Chapter 17: Non-destructive testing of concrete structures

Numerous test techniques are available at present to assess properties of the near-surface concrete in situ. These tests can collectively be grouped under: (i) tests for assessing the strength; (ii) tests for assessing the durability or related properties; and (iii) those for measuring the integrity of the concrete. Guidance for the selection of appropriate test methods for different testing situations can be obtained from a report by the American Concrete Institute Committee 228 (ACI, 2008) on Non-destructive Testing. Some of these tests are now part of various national and international standards, but compared to the number of tests that can be identified in the literature, there are fewer standards on non-destructive tests due to the difficulties of interpreting in situ data obtained with non-destructive testing of concrete structures. The intention of this chapter is to introduce various non-destructive tests and provide an insight into their application for the assessment of various properties of concrete, in addition to highlighting how non-destructive tests can be used to assess the cause and the extent of deterioration of concrete structures.