MODULE 4

NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
OF CONCRETE
INTRODUCTION :

• The usual way of testing concrete is by means

of casting cubes and then crushing them.
• The quality of product in the field is checked
by non-destructive methods.
• The main advantage is determination of
concrete properties without damage.
NEED FOR TESTING :

• Monitoring long-term changes in material

properties and structural performance.
• To check for the workmanship.
• For remedial schemes and repairs.
• To check for design specification.
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING :

Common Methods:
1. Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test
2. Rebound Hammer Test
3. Cover Meter Test
4. Penetration resistance/ Windsor probe test
5. Pull out test
6. Core cutting
1. Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test :

• used to assess the quality and strength of in-

situ concrete in structural members.

• used to check the compaction of concrete,

uniformity of concrete, determination of
cracks, presence of honeycombs, level of
deterioration and also strength estimation
(qualitatively).
PUNDIT (Portable Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Digital
Indicating Tester)

• consists of a pair of transducers (probes) of

different frequencies, electrical pulse generator,
electrical timing device and cables.

• It is based on the through-transmission

technique.
 Portable Ultrasonic Nondestructive Digital
Indicative Technique (PUNDIT)
Size: 180 X 110 X 160mm
Weight: 3kg
Digital display with Accuracy ±0.1 microseconds
METHODS OF TESTING :

1. Direct transmission

2. Indirect transmission

3. Semi-direct transmission
DIRECT TRANSMISSION :

• Pulse velocity will be measured in concrete by

placing transducers across the member exactly
opposite to each other.

• This is the most appropriate & reliable method

of testing to ascertain the quality / strength of
concrete.
DIRECT TRANSMISSION OF
PULSE ACROSS R.C BEAM
DIRECT TRANSMISSION OF
PULSE IN R.C COLUMN
INDIRECT TRANSMISSION :

• Pulse velocity will be measured in concrete by

placing transducers on the same plane of members.

• This is the least reliable method of testing to

ascertain the quality / strength of concrete. This
method will be adopted only when there is no other
option.
INDIRECT TRANSMISSION OF PULSE
IN [Link]
SEMI-DIRECT TRANSMISSION :

• Pulse velocity will be measured in concrete by

placing transducers in planes perpendicular to each
other.

• This is a moderately reliable method of testing to

ascertain the quality / strength of concrete.
SEMI-DIRECT TRANSMISSION OF
PULSE IN [Link]
Method of calculation of pulse velocity :

Velocity = (Distance travelled / Path length)

Time taken

Pulse Velocity in concrete will be represented

in Km/sec.

Appropriate correction factors to be applied

depending on site condition & factors
influencing velocity of pulse.
 QUALITY GRADING CHART :

Pulse Velocity Concrete Quality

(kM/sec) Grading (as per IS:13311
(Part-1)-1992)
Below 3.0 Doubtful
3.1 to 3.5 Medium
3.5 to 4.5 Good
Above 4.5 Excellent
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE VELOCITY
OF PULSE IN CONCRETE :

• Type & content of cement

• Influence of reinforcement
• Use of admixtures
• Type & size of aggregates
• Homogeneity & density of concrete
• Age of concrete
• Presence of voids / cavities in concrete
• Cracks in concrete
• Curing of concrete, etc.,
APPLICATIONS :

• Measurement of concrete uniformity

• Detection of cracking and honeycombing
• Strength estimation
• Assessment of concrete deterioration
• Measurement of layer thickness
• Measurement of elastic modulus
• Strength development monitoring.
2. REBOUND HAMMER TEST :
• It is a quick method for assessing the quality of
concrete based on surface hardness indicated by
the Rebound number.

• An higher rebound value indicates the higher

strength / surface hardness of concrete.

• This equipment works based on the spring

controlled hammer slides on a plunger within a
tubular housing.
Rebound Hammer test is a Non-destructive testing
method of concrete which provide a convenient and
rapid indication of the compressive strength of the
concrete.
 The rebound hammer is also called as Schmidt
hammer that consist of a spring controlled mass that
slides on a plunger within a tubular housing
 OBJECTIVES
•To determine the compressive strength of the concrete by relating
the rebound index and the compressive strength
•To assess the uniformity of the concrete
•To assess the quality of the concrete based on the standard
specifications
•To relate one concrete element with other in terms of quality
Figure: Rebound Hammer.
Hammer

Weight < 2Kg

Impact Energy = 2.2Nm
Suitability 20 – 60 MPa
Figure: Testing by Rebound Hammer
•When the plunger of rebound hammer is pressed against the
surface of concrete, a spring controlled mass with a constant
energy is made to hit concrete surface to rebound back.
•The extent of rebound, which is a measure of surface
hardness, is measured on a graduated scale.
• This measured value is designated as Rebound Number
(rebound index).
•A concrete with low strength and low stiffness will absorb
more energy to yield in a lower rebound value.
 The advantages of Rebound hammer tests are:
•Apparatus is easy to use
•Determines uniformity properties of the surface
•The equipment used is inexpensive
•Used for the rehabilitation of old monuments
The disadvantages of Rebound Hammer Test
•The results obtained is based on a local point
•The test results are not directly related to the strength and the deformation
property of the surface
•The probe and spring arrangement will require regular cleaning and
maintenance
•Flaws cannot be detected with accuracy
Factors Influencing Rebound Hammer Test
Below mentioned are the important factors that influence rebound hammer
test:
•Type of Aggregate
•Type of Cement
•Surface and moisture condition of the concrete
•Curing and Age of concrete
•Carbonation of concrete surface
METHODS OF TESTING :

