ACOUSTIC EMISSION & NDT SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

 

Condition Assessment of Concrete Hinge Joint Bridges

 

To appear in the proceedings of Emerging Technologies in NDT, Held 26-28 May 2003, Thessaloniki, Greece

J.R. Watson, Ph. Cole, A.Annastasopoulos

 

The deterioration of concrete bridges in the UK is largely due to chloride attack of reinforcementsteel, which reduces the tensile strength of the structure. Civil Engineers have the task of quantifying damagewithin structures in order to prioritise maintenance. Acoustic Emission (AE) has become an established techniquein many industries for assessing the extent of damage in a variety of different structures and materials. Trials usingprocedures and evaluation methods, developed by Physical Acoustics Limited supported by research carried out atCardiff University, were carried out on the concrete half joints of a motorway bridge on the M6 motorway,England. This paper discusses the use of AE as a condition assessment tool for concrete structures and presentsthe findings of the M6 monitoring as a case study.