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Concrete Testing
2. Non Destructive Testing in Concrete
Non-Destructive
Concrete Construction (CoTM 6022)

MSc Program in Construction Technology and Management Testing

Concrete
College of Engineering and Technology, Wachemo University

Department of Construction Technology & Management Destructive

Behailu Z., (Ph.D. Candidate)
December, 2023 Behailu Z. 2

Non – Destructive Test (NDT) Non – Destructive Test (NDT)

Definition:
NDT methods – relatively simple to perform but the analysis and
 NDT is the use of non-invasive/disturbing techniques to
determine the integrity of a material, component or structure or interpretation of results are not so easy.

quantitatively measure some characteristic of an object.

In NDT, some properties of concrete are measured. These are used to
 Considered as powerful method for evaluating concrete
estimate the strength, elastic behavior and durability of the material.
structures with respect to strength, durability and quality of
hardened concrete. Comprehensive laboratory correlations have to be established between
 Can detect crack depth, progressive deterioration, voids, ‘strength parameters’ to be predicted and the ‘results of in-situ NDT’.
location of reinforcement, cover concrete, etc.

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Deliverables of NDT NDT-Importance
Elastic
Modulus
Density Strength
• Whether concrete is hardened properly and gained its
Cracks and Voids Reinforcement designed strength without disturbing the concrete.
Determination Location
• NDT is used for both old and New Structures
Quality of
Workmanship • Exercise this without damaging the Structure…….
Surface Surface
Hardness Absorption

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Cost Effectiveness Where to use NDT

• Destructive testing  Quality control of Construction , in situ

• Huge Cost initially has to put in for taking sample and then to test it.
 Confirming Workmanship
• NDT
 Determining position of reinforcement
• Its very easy and simple process and a lot of many tests can be
 Location of Cracks/Joints/Honey combing
performed on concrete less than single amount require for sampling
of concrete
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Purposes of NDT of concrete Commonly adopted NDT methods

Non-destructive testing of concrete is used for two main purposes: • Visual Inspection Test (VIT) • Ground Penetration Radar Testing

1. In laboratory studies, where it is particularly useful for repeated testing • Rebound Hammer Test • Pullout tests

of the same specimen to determine the change of properties over time, for • Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test • Concrete Core Test
example to provide information on degradation in different environments; • Rebar Locater Test (Cover meter test) • Capo Test
2. To assess the properties of concrete in a structure, for example for • Penetration Resistance Techniques • Windsor Probe Test
compliance with specifications, after damage due to fire or overload or
• Electric Resistivity Meter Test • Load Test for Flexure Member
when a change of use is proposed.
• Thermal Resistivity Test • Load Test for Piles

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OTHER methods
• Carbonation Test • Sonic Method
 Needs experience and well trained
• Chloride Determination Test • Carbonation Depth Measurement personal eye

• Sulphate Determination Test  It is the predominant non -

• Tomographic Modelling
destructive evaluation technique for
• Determination of pH
• Impact Eco-testing bridge and under water concrete
• Radio Graphic Testing structures inspection.
• Infrared Thermology
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• Cracks
Study Drawings
• Surface pitting and Spalling
Preliminary Survey • Surface Staining
Defects
• Differential movements and Displacements
Methodology Visual Inspection Observed • Variation in algal and vegetable growth
• Surface voids
Environmental Condition • Honeycombing
• Bleed Marks
Results • Constructional and Lift Joints

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Measuring Tape
Ruler
Advantages and limitation of VIT
Marker
Thermometer Advantage
Tools/ Anemometers (Wind Gauge)  This technique is economical, and it neither time consuming
Equipment's In case access to site is not possible nor needs expensive and large number of equipments.
Binoculars
Telescopes
Borescopes
Limitation
Endoscopes  The visual inspection depends on the personal experience.
fiberscopes
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2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST 2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST

The rebound hammer method could be used for:

ASTM C 805, ACI 228.1R
Assessing the likely compressive strength of concrete with the help of
 The rebound hammer is a
suitable correlations between rebound index and compressive strength,
surface hardness tester for
which an empirical correlation Assessing the uniformity of concrete,

has been established between Assessing the quality of the concrete in relation to standard requirements,
strength and rebound number. Assessing the quality of one element of concrete in relation to another

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2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST 2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST

Components of Hammer Devices

Device Measuring Direction Applications Weight

Impact direction Used for the non-destructive measurement

Original Schmidt
perpendicular to the of the concrete/mortar compressive 900 g
Hammer
surface strength characteristics

Silver Schmidt independent of Suitable for testing a wide variety of

600 g
Hammer impact direction concrete, mortar and rock

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2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST 2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST
Devices Rebound Number (RN)
The apparatus is contained in a hand-held cylindrical tube, and
consists of a spring-loaded mass which is fired with a constant
energy against a plunger held against the concrete surface.

