Contactless safety evaluation of damaged structures through energetic criteria

Abstract

The reinforced concrete structures need to be monitored to ensure their structural integrity, but sometimes those measurements are very local, and the instrument is complex to locate physically in the structure and may interfere on it. Digital Image Correlation is a noncontact and nondestructive experimental technique capable to measure the displacement field in a big region of a structure with a great accuracy. This allows extracting valuable information from the fracture processes of reinforced concrete structures, critical for the evaluation of the structural integrity. The measurement of the energy dissipated by the structure is essential for the identification of the strength mechanisms that are failing in the structure and to identify a proper repair. Also, using fracture mechanics, other valuable information are extracted from the fracture processes of the reinforced concrete beam, such as the Modes I and II fracture energy released at each loading step, which is essential to evaluate the elastic energy that the structure can accumulate before collapse. The examples enable to anticipate the importance of Digital Image Correlation for future large scale studies of fracture in concrete and other materials related to construction.