Experimental and numerical investigations for GPR evaluation of reinforced concrete footbridge

Abstract

The GPR method has increasingly found application in non-destructive testing of reinforced concrete structures. This paper presents the new approach of modelling of the electromagnetic wave propagation for reinforced concrete structures with a complex system of reinforcement. Simulations of the GPR field were performed on a three-dimensional model of a footbridge using the FDTD method. Numerical maps were compared with results of in-situ surveys. A particular attention was paid to the analysis of the influence of the location of the transverse reinforcement on resulting GPR radargrams.