Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/4685
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dc.contributor.authorAlexander, A. Michelen_US
dc.contributor.authorHaskins, Richard W.en_US
dc.contributor.authorBaishya, Mantu C.en_US
dc.contributor.authorCook, Roberten_US
dc.contributor.authorKelly, Michaelen_US
dc.creatorConstruction Productivity Advancement Research Program (U.S.)en_US
dc.creatorStructures Laboratory (U.S.)en_US
dc.creatorU.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Stationen_US
dc.creatorUniversity of Nebraska--Lincoln. Center for Infrastructure Researchen_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-16T22:21:02Zen_US
dc.date.available2016-03-16T22:21:02Zen_US
dc.date.issued1998-09en_US
dc.identifier.govdocTechnical Report CPAR SL-98-1en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11681/4685en_US
dc.descriptionTechnical Reporten_US
dc.description.abstractA significant number of concrete bridge decks, both public- and nonpublic use, in the United States are subjected to a variety of detrimental environmental conditions. Many of the decks are in northern regions and are subject to cold weather, some of these are subjected to further degradation from the applications of deicing salts. The current major distress noted is the occurrence of shallow delaminations resulting in horizontal voids below the surface of the decks. It appears the majority of the delaminations are caused by freezing and thawing action, by chloride attack that corrodes the reinforcement, and by alkali-silica reaction. All three attack mechanisms require the presence of moisture. Efforts to design and place a dense, impermeable concrete are hindered at times due to the porous nature of concrete. As the concrete ages, a micro-system of tension cracks and other surface imperfections can develop, exposing the matrix to water and chloride infiltration. Water infiltration alone can lead to accelerated alkali-silica reaction and steel-reinforcement corrosion. Surface spalling not only reduces ride quality, but it leads to more serious problems including structural deterioration and failure. Many concrete sealers and penetrants on the market are designed to protect concrete by improving and enhancing its physical properties. Surface sealers such as silane, silicones, and siloxanes have been developed to prevent the infiltration of moisture and chlorides. Penetrants such as high molecular weight methacrylate (HMWM) and epoxies have been developed to penetrate and fill cracks and porous areas in the concrete, sealing it against the infiltration of air, water, and chloride. Once the concrete is effectively sealed, both the progression of alkali-silica reaction and the corrosion of the reinforcing steel are arrested. These materials are also designed to bond to the concrete and thus to the structural integrity of the concrete. Once the delamination voids are filled, the structural integrity of the pavement is regained without the cost and downtime of an overlay. A case study is presented to determine the effectiveness of low-pressure injection of HMWM and epoxy material into delamination voids as a repair process for bridge decks. Test results, together with other physical property testing and modeling, are presented. Also included are suggested procedures, conclusions, and future test programs. Currently, the only standard method of detecting delaminations in concrete bridge decks is the chain drag (ASTM Standard D 4580), "Standard Practice for Measuring Delaminations in Concrete Bridge Decks by Sounding"). As this method depends on someone having an "ear" for hearing the discriminating sound from a delamination, it is subjective. An objective method was needed to evaluate delaminations in bridge decks. The U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES) made significant advancements in the development of a new high-frequency, high-resolution, ultrasonic pulse echo (UPE) system for evaluating delaminations in concrete bridge decks. Improvement of various functions was accomplished by the following means: The signal quality was improved by the design of new transducers. The face of the transducers was angled to better direct the transmitted and received energy. Transducer materials were matched in their acoustic impedance to permit better efficiency of transmission and reception. An improved type of lead metaniobate was used as the piezoelectric material. The speed of data acquisition was improved by the development of the rolling pond and a digital oscilloscope. The transducers were immersed in a thin layer of water kept in place by the rolling pond. The rolling pond consists of two large drums covered with a soft rubber and belt-driven pulleys which were covered in a rubber material. As the rolling pond moved along the deck, it provided a continuous rubber seal against the concrete surface and prevented the water from leaking from the protected space. The speed of data acquisition was improved by approximately 700X. The identification of signals was improved by fabricating a store of physical models and developing a ray-based software model. Numerous concrete models were fabricated with varying thicknesses and with various simulated flaws and defects. These models were used in conjunction with the ray-based software model to identify multiple reflections, p-waves, shear waves, and surface waves. The reduction of material noise (scattering from aggregate) was improved by a spectrum-processing algorithm. The presentation of results was improved by commercial software sold by MATLAB, Inc. Previously only one signal could be presented for analysis. MATLAB permitted about 200 signals to be observed in a B-scan presentation which improved the interpretation of results. Progress was made toward the computer interpretation of signals with artificial neural networks (ANNs). Signal recognition is an important application of ANNs. Progress was made on operator guidance on measurement procedure using an Expert System. The system was named SUPERSCANNER, the acronym for Scanned Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Results by Site-Characterization of Concrete Using Artificial Neural Networks and Expert Reasoning, although time constraints did not permit the ANN and Expert systems to be implemented. The new system demonstrates its potential for commercialization and competition with or replacement of the chain drag in the future. The WES prototype field system is available for performing evaluation services for various organizations.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipConstruction Productivity Advancement Research Program (U.S.)en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipUnited States. Army. Corps of Engineersen_US
