Characterization of In Situ Concrete of Existing RC Constructions

Abstract

The strengths and mechanical characteristics of concrete play a key role in the safety levels for the recovery and reuse of existing RC buildings and civil engineering works. This is one of the main focuses of the current research trend. To this aim, the characteristics of concrete must be investigated: the characterization of the concrete and its in situ conditions play a key role. For these reasons, many studies on in situ and laboratory test methods and procedures have been carried out over the last two decades. In the past few years, non-destructive investigation methods have been considered reliable and used in many engineering applications, also for RC constructions. More recent codes and guidelines identify destructive test methods as a reference for practice application. However, non-destructive investigation methods can be used though exclusively in combination with destructive tests to support them. In this study, a significant database is considered to assess the reliability of the relationship between destructive and non-destructive methods for in situ concrete in existing RC constructions. The results of the analyses are used to verify the effectiveness of the methods and prediction models and suggest more effective test procedures. It can be stated that many of the existing empirical methods (based on pre-established correlations) are unable to provide a reliable evaluation of the compressive concrete strength and its variability. In practical applications, non-destructive methods often lead to unsatisfactory results for the existing reinforced concrete constructions. Finally, based on the results, some first operational indications are provided for practical investigations and future possible codes and guideline improvements.

Influence of Subsoil and Building Material Properties on Mine-Induced Soil–Structure Interaction Effect

“…If the structures with the same layout and construction are built using different materials it can change not only the dynamic characteristics of the structure but also the SSI effect. Materials used in the design of structures are, e.g., as follows: high-performance concrete (HPC) [16] or ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) [17], masonry [18][19][20], wood [21], reinforced concrete (RC) [20,[22][23][24], and cellular concrete [25].…”

Special Issue of “Material Analysis in Cultural Heritage”

“…Non-destructive tests with ultrasound are generally preferred, but their reliability needs to be regularly checked by destructive tests. Vona [ 10 ] constructed a comprehensive database to assess the reliability of the relationship between destructive and non-destructive methods for in situ concrete testing.…”