineering methods, including probabilistic approaches, risk and reliability assessment tools, will take into account the effective structural behaviour of existing bridges and wind turbines by exploiting monitored data. Existing methods and current state-of -the art is based on excessive conservatism which produces high costs and hinders sustainability. INFRASTAR improves knowledge for optimising the design of new structures, for more realistic verification of structural safety and more accurate prediction of future lifetime of the existing structures. That is a challenge for a sustainable development because it reduces building material and energy consumption as well as CO2 production. Within the global framework of optimal infrastructure asset management, INFRASTAR will result in a multi-disciplinary body of knowledge covering generic problems from the design stage process of the new civil infrastructures up to recycling after dismantlement. This approach and the proposed methods and tools are new and allow a step forward for innovative and effective process."
Fatigue is one of the most prevalent issues, which directly influences the service life expectancy of concrete structures. Fatigue has been investigated for years for steel structures. However, recent findings suggest that concrete structures may also be significantly subjected to fatigue phenomena that could lead to premature failure of certain structural elements. To date, fatigue of reinforced concrete has been given little focus. Knowledge on the influence factors and durability/capacity effects on this material should be improved. Current technological means to measure fatigue in civil structures like bridges and wind turbines (both onshore and offshore) are outdated, imprecise and inappropriate.
Meanwhile, this topic has got much more attention as time-variant loading on concrete structures plays an increasing role, e.g. in bridges with increasing traffic and heavier trucks, and for wind turbines for renewable energy production, e.g. for offshore wind turbine support structures affected by wind and waves.
The European Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions project INFRASTAR (Innovation and Networking for Fatigue and Reliability Analysis of Structures - Training for Assessment of Risk) provides research training for 12 PhD students. The project aims to improve knowledge for optimizing the design of new structures as well as for more realistic verification of structural safety and more accurate prediction of the remaining fatigue lifetime of existing concrete structures.
First, the INFRASTAR research framework is detailed. Then it will be exemplified through the presentation of the major results of the four PhD students involved in the work package dealing with auscultation and monitoring. This includes the development and improvement of Fiber Optics (FO) and Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI) for crack sizing and imagery, new sensor technologies and integration, information management, monitoring strategy for fatigue damage investigation and lifetime prediction.
The vulnerability of low quality concrete to changing weather conditions is well known. The constant exposure to temperature changes, biological activity, and humidity ends up in damage to buildings and structures which contain this material. It is therefore necessary to take preventive measures to control the extent of the damage done by weathering and possible penetration of adverse chemicals into structures which need public safety.
The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), in cooperation with the small enterprise LinTech GmbH, is working on a project to monitor humidity changes in concrete by analyzing the changes in signal strength (RSSI) from Bluetooth Low Energy sensors. In this paper, we show results which demonstrate the influence of changing water content in concrete on the received RSSI. We observed that as water content in concrete decreases, the received RSSI improves. However, the damping effect is not linearly proportional to water content, rather exponentially proportional. This suggests that changes in the received signal strength are more easily observed when water content in concrete is higher. Finally, we reconstructed a RSSI distribution map using computed tomography
The vulnerability of low quality concrete to changing weather conditions is well known. The constant exposure to temperature changes, biological activity, and humidity ends up in damage to buildings and structures which contain this material. It is therefore necessary to take preventive measures to control the extent of the damage done by weathering and possible penetration of adverse chemicals into structures which need public safety.
The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), in cooperation with the small enterprise LinTech GmbH, is working on a project to monitor humidity changes in concrete by analyzing the changes in signal strength (RSSI) from Bluetooth Low Energy sensors. In this paper, we show results which demonstrate the influence of changing water content in concrete on the received RSSI. We observed that as water content in concrete decreases, the received RSSI improves. However, the damping effect is not linearly proportional to water content, rather exponentially proportional. This suggests that changes in the received signal strength are more easily observed when water content in concrete is higher. Finally, we reconstructed a RSSI distribution map using computed tomography.
As groundwork for thickness determination of polymeric surface protection systems for concrete, we present a method for measuring the thickness of isolated semitransparent solids using pulse thermography both in transmission and reflection configuration. An advanced analytical model by Salazar et al. capturing semitransparency is applied. After calibration with samples of well-known thickness, the unknown thickness of samples of the same material can be obtained by fitting.
So far, only destructive measurement techniques are available for thickness determination of polymer based surface protection systems for concrete surfaces. Pulse thermography appears to be well suited for non-destructive thickness evaluation in these systems. Here, we present first results of the development of a respective measurement and analysis procedure. Since surface protection systems consist of a number of layers, a model for the calculation of the surface temperature of a multi-layer structure on an infinite (concrete) substrate in pulse thermography setup was developed. It considers semitransparency of the upmost layer and thermal losses at the surface. It also supports the use of an arbitrary temporal shape of the heating pulse to properly describe the measurement conditions for different heat sources. First experimental results regarding the verification of the model are presented.
Funding by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is gratefully acknowledged.
As groundwork for thickness determination of polymeric surface protection systems for concrete, we present a method for measuring the thickness of isolated semitransparent solids using pulse thermography both in Transmission and reflection geometry. Since standard models do not capture semitransparency, an advanced analytical model by Salazar et al. is applied. Physical material parameters are deduced by fitting experimental data from samples of well-known
thickness. Using those, the thickness of samples of the material can be obtained by fitting, as demonstrated for different semitransparent polymer materials.
