Nondestructive testing of concrete chimneys and other structures

Many tall reinforced concrete structures in electricity generating plants have been in service for over a quarter of a century. Like may others in our infrastructure, they are showing signs of deterioration. However, their relative size and height make the task of their inspection a difficult and costly one. This paper introduces a new and cost-effective approach for their evaluation, including a blend of nondestructive testing, sampling, and laboratory testing. Case histories are presented describing this evaluation system applied to chimney stacks, fly-ash silos, and cooling towers.