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Non-destructive testing (NDT) for diagnosis and post-repair evaluation of reinforced concrete structures

765.00 excl. VAT

Planned Course Data


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Duration

1 day (8h/day); 9AM-5PM CET

Instructor

Sokratis Iliopoulos

Joining Laborelec in 2018 as an expert in nondestructive testing (NDT) of concrete, Sokratis is completely familiar with advanced NDT techniques to detect reinforcement and identify degradation. He is fully conversant in methods such as Ultrasonic Tomography (UT), Acoustic Emission (AE), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) testing, both in the lab and on site. Sokratis has a PhD in NDT for concrete and more than eight years of experience in the field.

Frameworks

Goals

Ageing or chemical degradation in power plants, dams, tunnels, bridges and other civil engineering infrastructure often lead to cracking or delamination affecting durability and structural integrity. Precise diagnosis is vital to assess degradation and to check the quality of repairs. Destructive testing has long been the dominant method of assessing concrete, and many operators do not have the reflex to employ nondestructive techniques despite the clear advantages.

The course covers non-destructive testing (NDT) methods for concrete in detail, how to achieve a balance between using destructive and non-destructive methods, and how to formulate reliable and cost-effective examination procedures.

Program

The introduction discusses where non-destructive testing is particularly appropriate for assessing concrete structures, rather than other methods, including destructive techniques. In particular, the advantages of NDT over visual inspection, core drilling and hammer-sounding surface examination will be explained, with reference to the following criteria, among others:

  • depth within the structure,
  • the objectivity or subjectivity of the analysis,
  • resolution, and
  • cost-effectiveness.

The course then takes a deep dive into non-destructive examination techniques applicable to concrete structures, and how to guarantee a reliable diagnosis, in particular making use of the following technologies:

Ultrasonic Tomography (UT) is a non-destructive method which can be used to complement or replace other destructive techniques, since it can visualize internal as well as surface conditions. Unlike hammer-sounding, it can be used to assess difficult-to-reach locations offering the possibility of inspection even when infrastructure is in operation, avoiding critical paths. Discussion of UT technique is accompanied by case studies and live demonstrations using reinforced concrete mock-ups. Detecting voids following repair is also covered.

Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) is an alternative non-destructive means of evaluating compressive strength. Compared with core drilling, UPV has the big advantage of not requiring large quantities of material to be extracted from a range of locations. The training also focuses on UPV in European standards.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) maps the reinforcement mesh at different levels and makes it possible to visualize the structure beneath the concrete’s surface. It is useful for  assessing conformity in new or existing structures based on engineering drawings. The risk of damaging reinforcement bars during core drilling is dramatically reduced when GPR is used. The training details GPR’s advantages over conventional ferro scanning, illustrated by case studies.

Brief interactive exercises form an important and integral part of the course, designed to illustrate the theory and aid in assimilating the material.

Target Audience

The course is particularly suitable for engineers and technicians working in maintenance and operations, as well as design engineers and QA/QC specialists.

Practical Info

Please note that the course will only take place if the minimum number of participants is acquired.

If you would like a dedicated session for your team, or if you want information on the possible dates for this course, please get in contact at laborelecacademy@engie.com.

 

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