Determination of Concrete Pipe Deterioration State Using Ultrasonic Techniques

摘要

Most underground networks were installed using open trench construction methods. These constructionrnmethods typically consists of placing pipes on bedding material and backfilling the trench. Presently,rnunderground piping networks are accessed using closed circuit television cameras. While the camera goesrnthrough the pipe network a trained operator classifies the condition of the underground network by visuallyrnassessing the camera image projected onto a monitor. Over the past 10 years many technologicalrnimprovements have been made to CCTV camera images including the development of new digital cameras.rnRegardless of the type of camera used the condition of the pipeline is evaluated solely on a pipe surfacernimage. A research project is underway to determine if non-destructive ultrasonic test methods can be used tornquantify the state of pipe cracking in concrete pipes. The goal of this research is to develop a testrnmethodology that can add complementary information to pipe surface image assessments. Test resultsrnindicate that wave amplitude is better than wave velocity for assessing the state of cracking in concreternspecimens. Further research is required to verify these findings.