Practical Applications of Ultrasonic-Echo and Impulse Radar

Determining the condition of an existing structure is a common task for engineering firms concerned with planning and consulting. In the case that reinforced concrete structures need to be repaired, the actual state must first be determined according “Instandsetzungsrichtlinie DAfStb Rili-SIB 2001”. In the course of renovations and conversions, the condition of the structure must be known, which is often not the case due to a lack of planning documents. Also in many cases doubts exist as to whether the work contracted was actually carried out in full. In all of these cases one should aim to perform the tests as accurately as possible, but with minimum effort and the least possible damage to the building and inconvenience to its users. Through the development of ultrasonic echo and impulse radar methods, numerous inspection tasks have become possible, which were previously only achievable with a much larger effort and through destructive testing methods. In the following article, examples of structural investigations that were carried out using the ultrasonic echo method, the impulse radar method, or a combination of both methods, are presented and explained.