The focus area Non-Destructive Testing covers research and services in the field of non-destructive testing for traffic infrastructure. The focus is on two methods, ground-penetrating-radar and thermography.

Some applications of ground-penetrating-radar:

• Bridges: Evaluation of the pavement thickness and concrete cover of re-bar, locating of tendon ducts
• Roads: Evaluation of the pavement thickness
• Railway lines: Evaluation of the ballast thickness and locating of zones with subbase material penetrating into the ballast
• More information is available upon request

We develop new applications and improve existing methods for non-destructive testing. Further information can be found under Publications.

Current projects (selection)

• Non-destructive-detection of chlorides and moisture in multi.layer structural elements such as concrete bridge decks using high freequency electromagnetic waves (SNF 20021-119797 / 1)
• ISTIMES, Integrated System for Transport Infrastructures surveillance and Monitoring by Electromagnetic Sensing (EU, FP-7, 225663)

Completed projects (selection)

• Accuracy and reliability of radar results on concrete bridges (Zuverlässigkeit und Genauigkeit von Georadar-Ergebnissen auf Betonbrücken), AGB2000/553 (90/00) auf Antrag der Arbeitsgruppe Brückenforschung März 2005
• Detection of chlorides using Ground Penetrating Radar (Détermination de la présence de chlorures à l’aide du géoradar), AGB 2005/009

• A relationship between the dielectric properties of asphalt pavements and the present condition of the road (Zusammenhang zwischen den dielektrischen Eigenschaften von Asphaltbelägen und dem aktuellen Zustand der Strasse) (VSS2005/701)