Depending on the position of the rebound hammer

1. Horizontal
2. Vertically upwards
3. Vertically downwards
4. Inclined vertical upwards
5. Inclined vertical downwards
POSITION OF REBOUND
HAMMER - VERTICAL
UPWARDS
POSITION OF REBOUND HAMMER -
VERTICAL DOWNWARDS
METHOD OF CALCULATION :

•Average rebound number will be calculated

after exclusion of freak values and applying
necessary correction factor for position of
Rebound Hammer.
•To evaluate the strength of concrete based on
the rebound numbers, an appropriate calibration
chart shall be established based on the laboratory
tests.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE REBOUND
HAMMER TEST RESULTS :

Mix characteristics
(a) Cement type
(b) Cement content
(c) Coarse aggregate type.
Member characteristics
(a) Mass
(b) Compaction
(c) Surface type
(d) Rate of hardening and curing type
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, CAPO/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.
Core Sampling and Testing of Concrete
Concrete cores are usually cut by means of a rotary cutting tool with
diamond bits. In this manner, a cylindrical specimen is obtained usually
with its ends being uneven, parallel and square and sometimes with
embedded pieces of reinforcement. The cores are visually described and
photographed, giving specific attention to compaction, distribution of
aggregates, presence of steel etc. 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 as per
BS 1881: Part 4: 1970 or ASTM C 42-77.
The core samples can also be used for the
following:
•Strength and density determination
•Depth of carbonation of concrete
•Chemical analysis
•Water/gas permeability
•Petrographic analysis
•ASHTO Chloride permeability test
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 Very small diameter cores exhibit more variability in results than larger
diameter cores, hence their use is generally not recommended.
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.
Factors Affecting Strength of Concrete Cores
Following are the factors which affect the compressive strength of extracted concrete
cores:
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Site conditions vis-a-vis standard specimens
Because site curing is invariably inferior to curing prescribed for standard
specimens, the in-situ core strength is invariably lower than the standard
specimens taken and tested during concreting operations.
Pull out test
The fundamental principle behind pull out testing is that the test
equipment designed to a specific geometry will produce results
(pull-out forces) that closely correlate to the compressive strength of
concrete. This correlation is achieved by measuring the force
required to pull a steel disc or ring, embedded in fresh concrete,
against a circular counter pressure placed on the concrete surface
concentric with the disc/ring.
Types of Pull Out Tests:
Depending upon the placement of disc/ring in he fresh concrete, pull
out test can be divided into 2 types,
• LOK test
•CAPO test (Cut and Pull out Test)
 The LOK-TEST system is used to obtain a reliable estimate of
the in-place strength of concrete in newly cast structures

