NON DESTRUCTIVE

TESTING (NDT) RELATED TO

CONCRETE INVESTIGATION

Prepared by: John Oliver

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Introduction

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world.

Preserving its integrity is therefore paramount to achieve the desired
service life. However, when concrete is not properly designed or
when the production process is inadequately controlled, flaws and
defects can be introduced very early in the material. Furthermore,
concrete damage may arise as scattered microcracks, due to freeze-
thaw or other expansive actions or in the form of localized large
cracks due to mechanical or thermal effects, which may extend for
significant distances within the structure

All flaws can affect performance and reduce strength or durability.

Given this, it is important to detect and assess their importance as
early as possible

The NDT concept encompasses all test methods used to examine an

object, material, or system without impairing its integrity or
usefulness
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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

Visual inspection of concrete structure 

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

Visual Inspection (ACI 201, ACI 364 and ASTM C823.)

– 1st Step in any investigation.

– Special attention given to presence of cracks, concrete spalling,

wet areas, signs of water run-off or rust staining

– Crack

– Corrosion of reinforcement

– rust staining, cracking parallel to reinforcement and spalling parts

of the cover.

– Collecting information about the site, the structure particulars and

environmental data; of the structure and documenting all
observations by photos
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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
This inspection is carried out before any intended non-destructive test.
Visual inspections provides information on type of concrete damage,
their possible causes and type of NDT test suitable for further
investigation. Visual inspection is carried out by experienced Engineers
who can interpret information from the damages in the concrete
structure

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

1. Concrete Cover & Reinforcement Steel Survey

 
BS 1881-204:1988 Recommendations on the use of electromagnetic covermeters

Concrete Cover & Reinforcement Steel Survey measurement is good to start

with

This method is used to measure the cover to reinforcement bars in

structure and also the diameter of reinforcement used in existing member.

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

2. Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity -

BS EN 12504-4:2004 – Testing concrete.
Determination of ultrasonic pulse velocity

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
Ultrasonic testing is a well-established nondestructive technique for the
detection of flaws and characterization of materials, based on the
monitoring of the propagation speed of an ultrasonic wave throughout the
material

Ultrasonic pulse velocity equipment measures the transit time of a pulse

between transducers placed on the surface of a body of concrete. The pulse
velocity can then be calculated using the measured path length through the
concrete

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

A COMPARISON BETWEEN DIRECT AND INDIRECT METHOD OF

ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY IN DETECTING CONCRETE DEFECTS
N. Mohamed Sutan and M.Meganathan
Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak,

The accuracy of Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test does affected by the

concrete age. Where as it matures, the accuracy of UPV Test
increases. Apart from that, in comparison between Direct Method and
Indirect Method, though direct method shows convenient and
satisfactory upon sensitivity for determining the location of the defect
but the ability to determine the depth of the concrete slab is not
possible and it is also not suitable to use at most of the time since it
requires access to two surfaces. Therefore in determination of both
depth and location of deteriorations in any concrete slab, there is
only Indirect Method would be possible though it is least satisfactory
upon sensitivity and defined path length.
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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

APPROXIMATE PULSE VELOCITY

CONCRETE QUALITY
(m/s)

4500 Excellent
3500 – 4500 Good
3000 – 3500 Questionable
2000 – 3000 Poor
< 2000 Very Poor

Steel Reinforced Concrete Structures Handbook by Mohamed A. Al-Reedy

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
ACI Materials Journal / November-December 2001
The most significant conclusion is that the indirect UPV is statistically
similar to direct UPV measured on the concrete slab specimens provided
that there are uniform properties, including moisture gradient along the
surface and along the depth

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

3. CONCRETE CRACK MEASUREMENTS

Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Equipment
& Crack Scope

BS 1881-203: 1986 – Recommendations for

measurement of velocity of ultrasonic
pulses in concrete

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
When an ultrasonic pulse travelling through concrete meets a concrete-air
interface, there is negligible transmission of energy across this interface. Thus,
any air-filled crack or void lying immediately between two transducers will
obstruct the direct ultrasonic beam when the projected length of the void is
greater than the width of the transducers and the wavelength of sound used.
When this happens, the first pulse to arrive at the receiving transducer will
have been diffracted around the periphery of the defect and the transit time
will be longer than in similar concrete with no defect.

In cracked members, where the

broken faces of the members are
held tightly together in close
contact by compression forces, the
pulse energy may pass unimpeded
across the crack.

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
Note: Crack measurements can be affected by foreign particles. It
must also be free of water or debris which would allow the wave to
propagate through the crack. The crack must be sufficiently wide to
prevent the wave from simply propagating around it. There must also
be no rebars within the vicinity of the crack. If any of these conditions
occur, the result will be severely affected and it may appear that the
crack depth is much smaller than is actually the case.
The CrackScope can be used for accurate
measurement of the width of surface opening cracks
as well as measurement of the depth of surface
holes or irregularities. It is a small size, lightweight
and conveniently portable microscope with a 25×
magnification. It has a build-in scale for crack-width
measurement and another scale on the focusing
adjustment ring for depth indication. The
magnification is 25 times. The built-in 3-mm scale
has a least division of 0.05 mm, allowing the width
of cracks to be estimated within ±0.025 mm 13
NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

4. MEASURING DEPTH OF CARBONATION

BS 1881-201:1986 - Guide to the use of non-destructive
methods of test for hardened concrete

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 NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
Carbonation affects various properties of hardened concrete. Primarily, the
protection of the reinforcing steel against corrosion, which is originally
guaranteed by the highly alkaline pore solution of the cement paste,
becomes lost
The difference in alkalinity between carbonated and uncarbonated concrete
is shown by a change in color, while the carbonation of concrete occurs
when the PH of the concrete (normally 11 or 12) drops to a range between 9
and 10 according BRE Information Paper No. IP6, 1981

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
The affected depth from the concrete surface can be readily shown by
the use of phenolphthalein indicator solution.
 
