Y.S.R. ENGG.
COLLEGE OF
Y.V.U.
Dept. of Civil Engineering
INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY AND ITS
APPLICATIONS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
Presented by
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Principle of IRT
Applications
Advantages
Limitations
Conclusion
References
INRODUCTION
Infrared thermography is one of the non-destructive
thermal methods which is becoming ever more
popular in nondestructive testing of materials and
structures.
It is completely noncontact and may be faster than
many other techniques that are being used.
In Civil Engineering,defects like voids in concrete or
masonry, delaminations at interfaces of composites
which have different density, heat capacity and/or
heat conductivity in comparison to the bulk material
can be localized and characterized.
PRINCIPLE OF IRT
The principle of infrared thermography is based on
three well-known radiation laws
– the law about the relation between emission and
absorption found by Kirchhoff,
– Planck’s law of radiation,
– the Stefan–Boltzmann law.
SETUP OF IRT
TYPICAL VIEW OF IRT CAMERA
APPLICATIONS OF IRT
Construction Defects
Structural IR Surveying of CMU Walls
Rodent and Insect Infestations
Quality Assurance of the Thermal Envelope
Stucco Delamination
Quality Assurance of the Moisture Envelope
Commissioning and Maintaining Flat and Low-Sloped
Roofs
1. Construction Defects
All building materials will absorb, retain and radiate
heat energy at a different rate, building components
can be checked for the quality of installation using
IR.
IR can be used as a building quality assurance tool
during construction, so that repairs can be made
without destroying the building or delaying the
building process
[Link] IR Surveying of CMU Walls
The walls often have reinforcing bars imbedded in
grout-filled cells as a critical structural component.
By allowing the wall to absorb energy during the day
and watching the heat energy dissipate at night, the
building infrared thermographer can use the “picture”
of the heat from the wall, to define exactly where the
grouted cells are and where they are missing.
Visual and infrared image of a
CMU wall showing a bond Time vs. Temperature Graph of a
beam (horizontal reinforcing)
CMU wall over a 24-hour period
incomplete on the left side of
the man door
[Link] and Insect Infestations
Rodents inside a building can be tracked-down
because they are warm-blooded.
The decrease in mass left by these building
materials-destroying creatures can be quantified by
using infrared thermography
Visual and infrared image a mouse inside the wall
[Link] Assurance of the Thermal
Envelope
Infrared thermography can be used on the job site
as an inexpensive, efficient and effective way to
improve the quality of construction.
The proper installation of thermal insulation and air
barriers can also be checked using infrared
thermography.
[Link] Delamination
Stucco is an exterior plaster or interior plasterwork
applied directly to the framed structure of a
building.
Two types of stucco,cement and synthetic.
Because both types of stucco are layered onto a
building, there is a possibility that the layers will
delaminate from one another or from the building
and can bee detected with IRT.
Infrared images of a
Infrared images of a new condominium with
new condominium stucco, missing
with stucco insulation
delamination
[Link] Assurance of the Moisture
Envelope
In buildings, excessive moisture can create huge
problems, like mold, mildew and deterioration of
the building [Link] thermography can effectively
be used to find moisture
All buildings should be also be tested within a few
months after construction or major renovations to
the structure, the thermal envelope, the moisture
envelope
Visual and infrared image of a new Visual and infrared image of
residential building with air-leakage moisture and moldin the wall-
papered outside wall
[Link] and Maintaining Flat
and Low-Sloped Roofs
Roof waterproofing problems manifest themselves
in two ways: leakage and entrained moisture
contamination.
After a new roof or recover is installed on a
building, it should be commissioned by infrared
NDT.
ADVANTAGES
The building can be verified built to the
specifications of the architect and engineer.
If faults are discovered during IR testing, a high
quality graphic report of the faults can be
generated so that repairs can be made in a timely
manner.
Since the building can be documented and verified
code-compliant, the owner enjoys the confidence
that the building will hold the weight of the roof
and withstand high winds.
ADVANTAGES
General contractors can reduce the costs of
inspections, since many components and systems
can be checked without slowing down the building
process.
Subcontractors who are not willing or capable of
producing buildings without multiple defects,
eventually will not bid on projects where IR has
been specified.
LIMITATIONS
This method strongly depends on weather
conditions since it requires presence of sunlight.
It cannot be used when it is raining or overcast.
It requires skilled supervision and prooved costly.
CONCLUSION
Under controlled laboratory conditions
thermography has proven to be a helpful non-
destructive method to detect the presence and
distribution of moisture and render detachments in
building walls.
There is a need to develop new non-destructive
testing techniques for delaminations defects in
concrete structures.
REFERENCES
American Society for Non-destructive Testing - Nondestructive Testing
Handbook. Infrared and Thermal Testing (Volume 3). Columbus, USA,
American Society for Non-destructive Testing, 2001.
Henriques, F. - Humidade em Paredes. Lisboa, LNEC, 2001 (3rd
Edition).
Pina Santos, C. - Aplicação laboratorial da análise termográfica para
visualização da absorção capilar e da secagem de um provete de betão
celular autoclavado. Lisboa, LNEC, Janeiro de 2002.
Pina Santos, C.; Matias, L. - Application of Thermography for Moisture
Detection. Proceedings of "XXX IAHS World Congress on Housing.
Housing Construction, an Interdisciplinary Task". Coimbra, Portugal,
University of Coimbra, 2002. pp. 1501-1506.
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