Concrete Slabs’ Initial Cracks Assessment using Ground Penetrating Radar

Abstract

Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) is extensively used by a multiple group of service providers that incorporate agronomist, archaeologists, criminologists, engineers, environmental specialists, foresters, geologists, geophysicists, hydrologists, land use managers, and soil scientists. In engineering applications include Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) of structures and pavements and locating buried structures etc. GPR is a relatively new geophysical tool that has become increasingly popular due to its high resolution and the need to better understand near-surface conditions. In this paper GPR is applied to six concrete slabs. Radar measurements were performed using a 1000 MHz RAMAC GPR CU-II. Two concrete slabs weren’t reinforced, two have simple reinforcement, and the last two have artificial gaps in their reinforcement. Tests were taken after applying 40% of the slabs’ failure loads. Experiments resulted that the extent and severity of the fatigue cracking was possible to be monitored. In addition, the technique was assistive in determining the failure caused by loading reflected by radargrams.