Date of Award
4-2005
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Civil and Construction Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. Osama Abudayyeh
Second Advisor
Dr. Sherif Yehia
Third Advisor
Dr. Ikhlas Abdel-Qader
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
The transportation infrastructure in the United States is deteriorating and will require significant improvements. A recent report by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave an overall grading of D+ to the nation's infrastructure. Approximately 162,000 of the nation's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The total estimated cost to bring conditions to acceptable levels over the next two decades would exceed $1.9 trillion. Consequently, innovations in the area of transportation infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation are key to the health and wellness of this valuable national asset.
A major component of maintenance and rehabilitation is the ability to accurately assess the condition of the transportation infrastructure. This can be accomplished in part by using nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques. NDE can verify the integrity of a structure or any of its components without compromising its ability to perform in service. NDE techniques used for concrete bridge decks are studied The three most appropriate methods are selected for further study and verification with literature. An experimental study is designed and cases mimicking concrete bridge decks defects such as voids, delaminations, and cracks are presented.
The results of the study showed that Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Impact Echo (IE), and Thermography (IR) are promising methods for the detection of potential problems in concrete bridge decks.
Recommended Citation
Nabulsi, Saleh Z., "The Detection of Common Concrete Bridge Deck Defects Using the Thermography, Impact Echo, and Ground Penetrating Radar" (2005). Masters Theses. 4839.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4839