Ultrasonic detection of the alkali-silica reaction damage in concrete

The alkali-silica reaction is a source of damage in concrete, which can cause serious expansion, cracking, and sometimes the failure of structures. In this paper, we use three ultrasonic methods, the attenuation spectrum method, the ultrasonic passband method, and the stretching factor method to detect the existence of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) damage and to track its progress in concrete. From our tests, we demonstrate the ultrasonic passband method and stretching factor method have performed well to achieve the above goals.