Detection of Common Defects in Concrete Bridge Decks Using Nondestructive Evaluation Techniques

TLDR

The United States’ deteriorating transportation infrastructure demands improved maintenance, and nondestructive evaluation techniques are essential for accurately assessing concrete bridge deck conditions. This study investigates the use of various nondestructive evaluation methods to assess concrete bridge deck conditions. An experimental investigation evaluated infrared thermography, impact echo, and ground‑penetrating radar for detecting common concrete bridge deck defects. The methods demonstrated varying precision in defect detection, with their capabilities verified and compared against one another.

Abstract

The transportation infrastructure in the United States is deteriorating and will require significant improvements. Consequently, innovations in the area of transportation infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation are keys to the health and wellness of this valuable national asset. A major component of maintenance and rehabilitation is the ability to accurately assess the condition of the transportation infrastructure. This can be accomplished in part by using nondestructive evaluation techniques. Several nondestructive techniques have been used on concrete bridge decks and have proven to be efficient and effective. This paper aims at studying the different nondestructive evaluation techniques used in the assessment of concrete bridge deck conditions. An experimental investigation to evaluate the ability of infrared thermography, impact echo, and ground penetrating radar to detect common flaws in concrete bridge decks is developed and discussed. Results from this study showed the ability of these methods to detect defects with varying precision. Capabilities of the methods were verified and comparisons among the methods were made.