This dataset contains raw data resulting from Impact-Echo measurements at the reference conrete block "Radarplatte", located at BAM (German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing). This specimen has been described in detail by Niederleithinger et al. (2021), who applied muon tomography, ultrasonic echo measurements, radar and X-ray laminography to visualize its internal structure.
The Impact-Echo method is based on the excitation of the zero-group-velocity frequency of the first symmetric Lamb mode of a plate-like structure, in order to assess its thickness. Numerous publication elaborate on Impact-Echo theory, examples are (Gibson and Popovics 2005, Schubert and Köhler 2008 , Abraham and Popovics 2010).
The measurements have been conducted using a setup that contains only commercially available components. The setup consists of an Olson CTG-2 concrete thickness gauge (Olsen Instruments, USA) for actuation and sensing and an 8-bit NI USB-5132 digital storage oscilloscope (National Instruments, USA) combined with the Echolyst software (Schweizerischer Verein für technische Inspektionen (SVTI), Switzerland) for data acquisition.
Measurements were conducted using a grid of 23x23 points with a spacing of 50 mm. At each point 8192 samples were recorded at a sampling rate of 1 MS/s.
The dataset contains the (X,Y) location in mm of the individual measurement points as well as the raw measurement data at those points.
The data is provided in the formats *.mir/*.mhdr (Echolyst), *.npy (Python) and *.mat (Matlab) and *.csv to ease the import in various post-processing tools.
Interactions between waste paper sludge ashes and superplasticizers based on polycarboxylates
(2016)
In many industrial nations, about two third of the paper demand is covered by recovered paper. A major process step within the treatment of waste paper is the de-inking. It is a floating process yielding paper sludge as a waste product. About 50 % of this residue is used as a fuel. In several cases it is burnt at temperature of about 850 °C and thereafter the accrued ashes are collected in the flue gas filter. During the combustion, kaolinite and calcium oxide generate gehlenite and larnite. Calcite is the main component of waste paper sludge ash (PA).The chemical and mineralogical composition of PA suggests using it as a supplementary cementitious material.
In modern construction materials technology, workability aspects gain importance, since for most modern materials the rheology and compaction ability are relevant for the operation at a hardened state. It was observed that PA significantly increases the water demand of powder systems, which can cause serious problems during the casting of mineral binder systems containing PA. It is therefore obvious that binder systems containing PA might demand for the use of superplasticizers. Superplasticizers are polymers with anionic backbone that cause electrostatic and steric repulsion effects upon adsorption on surfaces of particles and hydration phases.
In this paper interactions between superplasticizers and waste paper sludge ashes are discussed and analysed. Based on observations of changes in the zeta potential and the dispersion of the particle system, the influence of the charge density of superplasticizers is observed and time dependent effects are demonstrated.
The through-life management of our constantly ageing infrastructure is a basic requirement in order to ensure their structural safety and serviceability. Each structure experiences deterioration processes with time leading to a decrease of structural safety and serviceability. The design of new structures considers the expected deterioration for a defined period, the design service life. However, a frequent survey of structural safety controlling structural condition should be mandatory and a maintenance plan should be an integral part of the design. In addition, many structures have exceeded their design service life already or are very close to it leading to an increasing demand for condition assessment. On the one hand, assumptions made during design are not valid any more due to change of the loads, e.g., increasing traffic loads in terms of number and weights. On the other hand, design codes evolved over time in such a way that existing structures do not comply with today’s standards. In all these cases, the through-life management is an important tool to maintain the accessibility of existing structures with known reliability.
In line with the new Model Code for Concrete Structures, which includes guidance for both – design of new structures and assessment of existing structures, the Task Group 3.3 focused on the compilation of a state-of-the-art guideline for the through-life management of existing concrete structures, including:
Data acquisition by testing and monitoring techniques;
Condition assessment for the evaluation of existing structures;
Performance prediction using advanced methods;
Decision-making procedures to perform a complete assessment of existing structure.
The overall objective of the through-life management is the assessment of the current condition and the estimation of the remaining service life under consideration of all boundary conditions.
Advanced ultrasonic imaging for concrete: Alternative imaging conditions for reverse time migration
(2018)
Ultrasound echo is a widely used NDT technique for determining the internal geometry of structures. Reverse-time migration (RTM) has been recently introduced to NDT applications, as an imaging method for ultrasound data, to overcome some of the limitations (e.g. imaging steeply dipping reflector) experienced by the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT), the most commonly used imaging algorithm for these measurements.
The standard implementation of RTM also experiences some drawbacks caused by its imaging condition, which is based on the zero-lag of the cross-correlation between source and receiver wavefields and generates high-amplitude low-frequency artifacts. Three alternative imaging conditions, developed for seismic data applications, were tested for their ability to provide better images than the standard cross-correlation: illumination compensation, deconvolution and wavefield decomposition. A polyamide specimen was chosen for the simulation of a synthetic experiment and for real data acquisition. The migrations of both synthetic and real data were performed with the software Madagascar. The illumination imaging condition was able to reduce the low-frequency noise and had a good performance in terms of computing time. The deconvolution improved the resolution in the synthetic tests, but did not showed such benefit for the real experiments. Finally, as for the wavefield decomposition, although it presented some advantages in terms of attenuating the low-frequency noise and some unwanted reflections, it was not able to image the internal structure of the polyamide as well as the cross-correlation did. Suggestions on how to improve the cost-effectiveness of the implementation of the deconvolution and wavefield decomposition were presented, as well as possible investigations that could be carried out in the future, in order to obtain better results with those two imaging conditions.
