11/22/2016

Non Destructive Testing

of
Concrete

Bipul Talukdar Ph.D.

[email protected]

Department of Civil Engineering, Assam Engineering College, Guwahati- 781 013

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Importance and need of non-destructive In some cases it is also possible to check the
testing quality of workmanship and structural integrity by
The tests available for testing concrete range from the the ability to detect voids, cracking and
completely non-destructive, where there is no damage to the delamination.
concrete, through those where the concrete surface is slightly
damaged, to partially destructive tests, such as core tests and Non-destructive testing can be applied to both old
pullout and pull off tests, where the surface has to be repaired and new structures.
after the test.

The range of properties that can be assessed using non- For new structures, the principal applications are
destructive tests and partially destructive tests is quite large likely to be for quality control or the resolution of
and includes such fundamental parameters as density, elastic doubts about the quality of materials or
modulus and strength as well as surface hardness and surface
construction.
absorption, and reinforcement location, size and distance from
the surface. 3 4

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The testing of existing structures is usually related to an assessment of

structural integrity or adequacy.
Typical situations where non-destructive
In either case, if destructive testing alone is used, for instance, by removing testing may be useful are, as follows:
cores for compression testing, the cost of coring and testing may only allow a
relatively small number of tests to be carried out on a large structure which (1) quality control of pre-cast units or construction in situ
may be misleading.
(2) removing uncertainties about the acceptability of the material
Non-destructive testing can be used in those situations as a preliminary to supplied owing to apparent non-compliance with specification
subsequent coring.
(3) confirming or negating doubt concerning the workmanship
involved in batching, mixing, placing, compacting or curing of
concrete

(4) monitoring of strength development in relation to formwork

removal, cessation of curing, prestressing, load application or
similar purpose

Re-strengthen after NDT (5) location and determination of the extent of cracks, voids,
honeycombing and similar defects within a concrete structure
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Typical situations where non-destructive Typical situations where non-destructive

testing may be useful are, as follows: testing may be useful are, as follows:
(6) determining the concrete uniformity, possibly (10)confirming or locating suspected deterioration of
preliminary to core cutting, load testing or other more concrete resulting from such factors as overloading,
expensive or disruptive tests fatigue, external or internal chemical attack or
change, fire, explosion, environmental effects
(7) determining the position, quantity or condition of
reinforcement (11)assessing the potential durability of the concrete

(8) increasing the confidence level of a smaller number of (12)monitoring long term changes in concrete properties
destructive tests
(13)providing information for any proposed change of
(9) determining the extent of concrete variability in order use of a structure for insurance or for change of
to help in the selection of sample locations ownership.
representative of the quality to be assessed 7 8

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Basic methods for NDT of concrete

structures Assessment of Concrete Strength
The following methods, with some typical applications,

Schmidt/rebound hammer test, used to evaluate
have been used for the NDT of concrete:
the surface hardness of concrete.
Visual inspection, which is an essential precursor to

Ultrasonic pulse velocity testing, mainly used to
any intended non destructive test. An experienced
measure the sound velocity of the concrete and
civil or structural engineer may be able to establish
hence the compressive strength of the concrete.
the possible cause (s) of damage to a concrete
structure and hence identify which of the various
NDT methods available could be most useful for any
further investigation of the problem.

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Basic methods for NDT of concrete structures Basic methods for NDT of concrete structures

Testing of Durability Parameters of Hardened Concrete
Sonic methods using an instrumented hammer providing both sonic
echo and transmission methods.

Half-cell electrical potential method, used to detect the corrosion
Tomographic modelling, which uses the data from ultrasonic
potential of reinforcing bars in concrete. (Corrosion Analyser) transmission tests in two or more directions to detect voids in
concrete.

Carbonation depth measurement test, used to determine whether
moisture has reached the depth of the reinforcing bars and hence
Impact echo testing, used to detect voids, delamitation and other
corrosion may be occurring. anomalies in concrete.

Resistivity measurement for corrosion prediction
Ground penetrating radar or impulse radar testing, used to detect the
position of reinforcing bars or stressing ducts.

Permeability test, used to measure the flow of water through the
concrete. (Permeability Tester)
Infrared thermography, used to detect voids, delamination and other
anomalies in concrete and also detect water entry points in buildings.

