Development of a Structural Integrity Non-destructive Inspection System for Bridges Made of Weathering Steel

Abstract

Due to the increasing volume of traffic, bridges are exposed to higher loads as it was considered during the planning phase. Therefore, a regular inspection is necessary in order to detect cracks at very early stages. The use of weathering structural steel in bridges, as well as in composite bridge constructions is an alternative to conventional bridges, not only from an economic but also from an ecological point of view, since it is not necessary to apply a corrosion protection layer and renew it during the lifetime of the bridge. Unfortunately, conventional visual inspection or magnetic particle inspection on the weathering steel bridge are hindered by the protective patina and requires development of new test methods. Within the framework of this project, a combined crack detection technique using non-destructive inspection by means of Active Thermography and by Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) were evaluated in laboratory environments and in real conditions on bridge structures made of weathering structural steel.