A simple device for detecting impact time in impact-echo testing of concrete

The objective of this paper is to describe a simple device for detecting the time of an impact and to demonstrate its efficiency in measuring the depth of surface-opening cracks in concrete. Surface-opening cracks in concrete are relatively deep so that a mechanical impact instead of an ultrasonic transmitter is used to generate stress waves with enough energy for successful evaluation. A technique called the time-of-flight diffraction technique with impact-generated stress waves is an efficient method for detection of surface-opening cracks in concrete. Because the initial time of the impact is unavailable in a mechanical impact device, two receivers are employed in the test. One of the receivers is used to determine the time of the impact indirectly. The present study developed a simple device to record the time of impact initiation. The device comprises a conductive impact device, a sensing film, and an auxiliary circuit. With the device, stress waves are generated and the time of impact is detected so that the evaluation work needs only a single receiver. Laboratory studies were carried out on concrete specimens containing cracks with depths of 0.158 and 0.90 m. Field studies were performed on a dam damaged by an earthquake. Experimental results show that the new device can be used to accurately determine the crack depth in concrete. Using the device, the cost and effort for evaluation and signal analysis are reduced, which largely enhances the evaluation efficiency. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.