Covermeter testing, used to measure the distance of steel reinforcing
bars beneath the surface of the concrete and also possibly to measure
Radiographic testing, used to detect voids in the concrete and the
the diameter of the reinforcing bars. (Profometer) position of stressing ducts.

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Partially Destructive Strength Test SCHMIDT REBOUND HAMMER TEST :

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE

Penetration resistance or Windsor probe test, used
to measure the surface hardness and hence the The Schmidt rebound hammer is principally a surface hardness tester.

strength of the surface and near surface layers of It works on the principle that the rebound of an elastic mass depends
the concrete. on the hardness of the surface against which the mass impinges.

There is little apparent theoretical relationship between the strength of

Core Test Method
concrete and the rebound number of the hammer.

Pullout Test Method However, within limits, empirical correlations have been established
between strength properties and the rebound number.

Further, Kolek has attempted to establish a correlation between the

hammer rebound number and the hardness as measured by the Brinell
method.

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GENERAL PROCEDURE

EQUIPMENT
With the hammer pushed hard against the
The hammer weighs about 1.8 kg and is suitable for use concrete, the body is allowed to move away
both in a laboratory and in the field. from the concrete until the latch connects the
hammer mass to the plunger.
The main components include the outer body, the plunger,
the hammer mass, and the main spring.

Other features include a latching mechanism that locks

the hammer mass to the plunger rod and a sliding rider to
measure the rebound of the hammer mass.

The rebound distance is measured on an arbitrary scale

marked from 10 to 100.
The plunger is then held perpendicular to the
The rebound distance is recorded as a “rebound number” concrete surface and the body pushed towards
corresponding to the position of the rider on the scale. the concrete. This movement extends the
spring holding the mass to the body.

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GENERAL PROCEDURE
APPLICATIONS
When the maximum extension of the spring is The hammer can be used in the horizontal, vertically
reached, the latch releases and the mass is
overhead or vertically downward positions as well as at
pulled towards the surface by the spring.
any intermediate angle, provided the hammer is
perpendicular to the surface under test.

The mass hits the shoulder of the plunger rod

The position of the mass relative to the vertical, however,
and rebounds because the rod is pushed hard affects the rebound number due to the action of gravity on
against the concrete. the mass in the hammer.

During rebound the slide indicator travels with the hammer mass and stops at
Thus the rebound number of a floor would be expected to
the maximum distance the mass reaches after rebounding. be smaller than that of a soffit and inclined and vertical
A button on the side of the body is pushed to lock the plunger into the surfaces would yield intermediate results.
retracted position and the rebound number is read from a scale on the body.
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ULTRASONIC TESTING : PULSE VELOCITY TEST (Fundamental principle)

APPLICATIONS
A pulse of longitudinal vibrations is produced by an electro-acoustical
Although a high rebound number represents concrete with transducer, which is held in contact with one surface of the concrete under
test.
a higher compressive strength than concrete with a low
When the pulse generated is transmitted into the concrete from the
rebound number, the test is only useful if a correlation can
transducer using a liquid coupling material such as grease or cellulose
be developed between the rebound number and concrete paste, it undergoes multiple reflections at the boundaries of the different
made with the same coarse aggregate as that being tested. material phases within the concrete.

Too much reliance should not be placed on the calibration A complex system of stress waves
develops, which include both longitudinal
curve supplied with the hammer since the manufacturer and shear waves, and propagates through
develops this curve using standard cube specimens and the concrete.
the mix used could be very different from the one being The first waves to reach the receiving
tested. transducer are the longitudinal waves,
which are converted into an electrical signal
by a second transducer.
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Electronic timing circuits enable the transit time T of the pulse to be measured. Equipment

Longitudinal pulse velocity (in km/s or m/s) is given by:v= L/T The equipment should have the following characteristics.

