Non-destructive evaluation of constructed facilities using vibration testing

It is generally recognised that maintenance of engineering structures is essential in order to ensure their continued service ability. An important aspect of maintenance activities is structural assessment to determine the integrity of existing structures. Many assessment engineers prefer NonDestructive Test (NDT) methods, since no damage, or limited surface damage, is induced on the structure as a result of the testing. For large constructed facilities, application of some of the usual NDT methods could be time-consuming. One way of reducing the time, and cost, involved in using such methods is to conduct a global NDT inspection of the structures so that the more defective areas can be identified before detailed investigations