The amount of rebound of the mass expressed as the percentage of

the initial extension of the spring is shown by the position of a rider
Original Schmidt Hammer Silver Schmidt Hammer on a graduated scale, and recorded as the rebound number.

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2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST 2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST
Rebound Number (RN) Rebound Number (RN)
Less energy is absorbed by a harder surface, and so the rebound number is Typical recommendations are for 10 readings over an area of 150 mm
higher. diameter, with no two readings being taken within 25 mm of each other.

A smooth concrete surface is required, but even there is considerable local Also, the concrete being tested must be part of an unyielding mass;

variation due to the presence of coarse aggregate particles (giving an laboratory specimens such as cubes should therefore be held under a stress

abnormally high rebound number) or a void (giving a low number) just below of about 7 MPa in a compression testing machine.

the surface, and therefore a number of readings must be taken and The test clearly only measures the properties of the surface zone of the
averaged. concrete to a depth of about 25–30mm.
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2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST
Downward Vertical Position

Original Schmidt Horizontal Position

Hammer Upward Vertical Position

Procedure

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Silver Schmidt
Hammer

Rebound Number

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2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST 2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST

Correlation between RN & Strength Application of RN

 The correlation between RN and concrete strength depends on:
Strength cannot be predicted with great certainty, but the
The Aggregate type, since the hardness is a function of both strength and
test is very simple and convenient, and so is often used as a
elastic modulus of the concrete;
first step in an investigation of in situ concrete, for example
The moisture condition of the surface;
to assess uniformity or to compare areas of known good
The angle of the hammer with the vertical, which will vary since the test
must be carried out with the plunger normal to the concrete surface.
quality and suspect concrete.

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2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST 2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST
Minimum readings and position Location of testing
When the total number of readings (n) taken at a location is > 10, the The test location within the member is important when
accuracy of the mean rebound number is likely to have a confidence of interpreting results.
> 95%.
The test yields information about a thin surface layer only.
The rebound numbers should not be taken too close to the edge of the
Voids or defects present at large depths do not influence the
members, i.e., they should be at least 20 mm away from the boundary.
test results.

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2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST 3. PULSE VELOCITY METHOD (PVM)
Limitation
Smoothness of surface under test
Size , shape and rigidity of the specimen
Age of specimen
Mechanical
Surface and internal moisture condition of the concrete
Type of coarse aggregate
PVM
Type of cement
Type of mould
Ultrasonic
Carbonation of concrete surface

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3. PULSE VELOCITY METHOD (PVM) 3. PULSE VELOCITY METHOD (PVM)
This is an extremely versatile and popular test for both in-situ and
ASTM C 597
laboratory use.
 A means of producing and introducing
It involves measuring the time taken for an ultrasonic pulse to travel
a wave pulse into the concrete and a
through a known distance in concrete, from which the velocity is
means of sensing the arrival of the
calculated.
pulse and accurately measuring the
The ultrasonic signal is generated by a piezo-electric crystal housed in
time taken by the pulse to travel
a transducer, which transforms an electric pulse into a mechanical
through the concrete.
wave.
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3. PULSE VELOCITY METHOD (PVM) 3. PULSE VELOCITY METHOD (PVM)

A suitable apparatus and a standard procedure are described in ASTM C 597. The pulse velocity is independent of the pulse frequency, but

The pulse is detected by a second similar transducer, which converts it back for concrete fairly low frequencies in the range 20–150 kHz
to an electrical impulse, and the time taken to travel between the two (most commonly 54 kHz) are used to give a strong signal which is
transducers is measured and displayed by the instrumentation. capable of passing through several metres of concrete.

