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Concrete NDE Testing with Ultrasonic Pulse Echo

Qualitest Canada has engaged with Concrete NDE Testing by employing the innovative Ultrasonic Pulse Echo technology to assess the structural integrity of various concrete structures, including Silos, MSC walls, Dams, Floors, and tanks.

Highly qualified engineers and inspectors from Qualitest perform Ultrasonic Pulse Echo Scanning services across Canada, covering areas such as Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Sarnia, Milton, St. Catharines, Ottawa, Brampton, London, Markham, Vaughan, Kitchener, Windsor, Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Richmond, Delta, Burnaby, Victoria, Kitimat, Dawson Creek, Kelowna, Kamloops, Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Peace River, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Regina, and Saskatoon.

Structural defects can lead to significant damage and collapse. To assist clients, Qualitest utilizes State of the Art Ultrasonic Pulse Echo (UPE) technology for testing concrete, rocks, composites, ceramics, wood, and refractory materials, enabling the determination of their strength and uniformity. The company’s clientele includes federal and provincial governments, contractors, developers, consultants, and owners.

The implementation of Ultrasonic Pulse Echo (UPE) technology facilitates the identification of important structural features within concrete structures. For instance, older concrete silos often lack well-maintained or available design documents. In such cases, rebar spacing and rebar size information become crucial for structural engineers in assessing the load-bearing capacity of the silo structure. Detecting structural flaws is vital, as they can cause severe damage and collapse.

Ultrasonic Pulse Echo (UPE) employs advanced imaging techniques to detect defects within concrete structures. By utilizing ultrasonic testing, Qualitest can ascertain the strength and quality of concrete silos while identifying voids, honeycombs, delamination, pipes, cracks, and other defects within the structure. The ultrasonic pulse-echo (UPE) technology expands the applications of ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) to objects with restricted access from a single side.

Qualitest utilizes the PD8050 for UPE testing, which is recognized as the World’s Lightest Wireless Ultrasonic Imaging System with Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence capabilities.

Ultrasonic Pulse Echo can be used to:

  • Location of subsurface defects of concrete such as flaws, cracks, honeycombing, and poor patches.
  • Measurement of thickness of concrete elements
  • Determination of concrete pulse velocity for homogeneity and strength estimation

Ultrasonic Pulsed Echo

Figure 1: UPE scan performed on a concrete wall (cross section shown) containing a rebar and two defects. UPE scans gave a clear indication of thickness at 0.38 m.

Applications of Ultrasonic Pulse Echo include: 

  1. Thickness measurement
  2. Strength evaluation
  3. Cracks and defect assessment – including Voids, honeycombs, and delamination
  4. Rebar, pipes &conduit localization

Advantages of UPE:

  1. Portable instrument allows for in-situ assessment 
  2. Access from just one side is needed 
  3. No couplant necessary
  4. No saturation with water needed
  5. Instant reading and quicker analysis

Contact us admin@qualitests.com today to get a quote.