Non-destructive testing of concrete structures with the impact-echo method

The impact-echo method is based on the use of elastic waves. It was developed in the 1980 for the testing of concrete structures and is currently widespread. Main application areas are the component and coating thickness measurement and detection of delaminations, voids and other defects. Specifically, the method is also used to check the injection faults of clamping channels. Another application is the determination of mechanical material parameters such as the modulus of elasticity. Since the original development of the method has undergone several enhancements. The conversion of a single-point measurement method towards a area component testing, the use by the optimized measurement data acquisition and evaluation enlarged and delivered an important prerequisite for increasing the efficiency. The use of air-coupled sensors not only increases the measurement speed but also provides advantages in rough component surfaces. The imaging analysis in conjunction with signal processing algorithms simplifies the interpretation and allows statistical evaluation.