Detection of corrosion effects on prestressed concrete bridge deck slabs from the champlain bridge through non‐destructive testing techniques

Abstract As aging infrastructures raise public concerns, evaluating their performance is crucial for maintaining structural integrity, especially for corroding prestressed concrete members. These structures may experience substantial tendon cross‐sectional area loss before any visible deterioration becomes detectable. While various non‐destructive techniques (NDT) have proven effective in labs, correlating corrosion‐induced damage in field members remains a challenge. Establishing these correlations is key for understanding the overall performance of aging structural concrete elements and ensuring their continued safe operation through non‐invasive means. This paper investigates various NDTs on a concrete bridge deck, aiming to correlate results. Visual inspection, Schmidt rebound hammer, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV), corrosion detection techniques, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Ultrasonic Pulse Echo (UPE), and Impact Echo (IE) methods are evaluated for detecting concrete deck damage. Results show the methods' capabilities in detecting defects to a certain extent, highlighting their potential in assessing aging concrete infrastructures.