A Laboratory For Non Destructive Evaluation Of Civil Structures

This paper describes the modifications made to the civil engineering materials laboratory course to include non destructive testing procedures. The materials course is required in the undergraduate program and taken at the junior level. The materials course as it was offered primarily covered the design and properties of Portland cement concrete, steel and asphaltic concrete. Additionally, testing for the properties of wood, plastics and aluminum was covered. The objective was to teach and conduct state-of-the-practice methods of obtaining virgin properties of materials which represents the basis of designing and constructing new structures. The motivation behind the inclusion of non-destructive procedures in the materials laboratory was the urgent need for rehabilitating the nation’s infrastructure. Civil engineers are responsible for the design, maintenance, inspection and operation of almost all public infrastructure such as transportation structures, water resources, water system structures and delivery structures, energy production and delivery systems, and building structures. An essential need today is in evaluating the safety, remaining service life, repair and rehabilitation of these structures in service. The paper describes the non destructive procedures incorporated into the materials laboratory, namely: x Eddy Current Procedure for mapping reinforcing bar topology in concrete structures. x Hall effect sensors for mapping corrosion of reinforcing bars in concrete structures. x Chloride Ion profiling for measuring the infiltration of deicing salt in concrete structures. x Permeability measurement of concrete in service. x Ultrasonic testing for defect identification in concrete and steel structures. x Acoustic emission for monitoring of structures in service. The paper also summarizes the student feedback on the changes made to the materials course.