It should be capable of measuring transit time over path lengths ranging from
Where, v is the longitudinal pulse velocity; L is the path length; T is the time about 100 mm to the maximum thickness to be inspected to an accuracy of
taken by the pulse to traverse that length. ±1%.
Equipment High frequency pulses have a well defined onset but, as they pass through the
The equipment consists essentially of an electrical pulse generator, a pair of concrete, become attenuated more rapidly than pulses of lower frequency.
transducers, an amplifier and an electronic timing device for measuring the It is therefore preferable to use high frequency transducers for short path
time interval between the initiation of a pulse generated at the transmitting lengths and low frequency transducers for long path lengths.
transducer and its arrival at the receiving transducer.
Transducers with a frequency of 50 kHz to 60 kHz are suitable for most
Two forms of electronic timing apparatus and display are available, one of common applications.
which uses a cathode ray tube on which the received pulse is displayed in
relation to a suitable time scale, the other uses an interval timer with a direct
reading digital display.

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ULTRASOUND PULSE ECHO ULTRASOUND PULSE ECHO

With Ultrasound Pulse Echo testing it is possible to detect internal features in The frequency of the ultrasound must be as low as 50 kHz because of the
concrete with one sided access to the structure. scattering of the sound waves by the aggregates and air pores.

The principle is based on the measurement of the time interval between Ultrasound is highly attenuated in concrete so it is impossible in most cases to
transmitting an ultrasonic impulse into the structure and receiving an echo. get a direct reading of the echo.

The distance to an inner reflector can be determined, if the velocity of sound is There have been recent advances in the utilization of the ultrasonic pulse echo
known through the simple equation method for concrete structure testing in the situations that follow.

d=vL/2T

Where, T: transit time, vL: Velocity of the longitudinal wave, d: distance.

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HALF-CELL ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL METHOD : FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE

APPLICATIONS
The method of half-cell potential measurements normally involves measuring
the potential of an embedded reinforcing bar relative to a reference half-cell This technique is most likely to be used for assessment of the durability of
reinforced concrete members where reinforcement corrosion is suspected.
placed on the concrete surface.

The half-cell is usually a copper/copper sulphate or silver/silver chloride cell Reported uses include the location of areas of high reinforcement corrosion
risk in marine structures, bridge decks and abutments. Used in conjunction
but other combinations are used.
with other tests, it has been found helpful when investigating concrete
The concrete functions as an electrolyte and the risk of corrosion of the contaminated by salts.
reinforcement in the immediate region of the test location may be related
empirically to the measured potential difference.

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CARBONATION DEPTH MEASUREMENT TEST : FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE

Carbonation of concrete occurs when the carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere in Rebar Locator (Profometer)
the presence of moisture, reacts with hydrated cement minerals to produce
carbonates, e.g. calcium carbonate.
The instrument locates reinforcing bars, measures
The carbonation process is also called depassivation. concrete cover and determines bar diameter.
Carbonation penetrates below the exposed surface of concrete extremely
The general principle is that the probe produces
slowly. magnetic flux. If a certain amount of this magnetic
EQUIPMENT flux uses one or several bars as ‘short cut’ by traversing
not the concrete but the steel, the instrument detects
If there is a need to physically measure the extent of carbonation it can be
determined easily by spraying a freshly exposed surface of the concrete with a
this and emits a measuring signal.
1% phenolphthalein solution.
The size of the measuring signal depends on the
The calcium hydroxide is coloured pink while the carbonated portion is amount of magnetic flux that traverses the steel. The
uncoloured. magnetic flux is most likely to take the short cut if the
probe is exactly above the rebar.

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Semi Destructive Tests

Concrete Core Testing

Semi destructive test.

Core cutting with diameter of 50mm and 100mm

Testing of core for compressive strength is done.

Compressive strength should be corrected for :

Equivalent cube strength

Correction for L/d ration

Cube strength = 1.25 X cylinder strength

Anisotropic medium of concrete

Surface layer (increase 15 to 20%)
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Others Methods of NDT

Acoustic emission
Other semi destructive tests Acoustic emission analysis uses sensors mounted on the surface of parts
or structures to record elastic waves caused inside by microscopic

Penetration Resistance Test processes such as, e.g., crack growth.

In principle, the analysis allows a qualitative and, under certain conditions,

quantitative assessment of the integrity of the part or structure.

Pull out Test Acoustic emission analysis is also suited for other industrial applications,
e.g., process monitoring.

