NDT-based Condition Assessment of Concrete Tanks in Mine Facilities

This paper presents a comprehensive condition assessment of two large reinforced concrete tanks at a mining facility in Canada, using a multi-method approach. The program combined digital inspection through LiDAR and photographic mapping, Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDT-E) methods including Ultrasonic Pulse Echo (UPE), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and Rebound Hammer (RH), along with intrusive testing (core sampling). In addition to laboratory analysis of the core samples, complementary non-destructive tests, including Surface Electrical Resistivity (SER), cross-core Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV), were carried out on the same core samples. Results showed that Tank 1 had generally good concrete quality with few localized anomalies, while the Tank 2 exhibited more minor internal irregularities but maintained high UPV and low permeability values. Compressive strengths exceeded design requirements, and petrographic studies identified minor ASR and sulfate exposure. This integrated assessment demonstrates the value of combining multiple NDT-E and intrusive techniques to achieve a thorough evaluation, support targeted maintenance, and ensure the long-term serviceability of critical infrastructure.