Efficient acoustic coupling between the transducers and the concrete is Transducers which produce longitudinal waves are normally
essential, and is usually obtained by a thin layer of grease. used, although shear wave transducers are available.

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3. PULSE VELOCITY METHOD (PVM) 3.1. ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST (UPV)

Objective
Principle
Homogeneity of the concrete

Presence of cracks, voids and other imperfections • Electro acoustical Transducer

Changes in the structure of the concrete with time • Waves

Quality of concrete related to standard requirement • Longitudinal

Quality of one element of concrete in relation with another • Shear

Values of dynamic elastic modulus of the concrete • Surface

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3.1. ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST (UPV) 3.1. ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST (UPV)

Apparatus Techniques measuring for pulse Velocity Test

a) Electrical pulse generator
a) Direct transmission
b) Transducer
b) Indirect transmission
c) Amplifier
c) Surface transmission
d) Electronic timing device

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3.1. ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST (UPV)
Factors affecting
 Smoothness of contact surface under test
 Influence of path length on pulse velocity
 Temperature of concrete
 Moisture condition of concrete
 Presence of reinforcing steel
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3.1. ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST (UPV)
Applications
 Establishing uniformity of concrete
 Establishing acceptance criteria
 Determination of pulse modulus of Elasticity
 Estimation of strength of concrete
 Determination of setting characteristics of concrete
 Studies on durability of concrete
 Pulse velocity techniques
 Measurement of deterioration of concrete due to fire exposure
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3.1. ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST (UPV) 3.1. ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST (UPV)
• The quality of concrete in terms of uniformity, incidence or absence of
internal flaws, cracks and segregation, etc., indicative of the level of
workmanship employed; can thus be assessed using the guidelines given in
Table

Note: Incase of doubtful quality, it may be necessary to carryout further tests.

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4. Penetration Resistance Techniques (PRT) 4. Penetration Resistance Techniques (PRT)
ASTM C 805/803 M
 The equipment used to determine the penetration resistance of concrete
consists of a powder-activated device.

 One currently used apparatus, known as the Windsor probe uses a

powder-activated driver to fire a hardened-alloy probe into the concrete.

 The type and amount of aggregate play an important role in the

penetration resistance, which becomes critical when determining the
relationship between penetration resistance and strength.

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4. Penetration Resistance Techniques (PRT) 5. Pullout Test (PT)

Application of PRT A PT consists of casting a specially shaped steel insert with an enlarged end into
fresh concrete.
Due to the small volume under testing, the variation in the Windsor
This steel insert is then pulled out from the concrete and the force required for
probe-test results is higher as compared with the variation in
pullout is measured using a dynamo-meter.
standard compressive strength tests on companion specimens.
A bearing ring is used to confine failure to a well-defined shape.
But this method is excellent for measuring the relative rate of
As the steel insert is pulled out, a cone of concrete is also removed, thereby
strength development of concrete at early ages, especially for
damaging the concrete surface (which must be repaired after the test).
determining stripping time for formwork.

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5. Pullout Test (PT) 5. Pullout Test (PT)
Application
If the test is being used to determine the optimum time for safe
form-stripping, the pullout assembly need not be torn out of
concrete.

Instead, the test may be terminated when a predetermined pullout

force has been reached on the gage and the forms can be removed
safely.
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5. Pullout Test (PT) 6. Rebar Locator (Cover Meter)
Application
 Rebar locator, with its integral
 Since there is no agreement on what strength the PT is measuring, it is
recommended to develop a relationship between the PT and the compressive
sensor can be held in one hand,
strength of concrete. and provides the unique ability
 Like the PRT , the PT is an excellent means of determining the strength to indicate the position of
development of concrete at early ages and safe form-stripping times. reinforcing bars.
 The main advantage of pullout tests is that they attempt to measure
directly the in situ strength of concrete.
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6. Rebar Locator (Cover Meter) 6. Rebar Locator (Cover Meter)

Application
• Range : Shallow - up to 100mm
The Rebar Locator features probes that allows one to measure
Deep - up to 185mm
shallow and deep ranges. Equipment
• Accuracy : Better than ± 2mm or ±5% for cover
 This instrument can locate the size and orientation of bar, as
well as indicate concrete cover. • Bar Sizing: 8-40mm better than ± 1 bar size

Generally used along with UPV and Core cutting equipment. • Display : LCD with backlight

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7. Electric Resistivity Meter
ATSTM C 12022
 Concrete resistivity method - the
instrument measures the specific
electrical resistivity of concrete.
7. Electric Resistivity Meter
Methods:
The set of four probes are fitted with
super conductive foam tips (kept moist) to
ensure full contact on irregular surfaces.

