Nondestructive Testing Methods for Underwater Tunnel Linings: Practical Application at Chesapeake Channel Tunnel
Publication: Journal of Infrastructure Systems
Volume 23, Issue 3
Abstract
A field evaluation of an underwater tunnel was conducted using a variety of nondestructive testing (NDT) methods, including visual inspection, air- and ground-coupled ground-penetrating radar (GPR), ultrasonic tomography (UST), and impact echo (IE). An air-coupled GPR antenna was used along with visual inspection to identify areas of interest in the Chesapeake Channel Tunnel near Norfolk, Virginia. After potential regions were identified, a robotic scanner with pneumatically driven suction feet was used to automatically scan the area using ground-coupled GPR, UST, and IE. Regions were also evaluated using manually applied UST. These methods combined with powerful software presented the element under inspection as a 3D volume for thorough inspection. This study shows that this particular combination of NDT techniques can efficiently and effectively identify and locate reinforcement, backwall depth, and potentially delaminated areas. By analyzing the phase shift of ultrasonic waves, it is also shown that UST techniques can be used to potentially determine the condition of the backwall and reinforcement bonding.
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Acknowledgments
The results presented herein represent a detailed research investigation sponsored by the 2nd Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) Project R06(G) entitled “Mapping Voids, Debonding, Delaminations, Moisture, and Other Defects Behind or Within Tunnel Linings.” Along with the final report (Wimsatt et al. 2013), the authors recommend the website www.ndttoolbox.org, which provides a summary of practical advice concerning the limitations, advantages, testing procedures, and overviews of technologies accumulated by this research project as well as other SHRP2 projects.
References
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Infrastructure Systems
Volume 23 • Issue 3 • September 2017
Copyright
©2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 2, 2015
Accepted: Sep 14, 2016
Published online: Oct 31, 2016
Discussion open until: Mar 31, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
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