Non-destructive testing of concrete

A seminar report

Submitted

By

Manish Joshi

In partial fulfilment of the award of the degree

Of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
CIVIL ENGINEERING
AT

GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING COLLEGE

AJMER
May 2018

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 ABSTRACT

Concrete is the combination of cement mortar and binders and is of wide use in many places.

Its applications range from small covering slabs to huge buildings. The necessity to know the

strength its ability to withstand load and durability is a factor of grave concern. The existence

of the building is entirely relied on the concrete structure it is made of. Based on the mixing

proportions, composition and wetting the properties of concrete can vary. Hence it is

necessary to test concrete strength wherever possible.

Although there can be no direct measurement of the strength properties of structural concrete

for the simple reason that strength determination involves destructive stresses, several non -

destructive methods of assessment have been developed. These depend on the fact that

certain physical properties of concrete can be related to strength and can be measured by non-

destructive methods.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTOR. TITLE PAGE

NO. NO.
Cover page 1
Abstract 2
Acknowledgment 5

Introduction
1 What is NDT 6
2 Objective & importance of NDT 7
3 Method of NDT 8
3.1 Penetration test 8
3.2 Rebound hammer test 10
3.3 Pull out technique 13
3.4 Ultrasonic pulse velocity test 15
3.5 Core cutting test 18

Literature review
1 Testing of concrete 21
2 Objectives of NDT as per is code 23

Conclusion 24
Reference 25

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 LIST OF FIGURES

S.NO. FIGURE PAGE

NO.
1 Windsor probe 8
2 Curve b/w compression strength &penetration depth 9
3 Shape of failure in penetration test 9
4 Rebound hammer 11
5 Rebound hammer 12
6 Pull out test 13
7 Ultrasonic pulse velocity test 16
8 Ultrasonic pulse velocity test 17
9 Transducers arrangement 17
10 Instrument of core cutting test 19

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

It is my pleasure to be indebted to various people, who directly or indirectly contributed In

the development of this work and who influenced my thinking, behaviour, and acts During
the course of study.

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher Dr. Pradeep Kumar
Goyal who suggested me to study wonderful seminar topic of Non-Destructive Testing of
Concrete Structure.

My seminar guide Ms. Sankalp also helped me to preparing my seminar report. I came to
know about so many new things. I am really thankful to them.

Manish Joshi

B.TECH.FINAL YEAR

CIVIL ENGINEERING

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 INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER-1

WHAT IS NDT

Non-destructive testing (NDT) is the process of inspecting, testing, or evaluating materials,

components or assemblies for discontinuities, or differences in characteristics without
destroying the serviceability of the part or system. In other words, when the inspection or test
is completed the part can still be used.

In contrast to NDT, other tests are destructive in nature and are therefore done on a limited
number of samples ("lot sampling"), rather than on the materials, components or assemblies
actually being put into service.

These destructive tests are often used to determine the physical properties of materials such
as impact resistance, ductility, yield and ultimate tensile strength, fracture toughness and
fatigue strength, but discontinuities and differences in material characteristics are more
effectively found by NDT.

Today modern non-destructive tests are used in manufacturing, fabrication and in-service
inspections to ensure product integrity and reliability, to control manufacturing processes,
lower production costs and to maintain a uniform quality level. During construction, NDT is
used to ensure the quality of materials and joining processes during the fabrication and
erection phases, and in-service NDT inspections are used to ensure that the products in use
continue to have the integrity necessary to ensure their usefulness and the safety of the public.

Non-destructive Testing (NDT) plays an important role in assuring that structural and
mechanical components perform their function in a safe, reliable, and cost-effective manner.
NDT technicians perform the necessary tests to locate the indicators and discontinuities that
may cause failures or shut downs in such systems. These tests are performed in a manner that
does not affect the future usefulness of the object or material – hence, the name “non-
destructive.” NDT allows for careful and thorough materials evaluation without the need for
deconstruction or damage. NDT is typically used at various points in a part’s life cycle. NDT
can be used prior to the use of a component for the sake of quality control. NDT is also
employed while components are in use to detect service related conditions caused by wear,
fatigue, corrosion, stress, or other factors which affect reliability.

