Applying elastic wave tomography as an innovative NDT method, the evaluation of velocity distribution in three-dimensional (3D) before and after the repair is introduced in this study. The increase in the velocity with penetration of the repair material according to the repair effect is identified visually and quantitatively. The 3D tomography technique is newly proposed for one-side access inspection, using drill hammering to generate an elastic wave. Accordingly, the elastic wave velocity distribution result enables to visualize the internal quality of concrete after patch repair is successfully done. In addition, an attempt for reinforced concrete (RC) slab panels is made to confirm the effectiveness of the repair by comparing the velocity distribution of elastic waves obtained from acoustic emission (AE) tomography analysis, before and after the repair. Thus, the velocity recoveries due to injection are found in all the slab panels, and it is confirmed that the elastic wave velocities obtained using this technique can serve as an indicator for examining the state of crack and void filling with injected material. Further, a good correlation is found between the low-velocity region before repair and the amount of injection. These results show the potential of the AE tomography technique to be used as a method for estimating the effect of injection repair.
Part of the book: Elasticity of Materials