Jean-Paul Balayssac – författare

The non-destructive evaluation of civil engineering structures in reinforced concrete is becoming an increasingly important issue in this field of engineering.

This book proposes innovative ways to deal with this problem, through the characterization of concrete durability indicators by the use of non-destructive techniques. It presents the description of the various non-destructive techniques and their combination for the evaluation of indicators. The processing of data issued from the combination of NDE methods is also illustrated through examples of data fusion methods.

The identification of conversion models linking observables, obtained from non-destructive measurements, to concrete durability indicators, as well as the consideration of different sources of variability in the assessment process, are also described. An analysis of in situ applications is carried out in order to highlight the practical aspects of the methodology.

At the end of the book the authors provide a methodological guide detailing the proposed non-destructive evaluation methodology of concrete indicators.

The book presents the work of the RILEM Technical Committee 249-ISC. Addressing the effective application of new recommendations for non-destructive in situ strength assessment of concrete, it provides information about the different steps of the investigation and processing of test results, until the delivery of strength estimates, and includes tables giving the minimum required number of cores in a variety of situations as well as several examples of how the recommendations can be used in practice. The book explores a topic which is of major importance, i.e. the assessment of concrete compressive strength in existing structures. This property (both mean and standard deviation) is a key input in many cases, such as the reinforcement of structures, the safety checking, the extension of service life.

As the new RILEM recommendations imply a deep revision (and improvement) of field practice, the book is intended for managers of structures, structural engineers and specialists of NDT that have to answer these issues. More widely, it will benefit engineers and students who are interested in NDT and in the safety analysis of structures.