Non-destrcutive Testing- NDT Methods for Evaluation of Parking Garages can help improve the quality of routine inspection and maintenance. Parking garages require routine inspection and maintenance to ensure they remain safe and operational. Weather it is a public parking in extremely busy downtown areas, or a private condominium structure, proper maintenance is needed to keep Read more about NDT Methods for Evaluation of Parking Garages[…]
A corroded structure (whether it is a bridge, or a jetty, or a simple ramp) could be scary for many people. Imagine yourself driving along the Gardner Express (Downtown Toronto), or the highway 40 (Montreal), and all of a sudden, a piece of concrete falls onto your car, breaking the windshield. Feels scary? Indeed! A Read more about Corrosion Monitoring of Reinforced Concrete Structures[…]
Half Cell corrosion mapping is an effective method for assessing the severity of corrosion activity in concrete structures. It is the most well-known procedure to identify the likelihood of active corrosion; however, the test does not provide any information about the kinetics of corrosion activity. The easy and cost-effective procedure of the test makes it popular Read more about Half Cell Corrosion Mapping for Concrete[…]
Corrosion inspection of structural anchor bolts can be quite challenging. The reason is that access to these buried elements is often very difficult. The visible part of the bolt is usually in poor quality, and mechanical tests such as pull-out is not an option. Non-destructive ultrasonic testing of anchor bolts provide a very good method Read more about Ultrasonic Testing of Anchor Bolts[…]
In this article, we will review the application of GPR in bridge deck investigation. Investigating concrete bridge decks can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. Many investigation techniques have been developed over time to study defects in the decks. Corrosion of steel reinforcement is a major challenge in concrete decks, as it remains unnoticed until it is Read more about Reinforced Concrete Bridge Deck Investigation[…]
Damaged Bridges are a major concern in the maintenance and operation of transportation infrastructure. Bridge structures in North America were mainly developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s and are rapidly approaching the end of their initial service life. Major mega cities in North America spend millions of dollars each year to keep these structures safe and Read more about How to Test Damaged Bridges?[…]
You may think that corrosion in structures is a just a durability-related issue in the first glance. Well, that is far from the truth. In fact, corrosion can directly affect mechanical and structural properties of components. Corrosion can affect the global response of the structure. In this article, we will review some of the main Read more about Structural Effects of Corrosion[…]
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is primarily used in subsurface scanning of concrete and soil medium. It is used to: Locate rebar in concrete Predict thickness of concrete Location of delamination and voids However, corrosion mapping with GPR remains a very challenging topic; in fact, scholars and technicians involved in GPR scanning of concrete have different Read more about Challenges in Corrosion Mapping with GPR[…]
What happens when the patch repair is only done in damaged area? When a corrosion sign and rust stain appear on the concrete surface, it is the time to do something in order to stop corrosion propagation. Depending on corrosion type and propagation, the required intervention and precautionary measure are adopted. The remedial action may Read more about Patch Repair: Dos and Don’ts[…]
Corrosion of prestressing strands in prestressed RC girders can significantly reduce their load bearing capacity. This will increases the risk of failure, as well as cost of repair and retrofit. In this brief note, we explore the main reasons behind corrosion in prestressed girders, effective evaluation techniques, and available repair methods and techniques. Prestressed Girders Read more about Corrosion in Prestressed Girders[…]