With the age of concrete structures and during the construction phase, the evaluation of concrete becomes an important step to ensure the safety and durability of a structure. Three services are essential to assessing hardened concrete: scanning, coring, and testing. These services offer insight into the strength, composition, and extent of damage to concrete structures. This blog will explore concrete testing, its essential methods and shed some light on the significance of scanning and coring while testing. Keep reading to know more.
Let us take a closer look at Concrete Testing:
While professional concrete testers evaluate the structure, they need to test the properties of concrete. Different types of tests start with a virtual assessment of the concrete. While it is essential to make sure the structural integrity of a concrete building is intact, factors like corrosion in rebar, moisture, and physical damage due to weather and time also count. Let us know the different types of methods that are conducted to determine concrete strength:
In-Place Testing:
In-place testing, utilizing nondestructive methods, is often the preferred approach. This allows for a comprehensive evaluation without causing structural damage. One notable method is the rebound number, where test hammers measure surface hardness, providing quick and reliable assessments.
Let's know what it means in simple language. The rebound hammer is a device with a spring and a hammer attached. When the hammer is released to impact the Concrete, it starts to rebound. The total number of rebounds is measured and correlated with the hardness of the surface. This is how the rebound method helps calculate a concrete surface's hardness.
Coring:
Core samples remain a benchmark for in-place strength determinations. A core drill is used to obtain the core sample, which is then taken to the lab to compress it under a heavy-weight apparatus. This test tells the compressive strength of the concrete. While concrete coring may cause cosmetic and structural damage, careful planning can minimize these impacts.
Maturity Testing:
Maturity concrete testing involves embedding sensors in the concrete to record temperature profiles over time. This method, detailed in ASTM C1074, offers proven and reliable strength estimates, aiding in predicting safe curing times and monitoring long-term performance.
Windsor Probe testing:
Windsor probe testing is performed to know the compressive strength of the concrete. In this test, a probe is forced into the concrete slab. Driver is used to exert the force on the probe, and regression analysis is used to understand the relationship between resistance and compressive strength of the concrete. This test is quick and gives results onsite. The test is also economically convenient.
Anchor pullout testing:
Anchor and bolt installation is an important part of the construction process. An anchor bolt pullout test is conducted to know the strength of the industrial fixings. In this test, anchoring bold testing equipment is used to exert force on the fixing to check how much load the design can pick up. The test is of two types:
- Failure test: In this test, the load capacity of an anchor is not known. Therefore, pressure is exerted on the anchor until failure.
- Allowable load test: As the name suggests, the load capacity of the anchor is known, so only allowable load is exerted to testify to the results.
Concrete Scanning: Unveiling the Subsurface
Concrete scanning is instrumental in revealing the subsurface composition and potential hidden obstacles. It plays an important role in construction projects and structural assessments. A GPR scanner is a device that sends waves to the concrete and helps locate the position of the rebar and the extent of corrosion in it.
Concrete scanning can be used to determine slab thickness and the location of voids in the concrete wall or floor. This way, the concrete scan test provides information on potential damages and help with concrete testing.
Importance of Concrete Scanning:
Concrete scanning helps to identify rebar locations, voids, and other utilities beneath the surface. This information is crucial for ensuring the integrity of new structures and avoiding complications during modifications. During the coring process, scanning is the first step that helps to mark the right spots to create holes and openings in Concrete. It also helps to create a utility map in the property for future purposes.
Advanced Technology:
Modern concrete scanning technologies, such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction, provide detailed and real-time data. These methods enhance efficiency and accuracy in identifying subsurface features.
Conclusion
Concrete testing, scanning, and coring collectively form a robust toolkit for evaluating and ensuring the longevity of structures. Employing these methods judiciously while adhering to industry standards is key to maintaining the safety and integrity of our built environment.
If you are looking to hire a concrete scanning, testing, or coring company, Concrete Insight has got your back. They are a reliable service provider with 25+ years of experience. To hire them and have a look at their portfolio, visit them now
