Title:
Ultrasonic Pulse Attenuation as a Measure of Damage Growth During Cyclic Loading of Concrete
Author(s):
Wimal Suaris and Viraj Fernando
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
84
Issue:
3
Appears on pages(s):
185-193
Keywords:
compression; concretes; cracking (fracturing); cyclic loads; damage; nondestructive tests; ultrasonic tests; Materials Research
DOI:
10.14359/1898
Date:
5/1/1987
Abstract:
This paper presents experimental results of damage growth during cyclic loading of concrete. The damage growth is inferred from the reduction in amplitude of ultrasonic waveforms transmitted through the specimen during the test. The amplitude of the waveform, by virtue of its higher sensitivity to the extent of cracking, is found to be a better indicator of crack growth than the more often used pulse-velocity technique. A continuous recording of pulse transmission throughout the tests is obtained by using a pulse generator, a digital oscilloscope, and a microcomputer. A specially constructed frame is used to hold the transducers in contact with the specimen during the test. The damage accumulation during cyclic loading as inferred from the attenuation results is presented for several mix proportions.