Ultrasound echo is a widely used NDT technique for determining the internal geometry of structures. Reverse-time migration (RTM) has been recently introduced to NDT applications, as an imaging method for ultrasound data, to overcome some of the limitations (e.g. imaging steeply dipping reflector) experienced by the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT), the most commonly used imaging algorithm for these measurements.
The standard implementation of RTM also experiences some drawbacks caused by its imaging condition, which is based on the zero-lag of the cross-correlation between source and receiver wavefields and generates high-amplitude low-frequency artifacts. Three alternative imaging conditions, developed for seismic data applications, were tested for their ability to provide better images than the standard cross-correlation: illumination compensation, deconvolution and wavefield decomposition. A polyamide specimen was chosen for the simulation of a synthetic experiment and for real data acquisition. The migrations of both synthetic and real data were performed with the software Madagascar. The illumination imaging condition was able to reduce the low-frequency noise and had a good performance in terms of computing time. The deconvolution improved the resolution in the synthetic tests, but did not showed such benefit for the real experiments. Finally, as for the wavefield decomposition, although it presented some advantages in terms of attenuating the low-frequency noise and some unwanted reflections, it was not able to image the internal structure of the polyamide as well as the cross-correlation did. Suggestions on how to improve the cost-effectiveness of the implementation of the deconvolution and wavefield decomposition were presented, as well as possible investigations that could be carried out in the future, in order to obtain better results with those two imaging conditions.
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.
During their life span, concrete structures interact with many kinds of external mechanical loads. Most of these loads are considered in advance and result in reversible deformations. Nevertheless, some of the loads cause irreversible, sometimes unnoticed changes below the macroscopic scale depending on the type and dimension of the impact. As the functionality of concrete structures is often relevant to safety and society, their condition must be known and, therefore, assessed on a regular basis. Out of the spectrum of non-destructive monitoring methods, Coda Wave Interferometry using embedded ultrasonic sensors is one particularly sensitive technique to evaluate changes to heterogeneous media. However, there are various influences on Coda waves in concrete, and the interpretation of their superimposed effect is ambiguous. In this study, we quantify the relations of uniaxial compression and uniaxial tension on Coda waves propagating in normal concrete. We found that both the signal correlation of ultrasonic signals as well as their velocity variation directly reflect the stress change in concrete structures in a laboratory environment. For the linear elastic range up to 30% of the strength, we calculated a velocity variation of −0.97‰/MPa for compression and 0.33%/MPa for tension using linear regression. In addition, these parameters revealed even weak irreversible changes after removal of the load. Furthermore, we show the time-dependent effects of shrinkage and creep on Coda waves by providing the development of the signal parameters over time during half a year together with creep recovery. Our observations showed that time-dependent material changes must be taken into account for any comparison of ultrasonic signals that are far apart in time. The study’s results demonstrate how Coda Wave Interferometry is capable of monitoring stress changes and detecting even small-size microstructural changes. By indicating the stated relations and their separation from further impacts, e.g., temperature and moisture, we anticipate our study to contribute to the qualification of Coda Wave Interferometry for its application as an early-warning system for concrete structures.
The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a fast method to provide multi-elemental analysis of any sample. At the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) the LIBS technique is applied on building materials to measure ingress profiles of harmful species like chloride and alkalis. The ingress depth and the quantitative amount is important for the evaluation of the potential for damage processes like the alkali-silica reaction or chloride-induced corrosion. Concrete as an example is a highly heterogeneous material with 1/7 cement (major component CaO) and 6/7 aggregates (SiO2) with different grain sizes. Due to a scanning procedure a two dimensional element distribution of a concrete surface can be measured. In order to have an automated Separation method to evaluate heterogeneous materials, different cluster algorithm have been tested. Best results have been achieved with the Expectation-Maximization-Algorithm (EM-Algorithm).
The analysis of the chemical composition of cement-based materials like concrete is a crucial task in civil engineering. Concrete is a multi-phase material made of cement, water, aggregates, additives and admixtures. During the damage assessment of concrete structures, the external ingress of harmful species like chlorine, alkalis or sulfates needs to be determined. In order to provide a fast and precise analysis of concrete the application of LIBS offers unique possibilities as the technique can detect all elements at air atmosphere.
To determine the condition of concrete, the information about the chemical composition, the ingress of harmful species as well as the evaluation of characteristic values like the used cement type or the type of aggregates are needed. This work presents the two-dimensional evaluation of concrete samples using LIBS and multivariate data analysis of atomic and molecular emission. For the evaluation of the main components different classification methods will be applied to identify the heterogeneity of the samples. With respect to their specific phase, different species will be quantified using multivariate regression (PLS) and important figures of merit will be presented. All results will be verified using Standard procedure of wet chemistry (XRF, potentiometric titration and ICP-OES).
In civil engineering, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been applied as a fast and reliable method for a quantitative evaluation of concrete cores. Due to a two-dimensional scanning, the heterogeneity of concrete can be evaluated and elements like Cl, Na, and S are related to the cement matrix only. This study deals with the temporal evaluation and imaging of laser-induced plasmas on cement-based materials, in order to investigate the impact of aggregates with diffrent grain size on the spectral response in LIBS.