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 CHAPTER:-2

OBJECTIVES AND IMPORTANCE OF NDT

OBJECTIVES: -

 To avoid failures, prevent accidents and save human life

 To make a profit for the user
 o aid in better product design
 To control manufacturing processes
 To lower manufacturing costs
 To maintain uniform quality level
 To ensure operational readiness

IMPORTANCE-

 Applied directly to the product

 Tested parts are not damaged
 Various tests can be performed on the same product
 Specimen preparation not required
 Can be performed on parts that are in service
 Low time consumption
 Low lab our cost

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 CHAPTER-3

METHODS OF NDT

Non-destructive methods may be categorized as:

 Penetration test
 Rebound test
 Pull out techniques
 Dynamic test/ultrasonic pulse velocity test
 Core cutter test

3.1. PENETRATION TEST:

 Penetration resistance tests on concrete offers a means of determining relative strengths of

concrete in the same structure or relative strength of different structures.
 TEST EQUIPMENT:
Windsor Probe is penetration resistance measurement equipment.
It consist of -1. A powder actuated gun or driver
2. Hardened alloy probe(A probe, diameter (6.5mm) and length(80mm)
(Driven into the concrete by means of a precision powder charge)
3. Loaded cartridges
4. A depth gauge for measuring penetration of probes
(Depth of penetration provides an indication of the compressive strength )

Fig. 1 Windsor probe

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 The strength properties of both mortar and stone aggregate influence the penetration
depth of the probe in a concrete, which is contrastingly different than cube crushing strength,
wherein the mortar strength predominantly governs the strength. Thus the type of stone
aggregate has a strong effect on the relation of concrete strength versus depth of penetration

Fig.- curve b/w penetration depth &compressive strength

 For two samples of concrete with equal cube crushing strength, penetration depth would
be more in the sample with softer aggregate than the one with harder aggregates.
Correlation of the penetration resistance to compressive strength is based on calibration
curves obtained from laboratory test on specific concrete with particular type of
aggregates.
 It is claimed an average coefficient of variation for a series of groups of three readings on
similar concrete of the order of 4% may be expected. It has been observed that ±20%
accuracy may be possible in strength determination of concrete.
 The approximate shape of failure during the test.

Fig . Shape of failure

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LIMITATIONS AND ADVANTAGES:
1. The probe test produces quite variable results and should not be expected to give accurate
values of concrete strength.

2. It has, however, the potential for providing a quick means of checking quality and maturity
of in situ concrete.

3. It also provides a means of assessing strength development with curing.

4. The test is essentially non-destructive, since concrete and structural members can be tested
in situ, with only minor patching of holes on exposed faces.

3.2. REBOUND TEST:

The rebound hammer method could be used for:

 Assessing the likely compressive strength of concrete with the help of suitable
correlations between rebound index and compressive strength,
 Assessing the uniformity of concrete,
 Assessing the quality of the concrete in relation to standard requirements
 Assessing the quality of one element of concrete in relation to another

PRINCIPLE OF TEST:
 When the plunger of rebound hammer is pressed against the surface of the concrete, the
spring-controlled mass rebounds and the extent of such rebound depends upon the surface
hardness of concrete.
 The surface hardness and therefore the rebound is taken to be related to the compressive
strength of the concrete.
 There bound is read off along a graduated scale and is designated as the rebound number
or rebound index.

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 REBOUND HAMMER:

 It consists of a spring controlled mass that slides on a plunger within a tubular housing. The
impact energy required for rebound hammers for different applications is given in Table.

Fig . Rebound hammer

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 FIG. Rebound hammer

 It is necessary that the rebound hammer is checked against the testing anvil be fore
commencement of a test to ensure reliable results. The testing anvil should be of steel
having Brinell hardness of about 5000 N/mm.

PROCEDURE

 For testing, smooth, clean and dry surface is to be selected. If loosely adhering scale is
present, this should be rubbed of with a grinding wheel or stone. Rough surfaces resulting
from in complete compaction, loss of grout, spalled or tooled surfaces do not give reliable
results and should be avoided.
 The point of impact should be at least 20 mm away from any edge or shape discontinuity.
 For taking a measurement, the rebound hammer should be held at right angles to them
surface of the concrete member. The test can thus be conducted horizontally on vertical
surfaces or vertically upwards or downwards on horizontal surfaces. If the situation

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 demands, the rebound hammer can be held at intermediate angles also, but in each case,
the rebound number will be different for the same concrete.
 Around each point of observation, six readings of rebound in dices are taken 2n average of
these readings after deleting outliers as perIS8900:1978 becomes the rebound index for
the point of observation.
 The rebound numbers are influenced by a number of factors like types of cement and
aggregate, surface condition and moisture content, age of concrete and extent of
carbonation of concrete.

