Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test
It is a non-destructive test, generally applied to concrete and rocks in order to asses their quality based on the velocity at which an ultrasonic pulse travels through the element. High velocities imply high quality and continuity of the element, while low velocities indicate a lower quality, cracks or other anomalies such as honeycombed concrete, voids, etc.
It’s mainly applied to:
- Verify the homogeneity of concrete structures
- Estimate the depth of cracks
- Estimate the thickness of lower-quality superficial layers
- Estimate the compressive strength when combined with destructive tests
Example application to verify the quality and homogeneity among different columns and beams on a construction site. The image below shows the record of the ultrasonic pulse, its arrival time and its velocity in the concrete.