Spectral Energy Transmission Method for Crack Depth Estimation in Concrete Structures

Surface cracks in concrete are common defects that can cause significant deterioration and failure of concrete structures. Therefore, the early detection, assessment, and repair of the cracks in concrete are very important for the structural health. Among studies for crack depth assessment, self-calibrating surface wave transmission method seems to be a promising nondestructive technique, though it is still difficult in determination of the crack depth due to the variation of the experimentally obtained transmission functions. In this paper, the spectral energy transmission method is proposed for the crack depth estimation in concrete structures. To verify this method, an experimental study was carried out on a concrete slab with various surface-opening crack depths. Finally, effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by comparing the conventional time-of-flight and cutting frequency based methods. The results show an excellent potential as a practical and reliable in-situ nondestructive method for the crack depth estimation in concrete structures.