3.3 PULL OUT TECHNIQUES

 The test measures the force required to pull out a previously cast in steel insert with
an embedded enlarged end in the concrete.
 In this operation, a cone of concrete is pulled out and the force required is related to
the compressive strength of concrete.

PRINCIPLE:-

 This test is based on the principle that the force required to pull out a cone of steel
embedded in concrete is proportional to the strength of concrete.

PROCEDURE:-

 A pull-out test measures, with a special ram, the force require to pull from the
concrete a specially shaped steel rod whose enlarged end has been cast into the
concrete to a depth of 3 in. (7.6 cm).
 Pull out insert (shown in fig) is embedded in plain concrete during pouring.The
concrete is simultaneously in tension and in shear, but the force required to pull the
concrete out can be related to its compressive strength.

Fig- 6 Pull out test

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 EVELUATION:-
 The pull out assembly is pulled with a lump of concrete, which is subjected to tension
and shear and the force required to pull out is related to shearing strength of concrete
and not to the compressive strength.
 Ratio of pull out force to compressive strength decreases slightly with increase in the
level of strength.
 Pull out may not be carried out till completion. It may be sufficient to apply a
predetermined force to the embedded rod and if it is not pulled out, a given strength is
assumed to exist.
 The pull out test is superior to Schmidt hammer and penetration resistance test
because larger volume and greater depth of concrete are involved in the test. Repair of
concrete after test is also required.

LIMITATION & ADVANTAGES:-

 Pullout tests do not measure the interior strength of mass concrete, they do give
information on the maturity and development of strength of are preventative part of it.
 Such tests have the advantage of measuring quantitatively the strength of concrete in
place.
 Their main disadvantage is that they have to be planned in advance and pull-out
assemblies set into the formwork before the concrete is placed.
 The pull-out, of course, creates some minor damage.

3.4 ULTRA SONIC PULS VILOCITY TEST:-

 An ultrasonic pulse velocity test is an in-situ, non-destructive test to check the quality
of concrete and natural rocks.
 In this test, the strength and quality of concrete or rock is assessed by measuring the
velocity of an ultrasonic pulse passing through a concrete structure or natural rock
formation.
 This test is conducted by passing a pulse of ultrasonic wave through concrete to be
tested and measuring the time taken by pulse to get through the structure. Higher
velocities indicate good quality and continuity of the material, while slower velocities
may indicate concrete with many cracks or voids.

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 Theory of pulse propagation through concrete:-
1. Three types of waves are generated by an impulse applied to a solid mass.
Surface waves having an elliptical particle displacement are the slowest,
whereas shear or transverse waves with particle displacement at right angles
to the direction of travel are faster. Longitudinal waves with particle
displacement in the direction of travel (sometimes known as compression
waves) are the most important since these are the fastest and generally
provide more useful information.
2. Electro-acoustic a transducers produce waves primarily of this type; other
types generally cause little interference because of their lower speed. The
wave velocity depends upon the elastic properties and mass of the medium,
and hence if the mass and velocity of wave propagation are known it is
possible to assess the elastic properties.
3. For an infinite, homogeneous, isotropic elastic medium, the compression
wave velocity is given by:

1
𝑉 = √𝐾. 𝐸𝑑
𝛼

Where V=compression wave velocity (km/s)

Ed=dynamic modulus of elasticity (KN/mm2)
α=density (kg/m3)

(1−𝑣)
𝑘 = (1+𝑣)(1−2𝑣): v=dynamic Poisson’s ratio.

1. The ultrasonic pulse velocity method could be used to establish:

1. The homogeneity of the concrete,
2. The presence of cracks, void sand other imperfections,
3. Changes in the structure of the concrete which may occur withtime,
4. The quality of the concrete in relation to standard requirements,
5. The quality of one element of concrete in relation to another,and
6. The values of dynamic elastic modulus of the concrete.