Warning: like all chemicals, phenolphthalein solution should be
treated with respect. Both phenolphthalein itself and isopropyl
alcohol are harmful and, since it contains alcohol, the indicator
solution is flammable. Ingestion, or contact with skin or eyes should
be avoided, as should breathing the vapour. Possible effects on the
human body include kidney damage and cancer

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

5. SURFACE HARDNESS
Testing of concrete surfaces for hardness using rebound hammers shall be
carried out in accordance with BS EN 12504-2 or ASTM C805 / C805M - 13a 
Standard Test Method for
Rebound Number of Hardened Concrete

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

The Schmidt hammer test is a standard test method which covers the
determination of a rebound number of hardened concrete using steel
hammer impacts, with a predetermined amount of energy, a steel plunger
in contact with a surface of concrete, and the distance that the hammer
rebounds is measured.
 
Surface hardness measured during the test give an idea about the
soundness and quality of cover concrete.

Locations having very low rebound numbers indicate weak surface

concrete and maybe affected by corrosion. The quality of concrete may
be affected by corrosion.

Concrete elements to be tested shall be at least 100 mm thick and fixed

within a structure. Smaller elements may be tested provided they are
rigidly supported.
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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
It has 3 types of direction of impact with different value of compressive
strength. The following are horizontal (A) 0.0, Verical (B) -90 and (C) +90.

Relationship between Rebound Hammer and Compressive Strength

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

Interpretation of Results

Average Rebound Number Quality of Concrete

˃ 40 Very Good Hard Layer

30-40 Good Layer
20-30 Fair
˂20 Poor Concrete
0 Delaminated

The rebound reading on the indicator scale has been calibrated by the
manufacturer of the rebound hammer for horizontal impact

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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

6. HALF CELL TEST

ASTM C876 - 15 Standard Test Method for
Corrosion Potentials of Uncoated Reinforcing Steel in Concrete

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 NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
Corrosion in Concrete
Corrosion is an electrochemical process involving the flow of
charges (electrons and ions)

 Anode Reaction  Cathode Reaction

Fe – 2e  Fe2+ 2H2O + O2 + 4e  4OH-

Chlorine

Hydroxide

When reinforcing steel corrodes, electrons flow through the bar and ions flow
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through the concrete.
 NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

Guideline Values (ACI 222) to determine possibility of corrosion

mV Probability of Corrosion

0 to -200 > 90% No Corrosion

-200 to -350 Uncertain Corrosion Activity

Less than -350 > 90% Corrosive Activity

Estimation of corrosion activity of the reinforcing steel using electrical

half-cell potential of concrete commonly used by engineers to assess the
severity of corrosion in reinforced concrete structures.
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NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
Half-cell potential measurements are simple, inexpensive and virtually
non-destructive techniques to assess the corrosion risk of steels in
concrete
When steels corrode, there are usually signs of deterioration on the
concrete surface such as rusting, cracking and spalling. However, once
these signs of corrosion appear, it may be too late to prevent the
advance of deterioration by repair works

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OTHER NON and DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
(NDT/DT)
CONCRETE CORES - to assess the physical and mechanical
properties of the existing concrete according to ASTM C42 for
compressive strength and according to C642 for water absorption
CONCRETE DUST SAMPLES - for determination of sulphate,
chloride contents and PH value according to BS 1881: Part 124
and part 6
CEMENT CONTENT TEST from the remaining concrete core
samples which is tested for compressive strength
PERMEABILITY TEST of concrete structure is to find the
permeability which is the measure of flow of water through the
concrete
RADIOGRAPHIC TESTING, used to detect voids in the concrete
and the position of stressing ducts.

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OTHER NON and DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
(NDT/DT)
SONIC METHODS using an instrumented hammer providing both sonic
echo and transmission methods
TOMOGRAPHIC MODELLING, which uses the data from ultrasonic
transmission tests in two or more directions to detect voids in concrete
IMPACT ECHO TESTING, is used to detect location and extent of defects
such as cracks, voids, delamination, honeycombing and debonding in
plain

GROUND PENETRATING RADAR or impulse radar testing, used to detect

the position of reinforcing bars or stressing ducts. This method is used
in place of radiographic inspection for inspection of post-tension cables,
conduits in concrete and position of reinforcement bars.

INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY – This method is used to detect concrete

defects such as voids, cracks, delamination and other anomalies in
concrete. This method is also used to detect water entry points in
buildings..
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