For concrete production aggregates, cement and water are mixed together and after 28 days of hydration a porous and multiphase material is formed. To consider the heterogeneity of concrete a 2D scanning system is used. The coarse aggregates (limit > 2 X d ) can be excluded. laser spot The remaining content is a mixture of flour grains and cement particles (micro heterogeneity). Harmful species like chlorides may penetrate together with water through the capillary pore space. A quantification of Cl regarding to the cement content only (European standard EN 206) is necessary for the damage assessment. A LIBS system operating with a NdCr:YAG laser (pulse energy of 3 mJ, a wavelength of 1064 nm, a pulse width of 1.5 ns, a repetition rate of 100 Hz) and two Czerny-Turner spectrometer (UV and NIR range) have been used.
Concrete is a multiphase material made of cement, aggregates and water. The heterogeneity of concrete is a result of mixing aggregates (grain size between 0.125 mm to 32 mm) and cement (grain size < 0.04 mm) together. There are always aggregates with a grain size below 0.125 mm (flour grains) therefore the cement matrix is always a mixture of these small particles. Different grain size distributions by making concrete are important to ensure the needed density and com-pressive strength. In order to estimate the remaining lifetime of concrete structures the quantification of element concentra-tions of alkali and chlorides regarding to the cement matrix only (1/3 of the total mass), is a major concern in civil engineer-ing. Due to two-dimensional scanning with LIBS the coarse aggregates can be evaluated and excluded from the analysis. In the case of particles (flour grains and cement) smaller than the laser spot size, the microscopic hetero-geneity influences the laser-plasma interaction and has therefore an impact on the results. In this study the influence of the micro-heterogeneity and the impact on the laser-material interaction is examined. The effect of changing ratios between cement particles and aggregate particles in the laser-induced plasma has been analyzed (see figure 1, right). Therefore, different samples with defined grain sizes are prepared and the obtained distributions were analyzed with x-ray diffraction (XRD). For the LIBS measurements, an automated system that operates with a low energy NdCr:YAG laser (pulse energy of 3 mJ, a wavelength of 1064 nm, a pulse width of 1.5 ns, a repetition rate of 100 Hz) and a NIR Czerny-Turner spectrometer has been used.
New possibilities for concrete analysis 4.0 with the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
(2020)
In civil engineering the damage assessment of concrete infrastructures is an important task to monitor and ensure the estimated life-time. The aging of concrete is caused by different damage processes like the chloride induced pitting corrosion of the reinforcement. The penetration depth and the concentration of harmful species are crucial factors in the damage assessment. As a highly cost and time-consuming standard procedure, the analysis of concrete drill cores or drilling by wet-chemistry is widely used. This method provides element concentration to the total mass as aggregates and binder are homogenized. In order to provide a method that is capable to detect the element concentration regarding the cement content only, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) will be presented. The LIBS method uses a focused pulsed laser on the sample surface to ablate material. The high-power density and the laser-material interaction causes a laser-induced plasma that emits elemental and molecular line emission due to energy transition of the excited species in the plasma during the cooling phase.
As each element provides element-specific line emission, it is in principle possible to detect any element on the periodic table (spectroscopic fingerprint) with one laser shot. In combination with a translation stage the sample under investigation can be spatially resolved using a scan raster with a resolution up to 100 µm (element mapping). Due to the high spatial resolution, the element distribution and the heterogeneity of the concrete can be evaluated. By using chemometrics the non-relevant aggregates can be excluded from the data set and the element concentration can be quantified and referred to a specific solid phase like the binding matrix (cement) only. In order to analyze transport processes like diffusion and migration the twodimensional element distributions can provide deep insight into the transport through the pore space and local enrichments of elements. As LIBS is a multi-elemental method it is also possible to compare the ingress and transport process of different elements like Cl, Na, K, S, C, and Li simultaneously and evaluate cross-correlations between the different ions. Furthermore, the element mapping allows to visualize the transport along cracks. This work will show the state of the art in terms of hardware and software for an automated LIBS system as well as different application for a concrete analysis 4.0. Focus will be the application of LIBS for a fast concrete analysis.
In civil engineering concrete is the most used building material for making infrastructures like bridges and parking decks worldwide. It is as a porous and multiphase material made of aggregates with a defined grain size distribution, cement and water as well as different additives and admixtures depending on the application. Different grain sizes are important to ensure the needed density and compressive strength.
The resulting porous cement matrix contains a mixture of flour grains (aggregates with a grain size below 125 lm) and cement particles (particle size≈50lm). Harmful species like chlorides may penetrate together with water through the capillary pore space and may trigger different damage processes. The damage assessment of concrete structures in Germany is estimated due to the quantification of harmful elements regarding to the cement content only. In the evaluation of concrete using LIBS a two-dimensional scanning is necessary to consider the heterogeneity caused by the aggregates. Therefore, a LIBS system operating with a low energy NdCr:YAG laser, a pulse energy of 3 mJ, a wavelength of 1064 nm, a pulse width of 1.5 ns and a Repetition rate of 100 Hz has been used. Different Czerny-Turner spectrometers with CCD detectors in the UV and NIR range have been used for the detection. Large aggregates (macro-heterogeneity) can be excluded from the evaluation, whereas small aggregates in the range of the laser spot size (flour grains) cannot be spatially resolved. In this work the micro heterogeneity caused by flour grains and their impact on the quantification with LIBS will be discussed. To analyze the effect of changing grain sizes and ratios, the ablation behavior has been determined and compared. Samples with defined grain sizes were made and analyzed using LIBS.
