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Abstract

Recently, air-coupled impact-echo (IE) tests for rapid damage detection in concrete structures have been reported, where an acoustically shielded, high sensitivity, pre-polarized air-pressure sensor was employed. However, this sensor is expensive and inconvenient compared with conventional (contact sensor) IE testing systems. In this study, a low cost dynamic microphone is evaluated with regard to characterization of delamination damage in a concrete slab using the IE method. Artificial delaminations with various sizes and depths are simulated by embedding plastic double sheets into a concrete slab. Results from both point and areal scanning IE tests that were carried out over the test slab surface are reported. Results show that the dynamic microphone successfully captures impact-echo signals in a contactless manner and without acoustic shielding. Near-surface delaminations in the concrete slab were clearly identified, where the obtained results are equivalent to those results obtained with the high sensitivity sensor.

Keywords

non-contact NDT low cost sensor SHM impact-echo air-coupled sensing

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Cost Effective Air-Coupled Impact-Echo Sensing for Rapid Detection of Delamination Damage in Concrete Structures

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