A steel disc, 25 mm in diameter at a depth of 25 mm, is pulled

centrally against a 55 mm diameter counter pressure ring bearing
on the surface. The force F required to pullout the insert is
measured. The concrete in the strut between the disc and the
counter pressure ring is subjected to a compressive load.
Therefore the pullout force F is related directly to the
compressive strength.
LOK Test Process. H indicated the highest
pullout force.
The CAPO-TEST permits performing pullout tests on existing
structures without the need of preinstalled inserts. CAPO-TEST
provides a pullout test system similar to the LOK-TEST system for
accurate on-site estimates of compressive strength.
When selecting the location for a CAPO-TEST, ensure that
reinforcing bars are not within the failure region. The surface at the
test location is ground using a planing tool and a 18.4 mm hole is
made perpendicular to the surface using a diamond-studded core bit. A
recess (slot) is routed in the hole to a diameter of 25 mm and at a
depth of 25 mm.
A split ring is expanded in the recess and pulled out using a pull
machine reacting against a 55 mm diameter counter pressure ring. As
in the LOKTEST, the concrete in the strut between the expanded ring
and the counter pressure ring is in compression. Hence, the ultimate
pullout force F is related directly to compressive strength.
The pullout test produces a well defined in the concrete and measure
a static strength property of concrete. The equipment is simple to
assemble and operate.
The compressive strength can be considered as proportional to the
ultimate pullout force. The reliability of the test is reported as good.
It is superior to rebound hammer and Windsor probe test because of
greater depth of concrete volume tested. However this test is not
recommended for aggregates beyond size of 38mm.
The major limitation of this test is that it requires special care at the
time of placement of inserts to minimize air void below the disc
besides a pre-planned usage.
Uses:
•Determine in-situ compressive strength of the concrete
•Ascertain the strength of concrete for carrying out post
tensioning operations.
•Determine the time of removal of forms and shores
based on actual in-situ strength of the structure.
•Terminate curing based on in-situ strength of the
structure.
•It can be also used for testing repaired concrete
sections.
Penetration resistance test is conducted on concrete structures using
Windsor Probe test machine. In this test method, a steel probe is fired
on the concrete surface by a sudden explosion.
 The penetration is inversely proportional to the strength of
concrete. The result of the test is influenced by aggregate strength and
nature of formed surfaces of concrete.
The purpose of the penetration resistance test is used to determine
the uniformity of concrete, specify the poor quality or deteriorated
concrete zones, and evaluate the in-place strength of concrete.
 It is sometimes necessary to estimate the strength of concrete on-
site for early form removal or to investigate the strength of concrete
in place because of low cylinder test results.
Purpose of Penetration Resistance Test
•Determine the uniformity of concrete
•Specify exact locations of poor quality or deteriorated concrete zones
•Assess in-place strength of concrete
Application of Penetration Resistance Test
Penetration resistance test is conducted to estimate the strength of
concrete on-site for early form removal or to investigate the strength
of concrete in place because of low cylinder test results.
Apparatus
1. Probe
Probe consists of driver unit used to drive the probe into the concrete
and probe manufactured from alloy-steel rod plated for corrosion
protection, with a blunt conical end that can be inserted into the driver
unit and driven into the concrete surface.
Probes of 79.4-mm overall length and 7.9-mm diameter, with the
penetrating end diameter reduced to 6.4 mm for approximately 14.3
mm in length, is suitable for testing concrete with a unit weight of
2000 kg/m3 or greater. Pins can be used instead of probe when the
penetration resistance test is carried out using this tool.
2. Measurement Equipment
Measurement equipment such as a Vernier caliper or depth gauge to
measure the exposed length of a probe to the nearest 0.5 mm. The
measuring equipment shall include a reference base plate which is
supported on the concrete surface at three equally spaced points at
least 50 mm from the probe to be measured.
 3. Positioning Device
A single device or a triangular device with holes at the three
corners can be used for positioning and guiding the probe and
driver unit.
Testing Procedure
•Place the positioning device on the surface of the concrete at the
location to be tested.
•Mount a probe in the driver unit
•Position the driver in the positioning device
•Fire the probe into the concrete.
•Remove the positioning device and tap the probe on the exposed end
with a small hammer to ensure that it has not rebounded and to
confirm that it is firmly embedded.
•Place the measuring base plate over the probe and position it so that it
bears firmly on the surface of the concrete without rocking or other
movement.
•The penetration resistance of concrete is computed by measuring
the exposed length of probes driven into concrete. In order to
estimate concrete strength, it is necessary to establish a relationship
between penetration resistance and concrete strength.
COVER METER TEST :

• Used for locating, mapping and thickness

gauging of cover provided for embedded rebars
in concrete.

• Equipment used Profometer works on

electromagnetic principles. The equipment
consists of display unit coupled with probes of
different types.
 ESTIMATION OF COVER AND
MAPPING OF REBARS IN ABUTMENT
 ESTIMATION OF COVER AND
MAPPING OF REBARS IN BEAM
covermeter, or rebar locator, is a gauge that measures the
thickness of concrete cover over steel reinforcement bars and
metal pipes. The cover meter can tell you the depth of the rebar,
the location and orientation of reinforcement bar (rebar) and
determine the diameter of the rebar.

cover meter is an instrument to locate rebars and measure the

exact concrete cover. Rebar detectors are less sophisticated
devices that can only locate metallic objects below the surface.
Due to the cost-effective design, the pulse-induction method is
one of the most commonly used solutions.
The pulse-induction method is based on electromagnetic pulse
induction technology to detect rebars. Coils in the probe are
periodically charged by current pulses and thus generate a magnetic
field. On the surface of any electrically conductive material which is
in the magnetic field eddy currents are produced. They induce
a magnetic field in opposite directions. The resulting change in
voltage can be utilized for the measurement. Rebars that are closer
to the probe or of larger size produce a stronger magnetic field.
Modern rebar detectors use different coil arrangements to generate
several magnetic fields. Advanced signal processing supports not
only the localization of rebars but also the determination of the
cover and the estimation of the bar diameter. This method is
unaffected by all non conductive materials such as concrete, wood,
plastics, bricks, etc. However any kind of conductive materials
within the magnetic field will have an influence on the
measurement.
Advantages of the pulse induction method:
•high accuracy
•not influenced by moisture and heterogeneities of the concrete
•unaffected by environmental influences
•low costs
Disadvantage of the pulse induction method:
•Limited detection range
•Minimum bar spacing depends on cover depths
LIMITATIONS OF THE EQUIPMENT :

• Only peripheral rebars can be detected

• Second layer (if any) of rebar's cannot be detected

• The accuracy of the diameter of rebar will vary

generally in the range of 10 to 20%

• The actual numbers and position of rebars cannot

be located if the rebars are closely spaced in one
location