TRAINING COURSE NDT FOR

CONCRETE STRUCTURE
Dr. Mohd Noorul Ikhsan Mohamed

17- 21 DECEMBER 2018

SRI LANKA
PROCEDURE OF CIVIL STRUCTURE
INSPECTION
 Introduction
• There are generally three level of inspections related to structural
engineering

• Get the information and baseline data.

• Detailed record of all observations should be made as the
inspection proceeds. Drawings can be marked, colored or shaded
to indicate the local severity of each deterioration.
 Level of Inspections
STEP 1 : Visual Inspection

STEP 2 : NDT (2nd Survey)

STEP 3 : DT (3rd Survey)

INSPECTION STEPS 1 : VISUAL INSPECTION

• Visual testing provide valuable information to the well trained eye. Visual features may be
related to workmanship, structural serviceability, and material deterioration and it is
particularly important that the engineer is able to differentiate between the various signs of
distress which may be encountered.

• These include for instance, cracks, spalling, delamination, colour change, weathering,
staining, surface blemishes and lack of uniformity.

• Extensive information can be gathered from visual inspection to give a preliminary indication
of the condition of the structure and allow formulation of a subsequent testing programme
(2nd survey).
INSPECTION STEPS 1 : VISUAL INSPECTION
INSPECTION STEPS 1 : VISUAL INSPECTION
INSPECTION STEPS 1 : VISUAL INSPECTION

• These involve a host of common accessories such as measuring tapes or rulers,

markers, thermometers and others. Binoculars, telescopes, borescopes and
endoscopes may be useful where access is difficult.

• A crack width microscope or a crack width gauge is useful, while a magnifying glass or
portable microscope is handy for close up examination.

• A good camera with the necessary zoom and micro lenses and other accessories.

• A complete set of relevant drawings showing plan views, elevations and typical
structural details allows recording of observations to be made easily.
INSPECTION STEPS 1 : VISUAL INSPECTION
INSPECTION STEPS 1 : VISUAL INSPECTION

• The visual inspection however should not be confined only to the structure being investigated. It
should also include neighboring structures, the surrounding environment and the climatic
condition.

• This is probably the most difficult aspect of the whole structural investigation or any diagnostic
works since what appears obvious to one may not be so to another. The importance and benefits
of a visual survey should not be underrated.

• Often the omission of what appears to be insignificant evidence can lead to a wrong conclusion
being made.
INSPECTION STEPS 2 : NDT (2nd Survey)
NDT means Non destructive test. Ideally such testing should be done without damaging
the concrete (estimation value)

Non-destructive testing can be used for :

• quality control of pre-cast units or construction in situ.
• location and determination of the extent of cracks, voids, honeycombing and
similar defects within a concrete structure
• determining the concrete uniformity and quality
• determining the position, quantity or condition of reinforcement
• assessing the potential durability of the concrete
• providing information for any proposed change of use of a structure for
insurance or for change of ownership.
 NDT (2nd Survey) basic method

Half-cell electrical potential method : used to detect the corrosion potential

of reinforcing bars in concrete.

Schmidt/rebound hammer test : used to evaluate the surface hardness of

concrete.

Covermeter testing : used to locate reinforcement bars and measure the

distance of steel reinforcing bars beneath the surface of the concrete and also
possibly to measure the diameter of the reinforcing bars
 NDT (2nd Survey) basic method

• Radiographic testing: used to detect voids in the concrete and the position
of stressing ducts. Also use to locate and sizing the rebar.

• Ultrasonic pulse velocity testing: mainly used to measure the sound

velocity of the concrete and hence the compressive strength of the
concrete.

• Impact echo testing: used to detect voids, delamination and other

anomalies in concrete.
 NDT (2nd Survey) basic method

• Tomographic modelling: which uses the data from ultrasonic transmission

tests in two or more directions to detect voids in concrete.

• Ground penetrating radar : used to detect the position of reinforcing bars

or stressing ducts.

• Infrared thermography: used to detect voids, delamination and other

anomalies in concrete and also detect water entry points in buildings.
 INSPECTION STEPS 3 : DT (3nd Survey)
DT means destructive test. Ideally such testing should be done with partial damaging the
concrete. (exact value)

Destructive testing can be used for :

• tests are carried out to the specimen's failure, in order to understand a
specimen's performance or material behavior.
• confirming the findings of the non-destructive test
• identifying the presence of deleterious matter in the concrete
• ascertaining the strength of the concrete for design purposes
• predicting the potential durability of the concrete
• determining specific properties of the concrete not attainable by non-
destructive methods such as intrinsic permeability.
 NDT (3rd Survey) basic method

• Carbonation depth measurement test: used to determine whether

moisture has reached the depth of the reinforcing bars and hence
corrosion may be occurring.

• Windsor probe test: used to measure the surface hardness and hence the
strength of the surface and near surface layers of the concrete.

• Pulloff test : This test scars the concrete but gives a measure of the near
surface tensile strength which can be converted to the compressive
strength provided a correlation exists between the compressive strength
and tensile strength for the concrete mix being investigated.
 NDT (3rd Survey) basic method

• Core test: Cores are usually extracted by drilling using a diamond tipped
core cutter cooled with water. Broken samples, for example, due to
popping, spalling and delamination, are also commonly retrieved for
further analysis as these samples may provide additional evidence as to the
cause of distress.

• Dust sampling : tested for chloride content, sulfate content or cement

content
Remember 3 procedure of inspection?

STEP 1 : Visual Inspection

STEP 2 : NDT (2nd Survey)

STEP 3 : DT (3rd Survey)

 Chloride Test
- The aim of the chloride testing is to establish the level of
chlorides within the concrete structure, either as an
overall level or, via the taking of incremental samples, as a
profile through the depth of the structure.
• Chloride testing in conjunction with a visual survey and a
survey to establish depth of carbonation and cover to
reinforcement can give an indication of the condition of
the structural concrete within a building and the potential
for future performance.
 ACI-318-83
Building Code Requirements for
Reinforced Concrete" (ACI 318-83)
sets limits on water-soluble chloride
ion content as a precaution against
possible corrosion of reinforcing steel.
The 0.15 percent limit called for by
your specification applies to reinforced
concrete exposed to chlorides during
its service life. Limits for concrete
under other conditions are shown in
the table.