Predicting the Strength of Submerged and Saturated Concrete Structures using Non-Destructive Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Testing
Received: 30 March 2025 | Revised: 21 April 2025 | Accepted: 4 May 2025 | Online: 21 May 2025
Corresponding author: Nawfal Shihab Ahmed
Abstract
Concrete has long been a fundamental material in the construction of diverse structural forms due to its high strength and adaptability. As a result, ensuring concrete quality and continuous monitoring of structural health has become a critical concern for engineers and structure owners aiming to extend service life. Accurate structural assessment requires precise evaluation of mechanical properties, particularly compressive strength. Among the available techniques, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) offers a means to assess these properties without inflicting damage on the structure. One widely adopted NDT method is Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) testing, which measures the time it takes for ultrasonic waves to travel through the material. This velocity is strongly influenced by concrete’s density and moisture content, both of which affect compressive strength. Consequently, it is vital to establish an empirical equation that accounts for varying moisture conditions when estimating compressive strength. In this study, a Proceq Ultrasonic Pundit Lab (+) device was employed to test 80 concrete cubes under submerged, saturated, and dry conditions. These cubes were subsequently tested using a compression machine to determine their actual compressive strength. Each UPV measurement was paired with its corresponding strength value to derive an empirical prediction model. The resulting equation was initially calibrated using dry-condition data and subsequently adjusted utilizing correction coefficients for different moisture levels. The findings demonstrate that the proposed equation is a robust and reliable tool for predicting the compressive strength of concrete in non-dry states.
Keywords:
non-dry concrete strength, soaked concrete, underwater concrete, ultrasonic-pulse-velocity, non-destructive-testingDownloads
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