Risk-based investigation of steel reinforcement corrosion using the AeCORR technique

Abstract

The use of a non-destructive acoustic evaluation technique as a Risk Based Inspection tool to detect the corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete is presented in this paper. It offers the potential to save time and money for facilities owners and users. Recent research has demonstrated that AE has the ability to identify corrosion activity in concrete before conventional NDT methods, enabling faster intervention and increasing the repair options available. Monitoring a structure using the AeCORR technique, currently being researched and under development in the field, can create a digital map of part of a structure enabling an unbiased reference point for that structure for future maintenance tests as well as being able to distinguish areas of active corrosion. This paper reviews the principles and development of the new AeCORR technique for detecting and estimating the scale of corrosion induced damage and its ability as a tool to index test parts of structures.