Evaluating the Quality of Reinforced Concrete Electric Railway Poles by Thermal Nondestructive Testing

Abstract

Thermal nondestructive testing can be used to inspect reinforced concrete supports that are widely used in various industries. Corrosion damage is a typical defect found in these supports. Corrosion usually starts as a separation between the concrete and the steel rebar. Damage is exacerbated by pressure that is caused by the formation of corrosion products. The most logical method for using IR to detect corrosion or a disbond would be to heat up the rebar by resistive or inductive heating. In both cases, monitoring the dynamic temperature distributions on the pole allows for the evaluation of reinforcement quality. The thermal properties of steel, concrete, air, and corrosion products differ greatly. The magnitude of temperature anomalies and their behavior over time depend on the presence of corrosion products, air gaps, and the quality of contact between rebar and concrete.