Acousto-Ultrasonic Technology for Nondestructive Evaluation of Concrete Bridge Members Strengthened by Carbon Fiber–Reinforced Polymer

Carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have been used in a wide range of application areas in bridge rehabilitations because these materials are less affected by corrosive environmental conditions, are known to provide longer life, and require less maintenance. However, the quality control and quality assessment of these new rehabilitation systems should be further improved and standardized. A recent rehabilitation project that used CFRP laminates was done on a bridge in Dallas County, Missouri, by the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Center for Infrastructure Engineering Studies at the University of Missouri–Rolla. The acousto-ultrasonic nondestructive testing technology was performed to detect and image surface defects in the form of delaminations. These were intentionally formed at the CFRP sheet–concrete interface to investigate the ability of this technique. Acousto-ultrasonic nondestructive testing has shown the ability to detect and image the delaminations between CFRP sheet and concrete substrate.