Nondestructive testing method of concrete using impact acoustics

A new nondestructive testing method for concrete using impact acoustics is investigated. Impact acoustics, which has a strong relation with the vibration of a concrete surface, can offer important information about the physical properties of concrete structures such as shapes, material properties and defects. In this paper, the relation between impact acoustics and vibration at the same surface of the concrete was observed experimentally. Then, some basic experiments were carried out to clarify the influence of cracks on amplitude and resonant frequency of the impact acoustics. These experimental results were compared with the results obtained from FEM analysis. It was clarified that degradation of stiffness of concrete due to crack progress can be evaluated by the impact acoustics method.