Nondestructive Evaluation of Polyester Polymer Concrete

Nondestructive tests are gaining popularity for evaluating the properties of construction materials. In this study, the applicability of the impact resonance method and the ultrasonic pulse velocity method to polyester polymer and polymer concrete was investigated. The effect of specimen shape and size on the dynamic moduli, damping ratio, and pulse velocity were studied. The response of cylinders and prisms in the three fundamental modes of vibration, namely, longitudinal, transverse, and torsional, were investigated. From the longitudinal and transverse resonant frequencies, the dynamic Young's modulus of elasticity and damping ratio were determined. Using the torsional resonant frequency, the dynamic modulus of rigidity and dynamic Poisson's ratio were determined. Using the ultrasonic method, the pulse velocity in polymer and polymer concrete was measured at frequencies of 50 and 150 kHz. The dynamic modulus of elasticity was also determined from the pulse velocity and compared to the static modulus. The results of these nondestructive tests are reported.