Title:
A New Nondestructive Inspection Technique for Reinforced Concrete Beams
Author(s):
Young-chul Jung, Tribikram Kundu, and Mohammad R. Ehsani
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
99
Issue:
3
Appears on pages(s):
292-299
Keywords:
cracking; reinforced concrete; test
DOI:
10.14359/11975
Date:
5/1/2002
Abstract:
This paper investigated the feasibility of detecting internal defects (cracks, honeycombs, and inclusions) in reinforced concrete (RC) beams using ultrasonic guided waves. Experiments were carried out on full-scale beams. It is shown that for RC beam inspections, the guided wave technique was better than the conventional stress wave techniques. The difference between the ultrasonic signals from the good and defective regions of the concrete beam was found to be much greater for the guided wave technique in comparison to the through-transmission or reflection mode ultrasonic techniques carried out in the same frequency range. Another advantage of the guided wave technique is that the guided waves have multiple modes of propagation. This paper also discusses how to generate the most efficient guided wave mode by adjusting signal frequency and angle of incidence.