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Others Methods of NDT Others Methods of NDT

X-ray computer Tomography Vibration analyses

Computer tomography is a well-known test method used for medical

diagnostics. Vibration analyses can be carried out on a wide range of structures such as
bridges, dams, buildings etc.
Using industrial scanners, cross-sectional pictures of the object being
investigated are taken in any selected plane, recorded and processed.
The tests are designed to determine the dynamic characteristics of the
Three-dimensional views, surface point clouds and first-article structures such as natural frequency, modes of vibration and damping.
inspections can be produced by stacking contiguous tomograms.

The results are used to gain basic information for the evaluation of
earthquake safety, long-term monitoring, short-term condition tests and
optimising of analytic models.

The two methods available are “ambient vibration analysis” and “forced
vibration analysis”.

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Others Methods of NDT Others Methods of NDT

Infrared Thermography Ultrasonic imaging

IR thermography is a method for measuring the temperature distribution of a Ultrasonic waves permit non-destructive testing of materials for the detection
surface. It permits to detect regions of heat production (e.g. due to a crack of component defects.
under cyclic loading or a hot spot in a defective IC) or regions of Using this test procedure the precise location of cracks, pores, inclusions and
inhomogeneous cooling (e.g. due to blisters or air voids in a pavement or fusion flaws can be determined.
under waterproof membranes). This method is used for testing metal, ceramic and plastic materials together
In the building phase of road constructions, IR thermography can be used to with their bonding system (adhesion, welding, soldering).
control the temperature of the single components. Images are generated either with a high-precision mechanical scanner or a
When flashes or a sine-modulated radiator heat an object, voids and phased array system.
debondings buried below the surface hinder the heat transfer.

The resulting transient thermal contrast on the surface is made visible with
pulse or lock-in thermography.

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Others Methods of NDT Others Methods of NDT

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) Digital Radiography

Welding, solder and joint bonds must be tested without the need to remove
GPR is used for investigations on roads, bridges and other elements of the casing or the casting compound.
infrastructure.
The X-ray microscope is an ideal tool for this task.
The test method is based on an electromagnetic signal which is emitted by an
antenna into the object. This test unit is equipped with an X-ray tube that has a very small focal spot, a
highly sensitive image intensifier and a manipulation jig for the sample under
Energy from this signal is reflected by inhomogeneity and recorded for later test.
analysis.
Faulty locations with extensions measuring from 10 to 100 µm can be
The mobile system permits efficient investigations of roads while causing detected dependent on the contrast to the background material or to the
minimum obstruction to the flow of traffic. influence of the total attenuation of the radiation.

After suitable data processing and interpretation the results of a radar Digital radiographs can also be made using imaging plates.
investigation provide a vertical profile of the object.

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Others Methods of NDT Others Methods of NDT

Optical Method Eddy Current Imaging

Laser light scattered back from an object is compared with a reference field The application of eddy currents permits the registration of surface
by an interferometer. inhomogeneities in metallic objects.

The interference pattern is recorded by a CCD camera so that the deformation The position and extension of e.g. cracks or holes, also under non-conducting
field can be measured simultaneously over the complete surface of the object layers, can be imaged by a high-precision mechanical scanner in conjunction
in multiples of the laser wavelength. with an eddy current equipment.

As deformations can be detected in the nanometer range, this test method is

suitable for proving the smallest inhomogeneity caused by faults, weaknesses Magneto-inductive cable testing
or cracks.
Magneto-inductive testing allows for the detection of flaws such as wire
fractures or severe corrosion in the free length of large diameter cables.

The comparison of the results of measurements performed at regular intervals

offers a useful tool for the assessment of the condition of stay cables.

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One of the most important parameters that determine the safety of a building Best 95%
is its strength.
Test Method Cefficient of
confidence limit
Variation on strength
In all cases, if the investigation finds the strength of concrete is less than the estimate %
design strength
the result needs to be presented to the engineer in charge Windsor Probe 4 ±20 (3 tests)
(civil engineer/structural engineer) who must make a
decision based on the results presented as well as other Rebound Hammer 4 ±25 (12 tests)
considerations.
UPV 2.5 ±20 (1 tests)

Pull out method 8 ±20 (6 tests)

Concrete core

Standard 10 ±10 (3 specimens)

small 15 ±15 (9 specimens

Source : Concrete Technology by M. L. Gambhir

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