Application of iterative elastic reverse time migration to shear horizontal ultrasonic echo data obtained at a concrete step specimen

Abstract The ultrasonic echo technique is broadly applied in non‐destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures involving tasks such as measuring thickness, determining geometry and locating built‐in elements. To address the challenge of enhancing ultrasonic imaging for complex concrete constructions, we adapted a seismic imaging algorithm – reverse time migration (RTM) – for NDT in civil engineering. Unlike the traditionally applied synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT), RTM takes into account the full wavefield including primary and reflected arrivals as well as multiples. This capability enables RTM to effectively handle all wave phenomena, unlimited by changes in velocity and reflector inclinations. This paper concentrates on applying and evaluating a two‐dimensional elastic RTM algorithm that specifically addresses horizontally polarized shear (SH) waves only, as these are predominantly used in ultrasonic NDT of concrete structures. The elastic SH RTM algorithm was deployed for imaging real ultrasonic echo SH‐wave data obtained at a concrete specimen exhibiting a complex back wall geometry and containing four tendon ducts. As these features are frequently encountered in practical NDT scenarios, their precise imaging holds significant importance. By applying the elastic SH RTM algorithm, we successfully reproduced nearly all reflectors within the concrete specimen. In particular, we were capable of accurately reconstructing all vertically oriented reflectors as well as the circular cross sections of three tendon ducts, which was not achievable with traditional SAFT imaging. These findings demonstrate that elastic SH RTM holds the ability to considerably improve the imaging of complex concrete geometries, marking a crucial advancement for accurate, high‐quality ultrasonic NDT in civil engineering.