The Use of Infrared Thermography in the Analysis of Engineered Cementitious Composites

Abstract

Non-destructive testing using infrared thermography has been used in civil construction basically in situations involving electrical conductors or mechanical wear that normally generate heat. In the specific case of materials, the application of thermography to metal stud is well documented, but there are few reports in the literature covering thermography in concrete; these are usually limited to the inspection of cracks and to the localization of water infiltration in prefabricated concrete structures. The present report evaluates the potential of the active infrared thermography method in the detection of changes in the macrostructure of engineering cementitious composite, as well as in order to estimate its thermal performance. The results show that thermography is able to detect changes in the macrostructure and is sensitive to temperature differences among the constituents of concrete.