Comparison of Non-Destructive and Destructive Testing on Concrete: A Review

Journal Title: Trends in Civil Engineering and its Architecture - Year 2018, Vol 3, Issue 1

Abstract

Concrete is the oldest and most important construction material in the world. Testing of the concrete specimen plays and important role to know about the strength, durability and condition of the structure. The work will present a detailed comparison between the destructive tests and non-destructive methods. This work focuses on comparing the destructive and non-destructive testing which can determine the potential durability of the concrete. This work helped us to reach a conclusion where we can further find the best testing method system that shall be applicable for various concrete structures as well as in the concrete industry. Concrete is the oldest and most commonly used construction material in the world, because of its durability, low cost and high availability Hassan [1]. It provides the most cost effective and efficient means of construction. Testing of concrete ranges from non-destructive where there the concrete specimen is not damaged to destructive testing where the concrete specimen might be slightly or completely damaged. 2 billion tons of concrete was produced in the year 2004 in the world, with India contributing 116.1 million tonnes Bhatacharjee, [2]. In today’s world concrete is made using various kinds of cement, coarse/fine aggregates, water, and admixtures if any. Proper infrastructure is one of the biggest drawbacks that halt the growth in India. The 12th five-year plan laid a special focus on the growth of infrastructure in India i.e. roads, highways, railways, communication and ports. One trillion is being invested in this sector during the 12th year plan. The world views India as a capable nation which is expected to show a growth from 1.2-1.5 billion by 2040 surpassing China which is already leading as the most popularly grown nation Rai and Ghavate [3]. A recent global report “Global Construction 2020” estimated India to be the third largest global construction market after USA and China. Today, the enhancement in the design capacity in India has reached a level where it is possible to design concrete with strengths of more than 100 MPa which wasn’t possible earlier. China has already used concrete strength up to 80MPa for high rise building construction within the cement usage set by the code standards Chatterjee [4]. The destructive testing method is suitable and economically beneficial for the concrete specimens that are produced at a large scale. The main aim is to investigate the service life and detect the weakness of design which might not show under normal working conditions. It includes methods where the concrete specimen is broken so as to determine mechanical properties i.e. hardness and strength. This type of testing is very easy to carry out, easier to interpret and yields more information. Some popular destructive test methods are as follows Shankar and Joshi [5]: I. Tests of mechanical properties using the universal testing machine (UTM): a) Tensile testing. b) Bending testing c) Compressive testing II. Hardness testing. a) Brinell test b) Rockwell test III. Impact testing a) Pendulum test b) Drop weight test Destructive testing includes mechanical testing (bending, impact tests, tensile), macro/microhardness testing as well as metallographic examination. The various advantages of destructive testing are listed below: A. Tests are economical and can be performed at a cheaper rate. B. Equipment cost for destructive testing is cheap as compared to non-destructive testing. C. It identifies mechanical properties (fracture strength, elongation, and modulus of elasticity) D. It helps to reduce failures, accidents, and costs. E. It helps in verifying the properties of the material Shankar and Joshi [5]. The various disadvantages of destructive testing are: a. The internal defects of the concrete i.e. bubble, pores etc. can’t be determined. b. The concrete specimens cannot be used again after the testing. c. It cannot be used to detect early age deformities in concrete Kumavat et al. [6]. Non-destructive testing (NDT) is mainly concerned with the evaluation of flaws in materials which are in the form of cracks and which might lead to loss of strength in a concrete structure (Samson et al. [7]. NDT is a method for the testing of existing concrete structures so as to determine the durability and strength. In the modern construction world, it has become a vital part of the quality control process.

Authors and Affiliations

Sakshi Gupta

Keywords

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  • EP ID EP610473
  • DOI 10.32474/TCEIA.2018.03.000154
  • Views 87
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Sakshi Gupta (2018). Comparison of Non-Destructive and Destructive Testing on Concrete: A Review. Trends in Civil Engineering and its Architecture, 3(1), 351-357. https://europub.co.uk./articles/-A-610473