The grain size distributions were analyzed with laser diffraction (LDA).
2D evaluation of spectral LIBS data derived from heterogeneous materials using cluster algorithm
(2017)
Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is capable of providing spatially resolved element maps in regard to the chemical composition of the sample. The evaluation of heterogeneous materials is often a challenging task, especially in the case of phase boundaries. In order to determine information about a certain phase of a material, the need for a method that offers an objective evaluation is necessary. This paper will introduce a cluster algorithm in the case of heterogeneous building materials (concrete) to separate the spectral information of non-relevant aggregates and cement matrix. In civil engineering, the information about the quantitative ingress of harmful species like Cl−, Na+ and SO2−4 is of great interest in the evaluation of the remaining lifetime of structures (Millar et al., 2015; Wilsch et al., 2005). These species trigger different damage processes such as the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) or the chloride-induced corrosion of the reinforcement. Therefore, a discrimination between the different phases, mainly cement matrix and aggregates, is highly important (Weritz et al., 2006). For the 2D evaluation, the expectation-maximizationalgorithm (EM algorithm; Ester and Sander, 2000) has been tested for the application presented in this work. The method has been introduced and different figures of merit have been presented according to recommendations given in Haddad et al. (2014). Advantages of this method will be highlighted. After phase separation, non-relevant information can be excluded and only the wanted phase displayed. Using a set of samples with known and unknown composition, the EM-clustering method has been validated regarding to Gustavo González and Ángeles Herrador (2007).
Ultrasonic echo testing is widely used in non-destructive testing in civil engineering to investigate concrete structures, to measure thickness, and to locate and characterise built-in components or inhomogeneities. Currently, synthetic aperture focusing techniques are mostly used for imaging. These algorithms are highly developed but have some limitations. For example, it is not possible to image the lower boundary of built-in components like tendon ducts or vertical reflectors. We adopted reverse time migration for non-destructive testing in civil engineering in order to improve the imaging of complicated structures in concrete. By using the entire wavefield, including waves reflected more than once, there are fewer limitations compared to synthetic aperture focusing technique algorithms. As a drawback, the required computation is significantly higher than that for the techniques currently used. Simulations for polyamide and concrete structures showed the potential for non-destructive testing. The simulations were followed by experiments at a polyamide specimen. Here, having acquired almost noise-free measurement data to test the algorithm, we were able to determine the shape and size of boreholes with sufficient accuracy. After these successful tests, we performed experiments at a reinforced concrete foundation slab. We obtained information from the data by reverse time migration, which was not accessible by traditional imaging. The imaging of the location and structure of the lower boundary of the concrete foundation slab was improved. Furthermore, vertical reflectors inside the slab were imaged clearly, and more flaws were found. It has been shown that reverse time migration is a step forward in ultrasonic testing in civil engineering.
The ultrasonic echo technique is frequently used in non-destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures for thickness measurements, geometry determinations as well as localization of built-in components. To improve ultrasonic imaging of complex structures in concrete, we transferred a geophysical imaging technique, the reverse time migration (RTM), to NDT in civil engineering. In contrast to the conventionally used synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) algorithms, RTM is a wavefield continuation method in time and uses the full wave equation. Thus, RTM can handle complicated wave propagations in any direction without dip limitation. In this paper, we focused on the application and evaluation of a two-dimensional (2D) elastic RTM algorithm considering compressional waves, vertically polarized shear waves, and Rayleigh waves. We tested the elastic RTM routine on synthetic ultrasonic echo data generated with a 2D concrete model consisting of several steps and circular air inclusions. As these complex structures can often be found in real-world NDT use cases, their imaging is especially important. By using elastic RTM, we were able to clearly reproduce vertical reflectors and lower edges of circular air voids inside our numerical concrete model. Such structures cannot be imaged with conventional SAFT algorithms. Furthermore, the used elastic RTM approach also yielded a better reconstruction of a horizontal reflector and upper boundaries of circular air inclusions. Our encouraging results demonstrate that elastic RTM has the potential to significantly improve the imaging of complex concrete structures and, thus, is a step forward for detailed, high-quality ultrasonic NDT in civil engineering.
This dataset contains raw data resulting from Impact-Echo measurements at the reference concrete block "IE Platte", located at BAM (German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing).
The specimen contains three polystyrene slabs and one polyethylene foil to act as reflectors. The specimen was produced in a three-step process. First, the base plate was cast. Second, the reflectors were taped to the base plate. Finally, the upper layer was cast on top of base plate and reflectors. A drawing is contained in the dataset.
The Impact-Echo method is based on the excitation of the zero-group-velocity frequency of the first symmetric Lamb mode of a plate-like structure, in order to assess its thickness. Numerous publications elaborate on Impact-Echo theory, examples are (Gibson and Popovics 2005, Schubert and Köhler 2008 , Abraham and Popovics 2010).
The measurements have been conducted using a setup that contains only commercially available components. The setup consists of an Olson CTG-2 concrete thickness gauge (Olsen Instruments, USA) for actuation and sensing and an 8-bit NI USB-5132 digital storage oscilloscope (National Instruments, USA) combined with the Echolyst software (Schweizerischer Verein für technische Inspektionen (SVTI), Switzerland) for data acquisition.
Measurements were conducted using a grid of 29x29 points with a spacing of 50 mm. At each point 8192 samples were recorded at a sampling rate of 1 MS/s.
The dataset contains the (X,Y) location in mm of the individual measurement points as well as the raw measurement data at those points.
