NISTIR 7974 Nondestructive Testing (NDT) and Sensor Technology for Service Life Modeling of New and Existing Concrete Structures Kenneth A. Snyder Li-Piin Sung Geraldine S. Cheok This publication is available free of charge from: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.7974 NISTIR 7974 Nondestructive Testing (NDT) and Sensor Technology for Service Life Modeling of New and Existing Concrete Structures Kenneth A. Snyder Li-Piin Sung Materials and Structural Systems Division Engineering Laboratory Geraldine S. Cheok Intelligent Systems Division Engineering Laboratory December 2013 U.S. Department of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Secretary National Institute of Standards and Technology Patrick D. Gallagher, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director ii ABSTRACT Nondestructive test (NDT) methods and sensor technologies are evaluated in the context of providing input parameters to service life prediction models for reinforced concrete structures. Relevant NDT methods and sensors are identified that are based on diverse technologies including mechanical impact, ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, nuclear, and chemical and electrical methods. The degradation scenarios of reinforcement corrosion, alkali-silica reaction, and cracking are used to identify gaps in available NDT methods for supporting condition assessment and service life prediction. Common gaps are identified, along with strategies for resolving those gaps. iii Disclaimer: Certain commercial products are identified in this paper to specify the materials used and procedures employed. In no case does such identification imply endorsement or recommendation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor does it indicate that the products are necessarily the best available for the purpose. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................................................... I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................... VII LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................................................. X LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................................. XI ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................... XII 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................. 1 2 STRUCTURAL CONCRETE IN THE NUCLEAR INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................... 2 3 MODELING SERVICE LIFE ........................................................................................................................................... 3 3.1 EMPIRICAL VS. PHYSICOCHEMICAL MODELS ............................................................................................................................... 4 3.2 CONCEPTUAL SERVICE L IFE MODEL ............................................................................................................................................. 5 4 MEASUREMENT METHODOLOGIES ......................................................................................................................... 7 5 NDT TECHNOLOGIES ................................................................................................................................................... 8 5.1 ELECTRO-MECHANICAL STRAIN GAUGES .................................................................................................................................... 8 5.2 ACOUSTIC / MECHANICAL IMPACT ............................................................................................................................................... 8 5.3 ELECTROMAGNETIC ......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 5.4 NUCLEAR ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 5.5 ELECTRICAL / CHEMICAL ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 5.6 MASS TRANSPORT ............................................................................................................................................................................ 9 5.7 EXISTING I N-DEPTH SUMMARIES .................................................................................................................................................. 9 5.8 COMMERCIAL DEVICES .................................................................................................................................................................... 9 6 ELECTRO-MECHANICAL STRAIN GAUGES .......................................................................................................... 10 6.1 MECHANICAL GAUGES .................................................................................................................................................................. 10 6.2 PIEZO-ELECTRIC G AUGES ............................................................................................................................................................ 11 7 MECHANICAL / ACOUSTIC METHODS ................................................................................................................. 12 7.1 REBOUND METHOD ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12 7.2 PENETRATION RESISTANCE ........................................................................................................................................................ 14 7.3 PULLOUT TEST ............................................................................................................................................................................... 15 7.4 BREAK-OFF T EST .......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 7.5 RESONANT F REQUENCY METHODS ............................................................................................................................................ 19 7.6 ACOUSTIC W AVE METHODS ........................................................................................................................................................ 20 7.7 ULTRASONIC P ULSE VELOCITY (UPV) ...................................................................................................................................... 21 7.8 ULTRASONIC P ULSE-ECHO (UPE) ............................................................................................................................................. 23 7.9 IMPACT-ECHO (IE) ....................................................................................................................................................................... 25 7.10 SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF SURFACE WAVES ............................................................................................................................ 27 7.11 NONLINEAR ULTRASONIC A NALYSIS ...................................................................................................................................... 28 7.12 ACOUSTIC E MISSION .................................................................................................................................................................. 30 7.13 ULTRASONIC P HASED A RRAYS / ULTRASONIC P HASE SPECTROSCOPY ........................................................................... 32 7.14 NON-CONTACT ULTRASOUND .................................................................................................................................................. 34 8 ELECTROMAGNETIC METHODS ............................................................................................................................ 35 8.1 TIME-DOMAIN R EFLECTOMETRY ............................................................................................................................................... 35 8.2 INFRARED T HERMOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................................ 36 8.3 GAMMA R AY/X-RAY RADIOGRAPHIC TESTING ....................................................................................................................... 37 8.4 GROUND-PENETRATING R ADAR (GPR) ................................................................................................................................... 38 8.5 EDDY CURRENT / PULSE INDUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 40 v 8.6 LASER S HEAROGRAPHY ...............................................................................................................................................................