Why We Need Structural Health Monitoring? Owners and maintenance managers of capital-intensive assets are looking for cost-effective and reliable inspection and monitoring solutions to ensure safety and reliability of these structures. Modern design codes are now looking in a much longer service life. For example, The Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (S6-14, 2014) considers a Read more about Why We Need Structural Health Monitoring?[…]
The Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (S6-14, 2014) considers a service life of 75 years for newly constructed bridge. What does this mean in engineering terms? It means that the bridges of the future should have satisfactory performance, both durability and structural, during the proposed life-cycle. This can be quite challenging when we look closely; Read more about The Future of Bridge Inspection[…]
In this article, we will briefly present and discuss Impact-Echo (IE) method for testing concrete structures. The concept behind the technique will be reviewed. We will also study the applications and limitation of the IE method and How to Test Concrete Using Impact-Echo Method. The test method was adapted as a standard test procedure by the Read more about How to Test Concrete Using Impact-Echo Method?[…]
Concrete imaging and scanning has been an interesting topic for many materials and structural engineers, inspectors, as well as the owners. It helps identify and quantify sub-surface defects more efficiently, and comprehend the extent of damages. Different non-destructive testing methods have been developed for concrete imaging and scanning. In this article, we will review some Read more about 4 NDT Methods for Concrete Imaging and Scanning[…]
In a bridge structure, abutment refers to the substructure unit which supports the end of the structure (bridge span) and retains the approach fill (see Ontario Structure Inspection Manual). Abutments are commonly made of mass concrete, reinforced concrete, or wood. Usually, abutments consist of a number of components: + Foundation + Abutment wall + Ballast wall + Read more about How to Evaluate Bridge Abutments?[…]
The collapse of Ponte Morandi in Genoa, Italy (read more) and Florida International University pedestrian bridge (read more) have raised concerns about the safety and reliability of existing and new bridge structures. common Defects in bridge structures can affect the overall safety of the bridge structures. Different deterioration mechanisms can lead to major defects. Exiting infrastructure in Read more about Common Defects in Bridge Structures[…]
Quality control of concrete piles is a challenging task. Engineers, and contractors rely on experience and well-established procedures and test standards to verify the strength, and consistency of pile materials. Non-destructive testing help reveal potential defects that might have happened during pile casting (in the case of cast-in-place piles), or transportation and installation (in the Read more about Quality Control of Concrete Piles[…]
Inspection and Non-destructive Testing of Concrete Tanks at regular intervals will ensure the safety and reliability of these assets. Application of NDT methods for inspection and monitoring will help detect and quantify potential defects and deterioration mechanisms at early stage. Test results will help the owners in prioritizing repair and maintenance needs, and prevent excessive damages Read more about Non-Destructive Testing of Concrete Tanks[…]
In this article, we will briefly review how to Estimate Strength of Concrete Using NDT Methods. Compressive strength of concrete is by far the most important property of concrete. It represents the mechanical properties of concrete; for example, the 28 days compressive strength of concrete cylinders is the key parameter in most design codes (ACI 318-14, CSA Read more about How To Estimate Strength of Concrete Using NDT Methods?[…]
Pile Integrity Testing (PIT) is a non-destructive testing method for evaluating the unknown length and integrity of piles and deep foundations. The basic concept behind the technique is determining the velocity (required) and force (optional) response of pile induced by an impact device (normally, a handheld hammer). Pile Integrity Testing works best for long structural component such Read more about Practical Considerations in Pile Testing[…]