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EQUIPMENTS: The apparatus for ultrasonic pulse velocity measurement shall consist of the
following:

a) Electrical pulse generator,

b) Transducer-one pair,

c) Amplifier, and

d) Electronic timing device.

Fig- 7 Ultrasonic pulse velocity test apparatus

Fig-8 Ultrasonic pulse velocity test apparatus

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 Transducer arrangement:- There are three basic ways in which the transducers may be
arranged, These are:
1. Opposite faces (direct transmission)
2. Adjacent faces (semi-direct transmission)
3. Same face (indirect transmission).

Fig – 9 Transducer Arrangements

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3.5 CORE CUTTER TEST

 Concrete cores are used for testing of actual properties of concrete in existing
structures such as strength, permeability, chemical analysis, carbonation etc.
Sampling of concrete cores and testing its strength is described.
 While Rebound Hammer, Pullout, Windsor probe and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests
give indirect evidence of concrete quality, a more direct assessment on strength can be
made by core sampling and testing.
 The core samples can also be used for the following:
1. Strength and density determination
2. Depth of carbonation of concrete
3. Chemical analysis
4. Water/gas permeability
5. Petro graphic analysis
 The strength of a concrete core test specimen depends on its shape, proportions and
size. The influence of height/diameter (H/D) ratio on the recorded strength of cylinder
is an established fact.
 Strength of core have to be related to the standard cylinder strengths, i.e. for H/D ratio
of 2. Thus core should be preferably have this ration near to 2.
 For values of H/D less than 1, between 1 and 2, a correction factor has to be applied.
 The general rule adopted for fixing the core size, besides the H/D ratio, is the nominal
size of stone aggregate and the dia. should be not less than 3 times the maximum size
of stone aggregate.
 For diameter of core less than 3 times the size of the stone aggregate, an increased
number of cores have to be tested.
 Core Sampling and Testing of Concrete:-
1. Concrete cores are usually cut by means of a rotary cutting tool with diamond
bits.
2. In this manner, a cylindrical specimen is obtained usually with its ends being
uneven, parallel and square and sometimes with embedded pieces of
reinforcement.
3. The cores are visually described and photographed, giving specific attention to
compaction, distribution of aggregates, presence of steel etc.

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 4. The core should then be soaked in water, capped with molten sulphur to make
its ends plane, parallel, at right angle and then tested in compression in a moist
condition

Fig- Instrument of core cutting

 Factors Affecting Strength of Concrete Cores:-Following are the factors which

affect the compressive strength of extracted concrete cores:
1. Size of stone aggregate:-If the ratio of diameter of core to maximum size of stone
aggregate is less than 3, a reduction in strength is reported. For concrete with 20mm
size aggregate, 50mm dia. core has been tested to give 10% lower results than with
10mm dia. cores.
2. Presence of transverse reinforcement steel:-It is reported that the presence of
transverse steel causes a 5 to 15% reduction in compressive strength of core. The
effect of embedded steel is higher on stronger concrete and as its location moves away
from ends, i.e. towards the middle. However presence of steel parallel to the axis of
the core is not desirable.
3. H/D ratio:-This has been already discussed above. However its value should be
minimum 0.95 and maximum 2. Higher ratio would cause a reduction in strength.
4. Age of concrete:-No age allowance is recommended by the Concrete Society as some
evidence is reported to suggest that in-situ concrete gains little strength after 28 days.
Whereas others suggest that under average conditions, the increase over 28 days’
strength is 10% after 3 months, 15% after 6 months. Hence it is not easy to deal the
effect of age on core strength.

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5. Strength of concrete:-The effect in reducing the core strength appears to be higher in
stronger concretes and reduction has been reported as 15% for 40 MPa concrete.
However a reduction of 5 50 7% is considered reasonable.
6. Drilling operations:-The strength of cores is generally less than that of standard
cylinders, partly as a consequence of disturbance due to vibrations during drilling
operations. Whatever best precautions are taken during drilling, there is always a risk
of slight damage.

