Non-Destructive In-Place Concrete Compressive Strength Estimation Using Post-Installed Concrete Pullout Test-Methodology and Field Experience

A sixteen-story steel frame structure is proposed to be built on an existing twelve-year old one-story reinforced concrete structure which is supported on an isolated footing foundation system. Original concrete mixture information and material testing records were not available to the project team. In order to determine if the existing reinforced concrete structure had sufficient capacity to carry the load from the proposed steel structure, the in-place concrete compressive strength of three footings and twenty-nine plinths was estimated using post-installed concrete pullout test and core compressive strength test. The test results indicated that the pullout force had a strong correlation with the core compressive strength. The estimated concrete compressive strength of footings and plinths using pullout test was found to be structurally adequate. With the use of post-installed pullout test, the project team was able to determine the structural capacity of existing structural members without causing significant delay in the project schedule.