The data is provided in the formats *.mir/*.mhdr (Echolyst), *.npy (Python) and *.mat (Matlab) and *.csv to ease the import in various post-processing tools.
The relevance of chloride measurements in practice for durability condition assessment and a description of the working principle of LIBS will be given. A comparison of chloride profiles obtained by the common wet chemical analysis and results from LIBS measurements are shown to demonstrate the accuracy of the LIBS-technique. In addition, an example on the extra information resulting from measurements performed with LIBS for improvement of condition assessment and prediction will be shown.
This paper will address the relevance of chloride measurements in practice for durability condition assessment and a description of the working principle of LIBS will be given. Examples of chloride profiles obtained by the common wet chemical analysis will be shown and compared with results from LIBS measurements as to demonstrate the accuracy of the LIBS-technique. The latter will be supported by clear graphs. In addition examples on the extra information resulting from measurements performed with LIBS for improvement of condition assessment and prediction will be shown.
One of the more difficult tasks for structural health monitoring is the continuous evaluation of the stability and load capacity of the building materials. This knowledge can be won, e.g., by taking material samples at the examining place with the drawback of partly destroying the structure. To avoid this, modern sensor and communication technologies offer promising methods for non-destructive testing. To address the tasks for monitoring of concrete structures, in the presented study, different sensors were combined with RFID transponders and embedded in concrete components.
One of the more difficult tasks for structural health monitoring is the continuous evaluation of the stability and load capacity of the building materials. This knowledge can be won, e.g., by taking material samples at the examining place with the drawback of partly destroying the structure. To avoid this, modern sensor and communication technologies offer promising methods for non-destructive testing. To address the tasks for monitoring of concrete structures, in the presented study, different sensors were combined with RFID transponders and embedded in concrete components.
Amplitudes variation of GPR rebar reflection due to the influence of concrete aggregate scattering
(2015)
Dense GPR measurements of rebar reflection amplitudes Show relative variations, which can be in the order of more than 10% - 20%. Former investigations demonstrated that these variations are caused by the heterogeneity of concrete, i.e. due to the inclusion of aggregates in concrete. These amplitude variations make it difficult to analyse single reflection amplitudes in order to determine the rebar diameter or to estimate the concrete deterioration state. In a systematic study we have quantified the statistical variation of the rebar reflection amplitude for concrete covers of 6 cm, 9 cm, 12 cm, 15 cm and 18 cm, for two different grading curves and for the rebar diameters 12 mm and 28 mm. Also the influence of the wavelength has been investigated by using antennas with different centre frequencies in relation to the aggregate size. The results are discussed with regard to a quantitative amplitude evaluation of GPR measurements and also the potential of using these variations for a characterization of concrete material properties.
Zahlreiche Schädigungsprozesse in Baustoffen stehen im engen Zusammenhang mit Feuchteeintrag und Feuchtetransport. Als Beispiel sind die schädigende Alkali-Kieselsäurereaktion (AKR) von Beton sowie Frost-Tauwechsel induzierte Gefügeschäden genannt. Zur zerstörungsfreien, ortsaufgelösten Feuchtemessung eignet sich die im Bereich der Geophysik etablierte, aber im Bauingenieurwesen noch wenig verbreitete, Messmethode der Nuklear Magnetischen Resonanz (NMR). Unter Verwendung der NMR-Relaxometrie sind sowohl Aussagen zum Feuchtegehalt und dessen räumliche Verteilung als auch die Charakterisierung der Porengrößen möglich, die das Transportverhalten eines porösen Materials maßgeblich beeinflussen.
Zur Erfassung der Mikro- und Mesoporen in Baustoffen ist dabei die Auflösung von kurzen T2 Relaxationszeiten unabdingbar. Bisher ist es mit gängigen NMR-Laborgeräten nur begrenzt möglich, solche kurzen T2-Zeiten schichtselektiv zu erfassen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde ein speziell für die Messung an mineralischen Baustoffen optimierter NMR-Tomograph beschafft. Dieser ermöglicht sowohl schichtselektive Messungen von Bohrkernen mit Durchmessern von bis zu 70 mm als auch bildgebende Untersuchungen an Proben mit Durchmessern ≤ 40 mm.
Erste Untersuchungsergebnisse an Sandstein, Tuffstein und Beton zeigen die Leistungsfähigkeit des neuen NMR-Tomographen zur Erfassung der porengrößenspezifischen Feuchteverteilung. In diesem Beitrag werden erste Ergebnisse verschiedenartiger Laborversuche exemplarisch dargestellt.
Für Sandsteine mit unterschiedlichsten Porengrößenverteilungen wurden mit dem neuen NMR-Tomographen und einem herkömmlichen NMR-System vergleichbare T2 Zeitenverteilungen ermittelt. Am sehr heterogenen Tuffstein konnten unterschiedlich poröse (und feuchte) Bereiche räumlich aufgelöst werden. Im Beton ließ sich der Feuchtetransport im Zementstein porengrößenspezifisch, schichtselektiv und zeitlich aufgelöst verfolgen.
Die bisher gewonnenen Ergebnisse zeigen das breite Anwendungsspektrum des neuen NMR Tomographen auf und ermöglichen ein besseres Verständnis des Feuchtetransports und der oft damit einhergehenden Schädigungsprozesse in Baustoffen.
