Abstract
Out of all the nondestructive test (NDT) methods, the pullout test is one of the most reliable techniques for estimating the strength of concrete under construction. However the pullout test inevitably produces significant surface damage because of the inherent test mechanism and costs too much for using measurement devices. In the view of construction engineers and inspectors, the main purpose of NDT methods for concrete is to verify whether the concrete strength of structure members exceeds the target strength or not. In this paper, a new pullout test method, which involves a pre-installed breaking bolt, with pre-determined breaking torques corresponding to the target strength of concrete, is introduced with related test data. The three types of test, the rebound hammer test, the pullout test, and the new pullout test with breaking bolt, were carried out on wall specimen with three types of concrete strengths. Our results show that concrete strength as evaluated by the pullout test with breaking bolt was similar with cylinder test results. Therefore it can be said that the new pullout test with breaking bolt is a useful method for checking the concrete strength without any surface damages in construction site.