Quality control of hydraulic concrete at early ages using ultrasonic testing

Main Article Content

Luis Carlos Calvo-Navarro

Abstract

The ultrasonic test on concrete allows determining a quality classification, based on the magnitude of the ultrasonic pulse velocity from a piezoelectric sensor that emits the pulse, to another sensor that receives it, passing through the analyzed material. Any discontinuity that adds air to the pulse path will affect the result obtained, since ultrasonic waves do not travel through air. Therefore, the design, mixing, placing and curing processes of the concrete can influence the percentage of air content trapped within the mix or within the cast element. The present work compares the compressive strength results with the development of ultrasonic velocity during the hardening period of the concrete, to determine the usefulness of ultrasonic testing for quality control of new construction work, in order to have reliable acceptance results. The analyzed concrete has a f’c 210 kg/cm² made in a stationary mixer and the concrete curing time is 28 days. It is possible to determine the reliability of the ultrasonic test for the inspection of construction work from 7 days after the casting, allowing an early guarantee of the quality of the concrete or a prompt resolution of adverse results detected by this non-destructive test.

Article Details

How to Cite
Calvo-Navarro, L. C. (2026). Quality control of hydraulic concrete at early ages using ultrasonic testing. Tecnología En Marcha Journal, 39(2), Pág. 111–122. https://doi.org/10.18845/tm.v39i2.7951
Section
Artículo científico

References

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