Written by adminAugust 4, 2017 This article describes certain construction practices that can result in integrity problems in concrete piles and drilled shafts. Defects can occur at any point during the construction of bored concrete pile. Most common types of pile integrity issues are presence of voids; inconsistency in concrete mix, concrete;
Written by adminJuly 27, 2017 Exposed Concrete Decks suffer from various deterioration mechanisms; i.e. freezing and thawing, corrosion. The most significant consequence is the delamination of concrete, which could eventually trigger other damage mechanism, such as corrosion. The maintenance of deck slabs is quite challenging mainly because it normally involves large areas;
Written by adminJune 28, 2017 Appropriate operation and maintenance of concrete dam structures are essential to ensure the safety of the structure, and reducing risk. Concrete surfaces should be examined in a regular basis to identify spalling and deterioration due to weathering, or extreme stresses, or other physical, or chemical damage mechanism. Nondestructive Evaluation
Written by adminJune 19, 2017 Construction and installation of concrete pilesand deep foundations is a challenging task. Problems may occur during the process, which in turn results in defects or anomalies such as: pile formation problems, concrete faults, and reinforcement installation issues. The resulting defects can negatively impact the durability and mechanical
Written by adminMay 31, 2017 Cracking is a common observation in concrete structures. Cracks can be a result of plastic shrinkage, or constructional movements. Moreover, cracks can happen as a result of overloading concrete elements, or creep. Chemical reactions such as alkali-aggregate reactions and corrosion can induce cracking. Material and Structural engineers
Written by adminMay 18, 2017 Extreme weather conditions (extreme heat or cold, and humidity variations) can significantly alter the quality of concrete. In hot weather concreting, one should make sure that all the negative impacts of high ambient temperature are appropriately alleviated by taking the necessary precautions. In this article, we will
Written by adminApril 25, 2017 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
Written by adminApril 13, 2017 Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) is an effective non-destructive testing (NDT) method for quality control of concrete materials, and detecting damages in structural components. The UPV methods have traditionally been used for the quality control of materials, mostly homogeneous materials such as metals and welded connections. With the
Written by adminMarch 7, 2017 Acoustic Emission is referred to the radiation of acoustic waves in solids as a result of damage or any irreversible change in its internal structure. Acoustic emission monitoring is well-known for its application in structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure. Structural Health Monitoring Health monitoring is a process of
Written by adminFebruary 28, 2017 Structure inspection manuals such as the Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) mostly emphasizes on the visual inspection and physical condition of bridge structures. The visual inspection methodology in this guideline consists of close up visual assessment of defects in the superstructure and substructure. This methodology is limited to
