Nondestructive Inspection Protocol for Reinforced Concrete Barriers

Reinforced concrete highway barriers serve to prevent errant vehicles from departing the travel way at grade separations. Despite the important role that they play in maintaining safety and their ubiquitous nature, barrier inspection rarely moves beyond visual inspection. In August 2008, a tractor-trailer fatally departed William Preston Lane, Jr., Memorial Bridge after it dislodged a section of the bridge barrier. Investigations following the accident identified significant corrosion of the anchor bolts attaching the bridge railing to the bridge deck. As a result of the information gathered during its investigation of the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board made recommendations to the Federal Highway Administration concerning nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of concrete bridge railings. The Center for Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE) at Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, VA, has evaluated the feasibility of using four technologies—ground penetrating radar (GPR), ultrasonic pulse-echo, digital radiography, and infrared thermal imaging methods—to develop bridge inspection methods that augment visual inspections, offer reliable measurement techniques, and are practical regarding both time and cost for field inspection work. Controlled samples containing predefined corrosion levels in reinforcing steel were embedded at barrier connection points for laboratory testing. All four NDE techniques were used. The methods provided useful and complementary information. Ultrasonic pulse-echo and GPR provided a rapid approach to identify reinforcing steel that has anomalous responses. Full implementation could use both ultrasonic pulse-echo and GPR methods to identify areas of concern providing guidance for maintenance actions.

• Record URL:
  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/14076/14076.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Engineering and Software Consultants, Incorporated

  14123 Robert Paris Court
  Chantilly, VA  United States  20151

  Federal Highway Administration

  Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
  Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
  McLean, VA  United States  22101
• Authors:
  • Chintakunta, Satish
  • Boone, Shane D
• Publication Date: 2015-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 50p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Bridge railings; Corrosion; Feasibility analysis; Ground penetrating radar; Inspection; Laboratory tests; Nondestructive tests; Radiography; Reinforced concrete; Structural health monitoring; Thermal imagery; Ultrasonic tests
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01560983
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-HRT-14-076
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 24 2015 10:24AM