Nondestructive Concrete Characterization System

Karagozian & Case, Inc. (K&C) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) are proposing to develop the small, portable, and low power Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT/NDE) field device requested in Army STTR Topic A21C-T012. The device will be capable of accurately returning to estimate the strength, thickness, and reinforcement of reinforced concrete (RC) structures up to 6 feet thick, including those constructed with various types of concretes ranging from 3,000 to 30,000 psi, and having steel reinforcement ranging from steel reinforcement bars, steel-fiber reinforcement, to non-structural inclusions like metal pipes and conduits. The novelty of the device is that it will combine both ground penetrating radar and ultrasonic hardware to account for each method’s shortcomings. The proposed device will be delivered along with a software interface that gives the users quick and simplified results from the device. The operator will be able to get results from the device and displayed on screen from within a few seconds to less than a minute.