Nonlinear active wave modulation approach for micro-damage detection

Several nondestructive testing methods can be used to estimate the extents of damage in a concrete structure. Pulse-velocity and amplitude attenuation, are very common in nondestructive ultrasonic evaluation. Velocity of propagation is not very sensitive to the degrees of damage unless a great deal of micro-damage having evolving into localized macro-damage. Amplitude attenuation is potentially more sensitive than pulse-velocity. However, this method depends strongly on the coupling conditions between transducers and concrete, hence unreliable. A new active modulation approach, Nonlinear Active Wave Modulation Spectroscopy, is adopted in our study. In this procedure, a probe wave will be passed through the system in a similar fashion to regular acoustics. Simultaneously, a second, low frequency modulating wave will be applied to the system to effectively change the size and stiffness of flaws microscopically and cyclically, thereby causing the frequency modulation to change cyclically as well. The resulting amplified modulations will be correlated to the extents of damage,with the effect that even slight damage should become quantifiable. This study unveils the potential of nonlinear frequency analysis methods for micro-damage detection and evaluation using actively modulated acoustic signals. This method can interrogate materials exaggerating the nonlinearly that exists due to microcracking and deterioration.