Featured Research Nondestructive Testing of Early Age Concrete

Introduction The nondestructive, in-situ testing of early-age concrete properties is a crucial point for the progress of many construction projects in the building sector. The application of such techniques can establish e.g. the earliest possible form removal from concrete construction elements, thereby opening highways to traffic or releasing prestress from steel reinforcement with greatest efficiency. A nondestructive, ultrasonic technique, which measures the reflection coefficient of ultrasonic transverse waves from the concrete surface, was developed at the Center for Advanced Cement-Based Materials [1]. The focus of this research project is to develop a nondestructive field sensor for in-situ monitoring of the setting, hardening, and strength gain of cementitious materials.