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Original scientific paper

Comprehensive Condition Assessment of Concrete Bridge Decks by Multiple NDE Technologies

Nenad Gucunski


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Abstract

From all bridge components, concrete bridge decks in most cases deteriorate the fastest. There-fore, the costs associated with their maintenance and rehabilitation represent the most significant part of the transportation agency budgets for bridges. The current practice of bridge deck inspection typically provides information when the deterioration is already in its latest stage. Main reductions in the expenditures can be achieved through their monitoring and assessment using nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies, and timely maintenance and repair. Since the currently used NDE technologies enable detection and characteriza-tion of only one deterioration type, the presented study concentrates on a complementary use of five NDE tech-nologies: electrical resistivity (ER), half-cell potential (HCP), impact echo (IE), ground penetrating radar (GPR), and ultrasonic surface waves (USW) method. The technologies are used to assess condition of concrete decks with respect to rebar corrosion, delamination and concrete degradation. The results presented include maps describing the corrosive environment and corrosion activity, deck delamination, and quantitative and qualita-tive assessment of the concrete quality, and thus deterioration. Significant differences in the abilities of NDE technologies to characterize deterioration clearly points to the need for their complementary use to address the complex nature of deterioration in concrete bridge decks.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

148808

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/148808

Publication date:

1.11.2012.

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