NMR is becoming increasingly popular for the investigation of building materials as it is a non-invasive technology that does not require any sample preparation nor causes damage to the material. Depending on the specific application it can offer insights into properties like porosity and spatial saturation degree as well as pore structure. Moreover it enables the determination of moisture transport properties and the (re-)distribution of internal moisture into different reservoirs or chemical phases upon damage and curing. However, as yet most investigations were carried out using devices originally either designed for geophysical applications or the analysis of rather homogeneous small scale (< 10 mL) samples. This paper describes the capabilities of an NMR tomograph, which has been specifically optimized for the investigation of larger, heterogeneous building material samples (diameters of up to 72 mm, length of up to 700 mm) with a high flexibility due to interchangeable coils allowing for a high SNR and short echo times (50 - 80 m s).
Imaging of results in NDT-CE: Strength and limitations in the use of Radar vs. Ultrasonic Echo
(2022)
Presentation on behalf of the co-author specified in BAM-Publica.
Study on capabilities of volume methods (GPR, Ultrasonic Echo) regarding lateral and depth localisation of reinforcement and tendons in concrete components. Varied boundary conditions: spacing and diameter of both the near surface rebars of the mesh, and the reflectors of interest, as well as component thickness and concrete cover. Please find corresponding references on slide 2.
The non-destructive testing methods available for civil engineering (NDT-CE) enable the measurements of quantitative parameters, which realistically describe the characteristics of existing buildings. In the past, methods for quality evaluation and concepts for validation expanded into NDT-CE to improve the objectivity of measured data. Thereby, a metrological foundation was developed to collect statistically sound and structurally relevant information about the inner construction of structures without destructive interventions. More recently, the demand for recalculations of structural safety was identified. This paper summarizes a basic research study on structural analyses of bridges in combination with NDT. The aim is to use measurement data of nondestructive testing methods as stochastic quantities in static calculations. Therefore, a methodical interface between the guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement and probabilistic approximation procedures (e.g. FORM) has been proven to be suitable. The motivation is to relate the scientific approach of the structural analysis with real information coming from existing structures and not with those found in the literature. A case study about the probabilistic bending proof of a reinforced concrete bridge with statistically verified data from ultrasonic measurements shows that the measuring results fulfil the requirements concerning precision, trueness, objectivity and reliability.
In this contribution, an approach is outlined to process non-destructively gath-ered measurement data in a comparable way in order to include the measured information in probabilistic reliability assessments of existing structures. An es-sential part is the calculation of measurement uncertainties. The effect of incor-porating evaluated NDT-results is demonstrated by means of a prestressed con-crete bridge and GPR measurements conducted on this bridge as a case-study. The bridge is assessed regarding SLS Decompression using the NDT-results.
"The reassessment of bridges continues to take great importance both nationally and internationally. A major challenge is to find computation models reflecting the actual properties of the considered structures sufficiently accurate. Besides regular inspections, the conduction of advanced measurements is suitable to generate reliable information about a structure to be assessed. Prior to incorporating measurement results in reassessment, the relevance, the trueness, and the precision of the measured information needs to be stated. On the one hand, the use of information whose quality has not been assessed can lead to errors with serious consequences. On the other, the measurement of irrelevant information is inefficient. Although the use of measured data in assessment is currently mostly unregulated, their appreciation in reliability analyses is beneficial since the built environment can be assessed more realistically. Utilizing NDT in reassessment has the potential to extend remaining lifetimes of a structure, save resources, and improve infrastructural availabilities. The power of judgment regarding the decision on the reliability of an existing structure can be increased.
In this contribution, an approach is outlined to process non-destructively gathered measurement data in a comparableway in order to include themeasured information in probabilistic reliability assessments of existing structures. An essential part is the calculation of measurement uncertainties. The effect of incorporating evaluated NDT-results is demonstrated by means of a prestressed concrete bridge and GPR measurements conducted on this bridge as a case-study. The bridge is assessed regarding SLS Decompression using the NDT-results."
Reliability assessment of existing bridge constructions based on results of non-destructive testing
(2018)
The non-destructive testing methods available for civil engineering (NDT-CE) enable the measurements of quantitative parameters, which realistically describe the characteristics of existing buildings. In the past, methods for quality evaluation and concepts for validation expanded into NDT-CE to improve the objectivity of measured data. Thereby, a metrological foundation was developed to collect statistically sound and structurally relevant information about the inner construction of structures without destructive interventions. More recently, the demand for recalculations of structural safety was identified. This paper summarizes a basic research study on structural analyses of bridges in combination with NDT. The aim is to use measurement data of nondestructive testing methods as stochastic quantities in static calculations. Therefore, a methodical interface between the guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement and probabilistic approximation procedures (e.g. FORM) has been proven to be suitable. The motivation is to relate the scientific approach of the structural analysis with real information coming from existing structures and not with those found in the literature. A case study about the probabilistic bending proof of a reinforced concrete bridge with statistically verified data from ultrasonic measurements shows that the measuring results fulfil the requirements concerning precision, trueness, objectivity and reliability.
Attenuation of ultrasonic signals in concrete has the potential to carry much information about the microstructure of the material. In this work a series of concrete specimens of varying porosities and pore size distributions were internally imaged with x-ray computed tomography (CT), and then subsequently examined with throughtransmission ultrasound. The CT images were used to quantify both capillary porosity of cement paste as well as internal interfaces that are likely to produce elastic wave scattering. Ultrasound signals were represented as a diffusion process such that absorption and scattering attenuation could be isolated. As implemented, the diffusion model was a poor predictor of capillary porosity, while diffusivity was a reasonable predictor of scattering interfaces. Diffusivity was found to scale extremely well with small scale porosity, which made it a good predictor of compressive strength.
