Method for Analyzing Time-Series GPR Data of Concrete Bridge Decks
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 20, Issue 6
Abstract
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been extensively studied in North America as a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technology for inspection of concrete bridge decks. With current practices, however, GPR has only proven to be an indicator of potential damage. Basically, to obtain the condition map for a concrete bridge deck, one would try to analyze one-time GPR data based mostly on the relative difference between reflection amplitudes at the top rebar layer. With a hypothesis that time-series GPR data can provide better information on bridge deck deterioration progression, this study investigates and proposes a new method to interpret those time-series data sets. Based on a correlation coefficient between A-scans, the proposed methodology was implemented and validated for a bare concrete bridge deck in New Jersey. The map provided by the proposed method clearly shows deterioration progression between the two consecutive scans, whereas the traditional analysis technique using the top rebar amplitude suggests unreasonable improvement of the deck condition over time.
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Acknowledgments
The authors of this paper thank the Ministry of Transportation of Québec and Mitacs for their funding and support of this study. Also, they wish to thank Mr. John Tate, Warren County Department of Public Safety, who authorized their entry to the field for data collection.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 20 • Issue 6 • June 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 29, 2013
Accepted: Jul 21, 2014
Published online: Aug 11, 2014
Published in print: Jun 1, 2015
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