• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.803-808
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• 2001

Mathematical basis of interpretation of data from nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods in bridge inspection is presented. In bridge inspection with NDE methods, NDE data are not assessments. NDE data must be interpreted as condition of element. Interpretation is then assessment. Correct assessments of conditions of bridge elements depend on the accuracy and variability in test data as well as on the uncertainty of correlations between attributes (what is measured) and conditions (what is sought in the inspection). Inaccuracy and variability in test data defines the qualify or NDE test. The qualify or test itself is important, but in view of condition assessment, the significance of uncertainty in correlations of attributes and conditions must be combined. NDE methods that are accurate in their measurements may still be found to be poor methods if attributes are uncertain indicators of condition of bridge elements. This paper reports mathematical presentation of inaccuracy and variability in test data and of uncertainty in correlation of attributes to element conditions with three examples of NDE methods.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.19-34
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• 2015

One of the main causes of a limited use of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies in bridge deck assessment is the speed of data collection and analysis. The paper describes development and implementation of the RABIT (Robotics Assisted Bridge Inspection Tool) for data collection using multiple NDE technologies. The system is designed to characterize three most common deterioration types in concrete bridge decks: rebar corrosion, delamination, and concrete degradation. It implements four NDE technologies: electrical resistivity (ER), impact echo (IE), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and ultrasonic surface waves (USW) method. The technologies are used in a complementary way to enhance the interpretation. In addition, the system utilizes advanced vision to complement traditional visual inspection. Finally, the RABIT collects data at a significantly higher speed than it is done using traditional NDE equipment. The robotic system is complemented by an advanced data interpretation. The associated platform for the enhanced interpretation of condition assessment in concrete bridge decks utilizes data integration, fusion, and deterioration and defect visualization. This paper concentrates on the validation and field implementation of two NDE technologies. The first one is IE used in the delamination detection and characterization, while the second one is the USW method used in the assessment of concrete quality. The validation of performance of the two methods was conducted on a 9 m long and 3.6 m wide fabricated bridge structure with numerous artificial defects embedded in the deck.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.285-298
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• 2007

Corrosion of Reinforcement (rebar) is nondestructively estimated by the half-cell potential measurement. As is the case with other nondestructive testings (NDT), understanding of the underlying principles should be clarified in order to obtain meaningful results. Therefore, the measurement of potentials in concrete is analytically investigated. The effect of internal defects on the potentials measured is clarified numerically by the boundary element method (BEM). Thus, a simplified inversion by BEM is applied to convert the potentials on concrete surface to those on rebars, taking into account the concrete resistivity. Because the potentials measured on concrete surface are so sensitive to moisture content, concrete resistivity and surface condition, an inverse procedure to convert the potentials on concrete surface into those on rebars is developed on the basis of BEM. It is found that ASTM criterion is practically applicable to estimate corrosion from the potential values converted. In experiments, an applicability of the procedure is examined by accelerated corrosion tests of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs. For practical use, the procedure is developed where results of IBEM are visualized by VRML (Virtual Reality modeling Language) in three-dimensional space.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.515-516
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• 2009

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.221-230
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• 2000

The usefulness and limitations of the impact-resonance method, which is a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method for concrete, are studied by both experimental and theoretical methods. For the experimental study, several concrete slab specimens with various inclusions embedded were fabricated, and tested by the impact-resonance method. Some of the inclusions have been detected and accurately located, but some have not. The reasons for the failure in the latter cases have been investigated theoretically by using finite element analyses, from which the primary factors determining the success of the method have also been identified. This study will serve to enhance the understanding of the underlying physics and to improve the usefulness of the impact-resonance method as applied to concrete NDE.

• Magazine of the Korea Institute for Structural Maintenance and Inspection
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.36-46
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• 2013

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.98-104
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• 2003

Various nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques have been studied to locate steel rebars of dowel, and to detect invisible damage such as voids and cracks inside concrete and debonding between rebars and concrete caused by corrosions and earthquakes. In this study, the aurhors developed 3-dimensional (3D) electromagnetic (EM) imaging technology to detect such damage and to identify exact location of steel rebars of dowel. The authors have developed sub-surface two-dimensional (2D) imaging technique using tomographic antenna array in previous works. In this study, extending the earlier analytical and experimental works on 2D image reconstruction, a 3D microwave imaging system using tomographic antenna array was developed, and multi-frequency technique was applied to improve quality of the reconstructed image and to reduce background noises. This paper presents the analytical expressions of numerical focusing procedures for 3D image reconstruction and numerical simulation to study the resolution of the system and the effectiveness of multi-frequency technique. Also, the design of 4?4 antenna array with switching devices is introduced as a preliminary study for the final design of whole array.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.103-111
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• 2015

To evaluate the compressive strength of concrete, rebound test and ultra pulse velocity methods as well as core test were widely used. The predicted strength effected by age, maturity and degradation of concrete, is a slight difference between in-situ concrete strength. The compressive strength of standard cylinder specimens and core samples by obtained from drilling will have a difference since the concrete is disturbed during the drilling by machinery. And the rebound number and ultra pulse velocity are also changed according to the age and maturity of concrete that effected to the surface hardness and microscpic minuteness. The authors performed the experimental work to reflect the age and core effect to the results from NDE test. The test results considering on the core and age of concrete were compaired with the proposed equation to predict the compressive strength.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.428-434
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• 2014

In this study, we examined the applicability of coda wave interferometry (CWI) technique, which was developed to characterize seismic waves, to detect and evaluate change in the velocity of ultrasonic waves in concrete due to acoustoelastic effect. Ultrasonic wave measurements and compressive loading tests were conducted on a concrete specimen. The measured wave signals were processed with CWI to detect and evaluate the relative velocity change with respect to the stress state of the specimen. A phase change due to the acoustoelastic effect of concrete was clearly detected in the late-arriving coda wave. This shows that the relative velocity change of ultrasonic waves in concrete due to the acoustoelastic effect can be evaluated successfully and precisely using CWI.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.7
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• pp.851-866
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• 2010

This paper presents a new concept of using PZT (lead zircornate titanate) transducers as a non-destructive testing (NDT) tool for evaluating quality of concrete. Detection of defects in concrete is very important in order to check the integrity of concrete structures. The electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) response of PZT transducers bonded onto a concrete specimen can be used for evaluating local condition of the specimen. Measurements are carried out by electrically exciting the bonded PZT transducers at high frequency range and taking response measurements of the transducers. In this study, the compression test results showed that concrete specimens without sufficient compaction are likely to fall below the desired strength. In addition, the strength of concrete was greatly reduced as the voids in concrete were increased. It was found that the root mean square deviation (RMSD) values yielded between the EMI signatures for concrete specimens in dry and saturated states showed good agreement with the specimens' compressive strength and permeable voids. A quality metric was introduced for predicting the quality of concrete based on the dry-saturated state of concrete specimens. The simplicity of the method and the current development towards low cost and portable impedance measuring system, offer an advantage over other NDE methods for evaluating concrete quality.