Infrared thermovision of damage processes in concrete and rock

Abstract Infrared thermography has been used as a nondestructive and noncontact technique to examine the progressive damage processes and failure mechanisms of concrete and rock specimens subjected to given static unconfined compressions and to a superimposed vibratory excitation. The parameter investigated in this paper is the heat generation due to intrinsic dissipation caused by anelasticity and/or inelasticity of the material which has been excited beyond its stable reversible limit. This useful technique allows accurate illustration of the onset of unstable crack propagation and/or flaw coalescence when increasing irreversible microcracking is activated by vibratory loading.