Material Characterization and Condition Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks by Complementary NDE Technologies

Static and dynamic response of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge elements depends on the material characteristics and possibly introduced damage. While initial material variability can be introduced during construction, the dominant changes are a result of deterioration processes in RC elements. The most commonly found problem in bridge decks is corrosion induced concrete deterioration, which is initiated by rebar corrosion and afterwards extends into concrete cracking, delamination and ultimately concrete spalling. The effects of deterioration can be effectively detected and characterized using several complementary nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies. The presented approach relies on the use of five NDE technologies namely: impact echo, ultrasonic surface waves, ground penetrating radar, half-cell potential and electrical resistivity. The application of listed technologies is illustrated on material characterization and defect/deterioration detection of RC bridge decks. Incorporation of the NDE results in an enhanced structural identification analysis is illustrated.