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 LITRATURE REVIEW

Chapter-1

TESTING OF CONCRETE

Concrete may be tested by two methods on the basis of destruction:-

1) Destructive testing of concrete
2) Non-destructive testing of concrete

1.) DESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF CONCRETE:-

 In destructive testing (or destructive physical analysis, DPA) tests are carried out to
the specimen's failure, in order to understand a specimen's performance or material
behaviour under different loads.
 These tests are generally much easier to carry out, yield more information, and are
easier to interpret than non-destructive testing.
 Destructive testing is most suitable, and economic, for objects which will be mass-
produced, as the cost of destroying a small number of specimens is negligible.
 It is usually not economical to do destructive testing where only one or very few items
are to be produced (for example, in the case of a building).
 The following primary destructive tests are performed on hardened concrete:
i) Cube test:-Compressive strength of hardened concrete is performed through cube
test. Get more information on Compressive strength tests on Concrete Cube.
ii) Flexure test:-A plain concrete specimen is examined to failure in bending. The
theoretical maximum tensile stress at the bottom face at failure is measured. This
is called the modulus of rupture. It is around 1.5 times the tensile stress obtained
with the splitting test.

2) NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF CONCRETE:-

 Non-destructive testing or non-destructive testing (NDT) is a wide group of analysis
techniques used in science and technology industry to evaluate the properties of a
material, component or system without causing damage.
 The terms non-destructive examination (NDE), non-destructive inspection (NDI), and
non-destructive evaluation (NDE) are also commonly used to describe this
technology.

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 It is a highly valuable technique that can save both money and time in product
evaluation, troubleshooting, and research.
 NDT is commonly used in forensic engineering, mechanical engineering, petroleum
engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, systems engineering,
aeronautical engineering, medicine, and art.
 The following non- destructive tests are performed on hardened concrete:
i) Penetration test
ii) Rebound hammer test
iii) Ultrasonic pulse velocity test
iv) Pull out techniques
v) Core cutter test

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 CHAPTER-2

OBJECTIVES OF VARIOUS MATHOD AS PER IS CODE- 13311 (1992)

 FOR REBOUND HAMMER TEST:-

As per IS code – 13311 part-2
a) Assessing the likely compressive strength of concrete with the help of suitable co-
relations between rebound index and compressive strength,
b) Assessing the uniformity of concrete,
c) Assessing the quality of the concrete in relation to standard requirements,
d) Assessing the quality of one element of concrete in relation to another.

 FOR ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST:-

As per IS code -13311 part -1
a) The homogeneity of the concrete,
b) The presence of cracks, voids and other imperfections,
c) Changes in the structure of the concrete which may occur with time,
d) The quality of the concrete in relation to standard requirements,
e) The quality of one element of concrete in relation to another,
f) The values of dynamic elastic modulus of the concrete.

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 CONCLUSONS

 FOR PENETRATION TEST:-

Penetration resistance tests on concrete offers a means of determining relative strengths of

concrete in the same structure or relative strength of different structures.

 FOR REBOUND HAMMER TEST:-

The rebound hammer method could be used for:

1. Assessing the likely compressive strength of concrete with the help of suitable
correlations between rebound index and compressive strength,
2. Assessing the uniformity of concrete,
3. Assessing the quality of the concrete in relation to standard requirements
4. Assessing the quality of one element of concrete in relation to another

 FOR ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST:-

1. An ultrasonic pulse velocity test is an in-situ, non-destructive test to check the quality
of concrete and natural rocks.
2. In this test, the strength and quality of concrete or rock is assessed by measuring the
velocity of an ultrasonic pulse passing through a concrete structure or natural rock
formation.

 FOR PULL OUT TECHNIQUE:-

1. The test measures the force required to pull out a previously cast in steel insert with
an embedded enlarged end in the concrete.
2. In this operation, a cone of concrete is pulled out and the force required is related to
the compressive strength of concrete.

 FOR CORE CUTTER TEST:- The core samples can also be used for the following:
1. Strength and density determination
2. Depth of carbonation of concret

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 REFERENCES

 IS: 13311 - 1992, Methods of non-destructive testing of concrete for all methods.
 Concrete technology by M.L.GAMBHIR (Tata M.C. Graw Hill)
 Repair & Rehabilitation of structure by SAURABH SHRIVASTAVE (J.P.
Publication)
 Google Wikipedia on testing of concrete
 Google Wikipedia on destructive testing of concrete
 Google Wikipedia on non-destructive testing
 The constructer civil engineering home on Google site

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