dc.description.tableofcontentsPreface...........vii Conversion Factors, Non-SI to SI Units of Measurement...........viii 1-Introduction...........1 Background...........1 Construction Productivity Advancement Research Program...........2 Objective from CPAR-CRDA...........2 Product Description from CPAR-CRDA...........2 Overview of Nondestructive Evaluation Systems and Ultrasonic Pulse Echo...........3 Current practice...........3 Limitations of Old UPE system...........4 Old versus proposed UPE system...........5 Old UPE system versus radar...........5 Old UPE system versus chain drag...........6 Benefits of new UPE system...........6 Scope of UPE development...........7 Overview of Proposed Polymer Repair Technique (PORT) System...........7 Introduction...........7 Proposed research tasks of PORT system...........8 Organization of Report...........9 2-Development of UPE System...........11 New Improved Transducer...........12 Matching of acoustic impedances...........12 Construction and testing...........13 Improved directivity...........14 Rolling Pond...........14 Rapid measurements...........15 Air film reduces echo strength...........16 Air brush...........16 Energy isolator...........16 Water reservoir...........17 Other features of rolling pond...........17 Ray-Based Model and Physical Models...........18 Bridge-deck information...........19 Physical-model construction...........19 Real-world delaminations...........19 Ray-Based Software Model...........20 Identification of unwanted modes...........20 P-wave time of arrival...........20 PS-wave and 2S-wave...........21 Approach...........21 Simplified model...........22 Model calibration...........22 Model testing...........22 Data Acquisition and Presentation of Results...........22 Data acquisition...........22 Presentation of results...........23 Split-Spectrum Processing...........24 Digital signal processing...........24 Time invariant noise...........25 Frequency-dependent noise...........25 SSP implementation...........25 SSP of data...........26 Aritficial Neural Networks...........26 interpretation of signals...........26 Influence of concrete on stress waves...........27 Elimination of expert...........27 Expert System for UPE...........28 Results (Laboratory and Field)...........28 Laboratory experiment...........28 Field tests...........29 3-Development of Polymer-Injection System...........31 Literature Review...........31 Extent and causes of bridge-deck deterioration...........31 Characteristics of concrete...........32 Bridge-deck deterioration...........33 Analysis of survey results...........36 Materials and Equipment Specifications...........40 material specifications...........40 Equipment specifications...........47 Laboratory Evaluation of Polymer Materials (Phase 1)...........50 Introduction...........50 Research plan...........50 Preparation of specimens...........51 Laboratory tests...........54 Test results and calculations...........56 Conclusions...........71 Laboratory Evaluation of Polymer Materials (Phase II)...........71 Details of test specimens and observations...........72 Tensile test results...........73 Conclusions...........73 System Procedures...........73 Procedures for Category-I sealer healer...........76 Procedures for Category -II surface costing...........79 Procedures for polymer injection...........82 Demonstration Projects...........86 Description of bridges...........87 Strategies for the demonstration projects...........88 Application of material...........89 Project monitoring...........92 Conclusions...........92 Laboratory Analysis of Demonstration Projects...........92 Projects (deck cores)...........92 Tensile testing...........93 Permeability testing...........94 Results of evaluation of bridge-deck cores at USACE Laboratory...........97 Cost-Analysis for Injection/Dealing...........99 Cost-analysis assumptions...........99 Explanation of cases for cost evaluation...........101 Conclusions from cost analysis...........103 Knowledge Based Expert System for PORT system...........103 4-Conclusions and Recommendations...........106 SUPERSCANNER...........106 Conclusions...........106 Recommendations...........109 PORT System...........110 Conclusions...........110 Recommendations...........112 Systems Combined...........113 5-Commercialization and Technology Transfer Plan...........114 References...........116 Figures 1-79 Appendix A: Summary of Literature Review...........A1 Appendix B: Polymer-Injection/Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo System for Concrete Bridge Repair...........B1 Appendix C: Project Participants...........C1 Appendix D: Guide Specification Category I...........D1 Appendix E: Design Considerations...........E1 Appendix F: Contrast of Rolling-Pond and Sliding Systems...........F3 Appendix G: Split-Spectrum Processing...........G1 Appendix H: Artificial Neural Networks...........H7 Appendix I: Expert System for UPE...........I5 Appendix J: Petrographic Examination of Concrete Core Samples...........J1 SH298en_US
dc.format.extent283 pages/14.97 MBen_US
dc.format.mediumPDFen_US
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherU.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Stationen_US
dc.relationhttp://acwc.sdp.sirsi.net/client/en_US/search/asset/1003870en_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesTechnical Report (Construction Productivity Advancement Research Program (U.S.)) ; no.Technical Report CPAR SL-98-1en_US
dc.rightsApproved for public release; distribution is unlimiteden_US
dc.sourceThis Digital Resource was created from scans of the Print Resourceen_US
dc.subjectConcrete bridgesen_US
dc.subjectEvaluationen_US
dc.subjectMaintenanceen_US
dc.subjectRepairen_US
dc.subjectPolymer injectionen_US
dc.subjectBridge decksen_US
dc.subjectConcrete decksen_US
dc.subjectUltrasonic pulse echoen_US
dc.subjectConstruction Productivity Advancement Research Program (U.S.)en_US
dc.titleTechnologies for improving the evaluation and repair of concrete bridge decks : ultrasonic pulse echo and polymer injectionen_US
dc.typeReporten_US
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