Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of Bridges
P.I.: Dr. Yazdani
Grad. Research Asst.: Khadiza Jalal
Sponsor: Texas Department of Transportation
There is an ongoing research at The University of Texas at Arlington on Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of bridges. According to ASCE 2013 report for America’s infrastructure, one in nine of the nation’s bridges are structurally deficient. To determine the repair scheme of an existing structure, an accurate and robust condition assessment is necessary. The primary focus of the research is to evaluate the condition and capacity of the bridges by Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) and Diagnostic Load Test. The NDE will be performed by Ground penetrating Radar (GPR) and Impact Echo (IE).
GPR is a high-end geophysical device that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. In the bridge evaluation, GPR will be used to detect rebar, concrete cover, changes in material properties, voids and cracks in the deck. GPR can produce 2D and 3D images of the concrete subsurface. Antennae with higher frequency (e.g. 2.6 GHz) will be used for low depth analysis (0-12 inch), while lower frequency (e.g. 270 MHz) will be used for higher depth evaluation (0-18 ft.).
IE system will be used to determine the delamination condition and thickness of concrete structural members when voids, honeycombs, and/or cracks are suspected. The device creates an impact at a spot on the surface and then records and analyzes the echo.