 Surface resistivity measurement  Once the probes are kept in contact with
the concrete surface, the LCD display will
provides extremely useful information
indicate the resistivity directly on the
about the state of a concrete
screen with Ohm or kOhm.
structure.

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7. Electric Resistivity Meter 8. Chloride Ion Penetration
ASTM C 1202/AASHTO T 277
Applications
 Rapid Chloride permeability test (RCPT)
Estimation of the likelihood of corrosion determines the resistance of concrete to
the penetration of chloride ions, an
Indication of corrosion rate
indicator of permeability
 Correlation to chloride permeability RCPT is commonly used to evaluate the
resistance of concrete to chloride ions
Identification of areas within a structure most susceptible to chloride
ingress owing to its simplicity and
penetration rapidity.

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• Determination of zonal requirements for cathodic protection systems
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8. Chloride Ion Penetration
Chloride penetration (CP) in a natural
environment takes place under the
effect of two mechanisms: capillary
absorption and diffusion.
 Diffusion due to
concentration gradient of the pore
solution between the exposed area
and concrete occurs in saturated
medium.
8. Chloride Ion Penetration
Factors affecting chloride penetration
1. Void ratio: 7. Type and portion of mineral admixture
2. Density 8. Compaction
a chloride
3. Microstructure 9. Curing
4. Water cement ratio 10. Presence of cracks
5. Type of cement used 11. Exposure conditions

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Standard for Concrete Electrical
Resistivity and Chloride Ions Penetration

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9. Thermal Conductivity (TC) 9. Thermal Conductivity (TC)
TC is a physical property of
A hardened paste with high TC exhibits high heat transfer and energy
hardened paste that affects heat
transfer by conduction through the consumption values.
hardened paste.
TC decreases along with curing ages. Why?
TC is affected by the
microstructure of the hardened  Water 25 times conductive than air. Why?
paste and the thermal
characteristics of its constituents. TC depends on the differences in density of its constituent materials.

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9. Thermal Conductivity (TC) 10. Maturity Test

• Maturity of a concrete mixture is defined as the degree of

cement hydration or strength development which varies as a
function of both time and temperature.

• Therefore, it is assumed that, for a particular concrete mixture,

strength is a function of maturity.

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10. Maturity Test 10. Maturity Test
ASTM C 1074
The test is performed on fresh
concrete and continued for several
days.

The maturity meter must be calibrated

for each concrete mix.

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11. Ground-Penetrating Radar 11. Ground-Penetrating Radar
As a non-destructive form of testing, it is a fast, safe and efficient method for
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a
scanning.
geophysical locating method that uses radio
waves to capture images below the surface GPR’s versatility makes it one of the most useful tools in engineering, construction,
archaeology, geosciences, and many other fields.c
of the ground in a minimally invasive way.
GPR is used across many aspects of construction and engineering from utility locating
The huge advantage of GPR is that it allows
to structural assessments.
crews to pinpoint the location of underground
It is non-destructive and can be used to detect subsurface objects, as well as
utilities without disturbing the ground.
integrating with mapping, GPS, and 3D technology.
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11. Ground-Penetrating Radar
It is used to detect obstructions in concrete such as rebar, post-tensioned • Carbonation Test
cables, and conduits before cutting or coring through the concrete, meaning
• Chloride Determination Test
that engineers can identify the best location and avoid damage.
Reading Assignment • Sulphate Determination Test
It can also be used to assess the damage and integrity of a structure by
detecting voids, cracks, and mapping corrosion. • Determination of pH
X - radar also allows you to map the depth and thickness of concrete walls
• Thermal Conductivity Test
or slabs.u

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 Write the applications,

procedures, prons & cons of: -
Individual Assignment
Submission Date:
• Radioactive test

• Nuclear test Thank You!

27/04/2016 E.C. • Concrete Core Test

• Capo Test

• Windsor Probe Test

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