Development of Composite Non-Destructive Testing Equipment for External Tendon of PSC Bridge

A non-destructive testing equipment and diagnostic technique for external tendons of pre- stressed concrete (PSC) bridge were developed in this study. In this equipment, acoustic emission (AE) and magnetic flux leakage (MFL) type testing equipment were introduced. The use of AE equipment is to detect cavities in external tendons, and the use of MFL equipment is to detect damage to strands. In order to verify the performance of this non-destructive testing equipment, specimens of tendons with artificially damaged strand were fabricated and tested in a laboratory. As a result, it was confirmed that the location of each damage could be detected precisely. It is expected that more precise evaluation will be possible through further analysis and enhancement.