Evaluation of concrete infrastructure quality using laboratory and on-site testing

Abstract

The exposure of parking garages to harsh weather conditions and vehicular traffic causes premature deterioration that can compromise structural integrity and pose safety hazards. In order to develop comprehensive and cost-effective strategies for evaluating the condition of their eighteen parking facilities, Montgomery County's Department of Public Works initiated this study. In this phase of the study, a systematic procedure for a robust, automatic, and reliable condition assessment of the concrete slabs of all of the eighteen garages was developed using the nondestructive ultrasonic pulse velocity technique. Computer simulation and laboratory analyses were performed to establish test criteria. Guidelines for conducting the nondestructive tests and analyzing the measured data were provided. The second phase of the study, whereby a performance model will provide a prediction on where the garages are in their life cycles, could be accomplished when the county provides a historical performance of the garages.