With a goal to improve our understanding of the relationships between microstructural features and ultrasonic signal behavior, concrete specimens of varying water-to-cement ratio were imaged using X-ray computed tomography (CT), and subsequently subjected to ultrasonic testing. From the CT scans, measurements were made of cement paste density and number of interfaces. Ultrasonic signals produced using a through-transmission configuration were analyzed and fit to a diffusion model to separate absorption from scattering attenuation. The results showed that at the frequencies tested, ultrasonic dissipation rate correlated weakly with paste density, while diffusivity correlated well with number of interfaces, but only if entrained air is considered separately. Cement paste density was found to be very well predicted by diffusivity, leading to a clear power-law relationship between diffusivity and compressive strength.
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.
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.
When reassessing existing concrete bridges, the challenge is often to obtain missing or incomplete information on the internal structure. In particular, the number and position of the existing reinforcement as well as the geometric dimensions of the components are of interest. Non-destructive testing methods, like radar or ultrasound, which work on the basis of the pulse-echo method, have been established for this purpose, as they only require access to the component from one side. The measurement data recorded on the structure require pre-processing to be able to reproduce the internal structure geometrically accurately. Besides different steps of data processing, the geometrical reconstruction of the measured data based on the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) is state of the art today. In this paper, the technical possibilities of the ultrasonic echo method are presented based on measurements in the laboratory and on a real bridge structure. The precision of the reconstruction and its limitations are shown. In addition to the state of the art SAFT technique, open questions and the latest research approaches, such as imaging by reverse time migration (RTM) including initial results are discussed.
When reassessing existing concrete bridges, the challenge is often to obtain missing or incomplete information on the internal structure. In particular, the number and position of the existing reinforcement as well as the geometric dimensions of the components are of interest. Non-destructive testing methods, like radar or ultrasound, which work on the basis of the pulse-echo method, have been established for this purpose, as they only require access to the component from one side. The measurement data recorded on the structure require pre-processing to be able to reproduce the internal structure geometrically accurately. Besides different steps of data processing, the geometrical reconstruction of the measured data based on the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) is state of the art today. In this paper, the technical possibilities of the ultrasonic echo method are presented based on measurements in the laboratory and on a real bridge structure. The precision of the reconstruction and its limitations are shown. In addition to the state of the art SAFT technique, open questions and the latest research approaches, such as imaging by reverse time migration (RTM) including initial results are discussed.
Presentation on recent progress in ultrasinic testing and monitoring of concrete for massive structures. First, a new instrument (LAUS) for ultrasonic echo testing of thicknesses up to 5 m is shown. A new method to provide better images of the concrete interior, Reverse Mitem Migration (RTM)is presented. Second, the use of embedded ultrasonic transducers and data processing methods borrowed from seismology to detect subtle changes in concrete are documented.
The presentation will give an overview on non-destructive testing techniques being developed at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Germany (BAM). This includes ultrasonic methods, ground penetration radar, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), infrared thermography, pile testing, sensor technology and building scanner. A focus of the talk will be ultrasonic methods, which are well established in various aspects of concrete testing. They are used for imaging the interior geometry of constructions, estimation of concrete strength or monitoring lab investigations. However, so far the detection of distributed damages, especially in an early stage, has been almost impossible. The arrival of new technologies as embedded transducers and sensitive data processing techniques adopted from seismology has opened new field of work. Recent research has been focused to detect changes in concrete elements induced by stress, temperature, moisture or chemical attacks by permanent monitoring. Techniques as Coda Wave Interferometry can resolve changes in ultrasonic velocity in the order of 1*10-5. In addition, many researchers believe that the investigation of nonlinear effects can be used to characterize damages. The presentation will give a wrap up of ultrasonic techniques currently used in practice. This will include echo based methods as multi-channel/multi-offset imaging of structural elements using commercial and prototype devices. Imaging methods as SAFT and RTM will be shortly discussed. The focus will be on the emerging techniques used for monitoring. New types of sensors will be presented as well as the devices used in laboratory and field applications. Insight will be given on the various influence factors on ultrasonic signals and various ways of feature extraction and data processing. The results of lab experiments will be shown to demonstrate the detection of various kind of damages from mechanical load, ASR, corrosion to fatigue. The experiences with our first installations in real constructions (bridges, tunnel) will also be presented.
Concrete is known to be a very useful, flexible and durable construction material. However, due to excess load, fatigue, chemical processes, freeze-thaw or reinforcement corrosion concrete may suffer from degradation. If detected too late, repair is difficult and expensive.
The propagation of ultrasonic waves is influenced by changes in the properties and structure of the material, including, but not limited to, stress, temperature, moisture content and microcracking. Ultrasonic velocieties thus may serve as indicators for structural health. Traditional ultrasonic methods as transmission time of flight measurements are used since decades, but are not sensible enough to show subtle changes. Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI), originally developed in seismology to detect stress changes in the earth's crust uses the information in the late part of ultrasonic signals originating from multiple reflections and scattering. Since a few years it is used by several researchers for lab experiments on concrete.
Meanwhile specialized sensors to be embedded in concrete have been developed. We have conducted several lab and a few field experiments, which will be reported here. The capabilities and limitations of CWI are summarized.