Fatigue damage detection on concrete under compression using infrared thermography

The paper aims to illustrate the relevant use of infrared thermography as a nondestructive, noncontact and real time technique (a) to observe the progressive damage processes and mechanisms of concrete failure, and (b) to detect the occurrence of intrinsic dissipation localization. The parameter, investigated in this paper, is the heat generation due to intrinsic dissipation, caused by anelasticity and/or inelasticity of concrete material. Thanks to the thermomechanical coupling, this useful technique offers the possibility of scanning dissipative phenomena caused by concrete degradation before reaching the ultimate strength. It allows a measure of the limit of a progressive damaging process under loading beyond which concrete is destroyed.