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Means and Methods of Evaluating Reinforced Concrete Structures

ACI Fall 2012 Convention October 21 24, Toronto, ON
ACI WEB SESSIONS

Mr. James P. Donnelly, P.E., S.E., is an Associate Principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, in Northbrook, Illinois. During his 27 years at WJE, Mr. Donnelly has been involved with a wide variety of structural investigations and evaluations for the repair of existing concrete structures, including posttensioned, precast, and conventionally reinforced structures. Significant concrete structural investigations have included the evaluation of reinforcing bar corrosion and deterioration in multiple bridge decks, the evaluation and repair of numerous post-tensioned and precast parking structures, the investigation of partial collapses of precast concrete structures, the evaluation and repair of significant shear cracking in a 64 story tower, and many others. Mr. Donnelly is a licensed Structural and/or Professional Engineer in three Midwestern states, and is a member of the ACI committees on prestressing and parking structures the PTI committee on posttensioning repair.

ACI WEB SESSIONS

DeckConditionAssessmentUsing NonDestructiveTestingMethods
ResultsfromaComparative CaseStudyoftheI129 MissouriRiverBridgein SiouxCity,IA
PrimaryAuthors: JohnLawler,JamesDonnelly, NathanielRende,JonahKurth, RmyLequesne,andPaulKraussfromWJE andGordonPort fromIowaDOT Presenter:JamesDonnelly,WJE

Outline
Background andMotivation EvaluationApproach Findings Conclusions

Background/Motivation
Bridgedecksmustbe evaluatedtodetermine repairandmaintenance priorities Rapid,inexpensive,and accurate evaluation techniquesareneeded

I129MissouriRiverBridge
Builtin1976 8inchdeckwith2inch lowslumpoverlay Uncoatedreinforcement Approx.2600feetlong (15spans) Localconcreterepairs, epoxyinjectionof delaminations

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Approach
Visual/soundingsurvey ofentirebridge Selected6studyareas Coring basisfor evaluatingmethod accuracy Delamination assessment

EVALUATIONAPPROACH

DelaminationAssessmentMethods
Chaindrag/sounding Infraredthermography (IR) Groundpenetratingradar (GPR) Impactecho(IE) Halfcellpotentialtesting

ChainDrag/Sounding
Draggedchainorhammer createssound Concept:Thepitchof delaminatedareasis differentfromsound concrete

Studyareamarkedwith2ftgrid

InfraredThermography(IR)
Opticalcamera:surface defects/discolorations IRcamera:measures temperaturevariations Concept:Natural cooling/heatingofdeck producestemperature differentialsat delaminations

GroundPenetratingRadar(GPR)
Radarsignalreflectsoff reinforcingsteel Concept:Features associatedwithcorrosion (locallyelevated moisture,chloride,or corrosionbyproducts) affectreflectionfromtop bar Indirectindicationof corrosion/delamination

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ImpactEcho(IE)
Surfaceofconcrete excitedbyimpactorand resultantechomeasured Concept:Nearsurface delaminationsproduce flexuralresonance; deeperdelaminations producehigherfrequency resonantechothanfull deck

HalfCellPotentialTesting(HCP)
Measurespotential differencebetween referencehalfcelland reinforcing Concept:Potentialmore negativeinareasof corrosion Indirectindicationof delamination

ChainDrag/Sounding

FINDINGS

Identifiedcracks,delaminations,andothersurfacedefects incombinationwithvisualsurvey Whencomparedtofindingsfrom29corelocations, delaminationidentificationwas93%accurate.(Twofalse negatives.)

ChainDrag/Sounding
Requireslaneclosures Relativelylaborintensive Accuracydependenton user,trafficvolume,and otherenvironmental factors(trafficnoise problematic) Usedasbasisforevaluation ofothermethods

InfraredThermography(IR)

Identifieddelaminations,surfacediscolorations andpatches IRcorrectlyidentified37%ofdelaminatedarea(fromsounding), butfalsepositivescoveredanarea42%thesizeof delaminatedarea

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InfraredThermography(IR)
Canbeperformedwith rollinglaneclosures Accuracyisfielduser independent Resultsaffectedby:
Sunexposureandtimeofday Surfacediscolorations(epoxy residue) Depthofdelamination

GroundPenetratingRadar(GPR)

Interpretationofresults requiresexperience

Identifieddelaminations,rebardepth,andrebarspacing GPRwitha2.6GHzantennacorrectlyidentified29%of delaminatedarea(fromsounding)andfalsepositivescovered anarea92%thesizeofdelaminatedarea. The1.6GHzantennawaslessaccurate.

GroundPenetratingRadar(GPR)
Requireslaneclosures, butnotuserintensive Accuracyisfielduser independent Providesprobable delaminationandrebar location Interpretationofresults requiresexperience
Top of Concrete Wearing Course

ImpactEcho(IE)

Top Reinforcing Bar (Typ)

Reflection Amplitude Affected Probable Delamination

Identifiedtopandbottomsurfacedelaminations IEcorrectlyidentified69%ofdelaminatedarea(fromsounding), butfalsepositivescoveredanarea94%thesizeof delaminatedarea.

ImpactEcho(IE)
Requireslaneclosures, butnotuserintensive Accuracyisfielduser independent Providesdataregarding topandbottomsurface delaminations Interpretationofresults requiresexperience

HalfCellPotentialTesting(HCP)

Identifiedareaswithahigherlikelihoodoftopreinforcement corrosion Areasatriskforcorrosioncoincidedwith44%ofdelaminated area(fromsounding),butincludedanotherarea165%thesize ofdelaminatedarea.

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HalfCellPotentialTesting(HCP)
Requireslaneclosures Somewhatuserintensive Requiresdrillingindeck toexposereinforcement Providesdataregarding corrosionstateof embeddedreinforcement Interpretationofresults requiresexperience

Conclusions
ThemostaccurateNDTmethodsevaluatedwereimpactecho andinfraredthermography Groundpenetratingradarprovidedusefulinformation regardingreinforcementdepthandlocation Halfcellpotentialtestingidentifiedareaswherecorrosionis likelyandfuturedelaminationsmaydevelop Infraredthermographyistheonlymethodthatcanbe performedwithoutalaneclosure,butissensitivetoweather Accuracyofimpactecho,infraredthermographyandground penetratingradararerelativelyindependentoftheuserinthe field

Questions?